Initial observations from the CU Buffs’ 28-10 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Deion Sanders’ first visit to Lincoln, Neb., as the Buffs head coach.
Goin’ deep: Every time the Buffs suit up, they bring the two best players onto the field with them in QB Shedeur Sanders and ironman Travis Hunter. The problem? There are still 20 other guys out there. And when CU faces a team like Nebraska, the pecking order for Nos. 3-22 skews too heavily in favor of the other guys. Sanders and Hunter (10 catches, 110 yards) are legit “Gonna play on Sunday” stars. But at the upper reaches of college football, it takes more than that to win big. One game does not make a season, but Saturday gave us more evidence this team isn’t much better than the last.
Getting defensive: The only thing less encouraging than CU’s leaky defense in the first half? The fact that Coach Prime walked away from it feeling like they were playing “pretty darn good.” The numbers: 126 yards from QB Dylan Raiola on 14-of-17 passing, 88 yards rushing, an average of 6.1 yards per play and one hurt Shilo Sanders. The good news? The second half was much better. Nebraska didn’t score a point in the second half, marking the second straight week CU shut out an opponent in the third quarter. If we’re looking for positives, defensive coordinator Robert Livingston’s ability to adjust at halftime is one of them.
Hunter’s other side: Why do scouts insist Travis Hunter is an NFL cornerback and not a receiver? Consider one three-play sequence in the first quarter. First down, Huskers QB Dylan Raiola attempts a screen to his right, Hunter reads it perfectly and drills Jahmal Banks for a 2-yard loss. Second down, Raiola throws complete short to the middle, Hunter rallies to the ball and limits the gain to 4 yards. Third down, another short throw that produces a gain 1 yard short of the sticks … except that Isaiah Neyor was holding onto Hunter for dear life. Flag, 10 yards back. One player — a DB no less — blows up an entire possession.
Problems up front: Much was made of the offensive line overhaul in Boulder this offseason. Two weeks in, it sure looks a heck of a lot like last year’s Buffs offensive front. It took all of three plays for the Husker pass rush to sack Shedeur Sanders for the first time. Sack No. 2 came on the first snap of the next possession. Three plays later, the Buffs didn’t get the push they needed to convert fourth-and-1 on the Huskers’ side of the field. All told, CU gained 42 yards on 11 non-QB runs. And the Huskers logged six sacks. Same. Old. Story. If this is the kind of protection Shedeur is going to receive, the Buffs are in trouble.
Extra Point
Scarlet vs. Gold: One more reminder that this game needs to be played every year, preferably on Thanksgiving weekend, with both teams in the same conference? Seeing those White-and-Gold CU uniforms clash with those Scarlet-and-Cream duds for the home side. It just looks right. CU and Nebraska don’t have another game on the schedule for the foreseeable future. And, obviously, it’s unlikely they will be in the same conference anytime soon. While the latter may never change, the former has to.
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