The one he’s walked by a million times now. The one that won’t stop staring back with emptiness. The one that mocks him, silently, reminding him what should’ve been. And wasn’t.

“I’ve only won one trophy here, so that definitely (hacks) me off,” Blackburn, the CSU Rams’ senior safety, told me earlier this year. “And it’s something that we all are aware of and definitely working to make sure that doesn’t happen in my last season. We’re all aware of our rivalry games and we’ve got two at home … so yeah, those are definitely huge games for us that we need to win.”

Once the bruises and pride start talking, they never stop. Rocky Mountain Showdown Week opens up all kinds of old wounds. Shedeur Sanders turning into Tom Brady. The Rams letting one slip away late, a recurring theme for 2023 that nobody wanted.

“Henry wants to see us win. He wants to see us do the things we need to do to win,” added third-year CSU coach Jay Norvell, who’s seeking his first rivalry win on Saturday night when the two 1-1 rivals lock horns at Canvas Stadium for the first time.

“And I think that’s probably been the biggest difference in our leaders is that they’ve been super-focused on making everybody else accountable … going to class, making sure you’re on time for workouts, finishing workouts, all the things that we ask our kids to do in our program. Our leaders have been super detailed in making them accountable. And so I just think Henry’s been dialed in with that.

“He’s one of those guys that just loves to play, whether it’s practice or a game. And he reminds me a lot of myself, to be honest, when I was in college.”

Despite some dings this past spring, Blackburn’s playing faster than ever. Counters in the chess game on the field come quicker. So does the first step.

The Boulder native says he power-cleaned 300 pounds earlier this year. He maxed out at 275-ish in spring 2023. The 225-pound bench press reps, another NFL combine test, went up to 17 this past spring after hovering in the 12 range the year before.

“Just everything, my whole game and every facet, (is) improved physically,” Blackburn said. “And then obviously, the mental side has been something I’ve been really working to improve as well.”

•••

This week’s special. Just not in the ways you’d think. Blackburn’s turned enough pages from last year’s Rocky Mountain Showdown to make George R.R. Martin blush.

“I mean, he’s a good dude and I wish him the best in his career,” Blackburn said of Hunter, the Buffs two-way star who left last September’s Showdown at Folsom Field after taking a blow from the CSU safety near the home sideline. “I don’t have any (ill will). We’re good.

“And obviously, we’re going to have to play again, strap it up again, and that’ll be a fun game. But yeah, I’ve got good feelings toward him and everything and wish him the best in his career.”

Beyond that, Blackburn declined to dive into specifics.

Everyone wants to move on. The social media benefits of the Coach Prime Effect have been a tide that lifts all boats for CU athletics. But when the narrative gets ugly, that wave can turn into a tsunami. Lines get crossed. Five individuals were reportedly charged last year with making threats against Blackburn and his family.

“Yeah, it was kind of frustrating because, being on the (CU) side, they didn’t really have to do that,” CU defensive back Isaiah Hardge told me. “But at the end of the day … it’s football, anything can happen.”

What got lost in the hit that rocked Folsom Field was the good souls in both the Buffs and Rams locker rooms that worked behind the scenes to mend fences.

Hardge was one of them. The Florida native’s older brother, Ron Hardge III, played for the Rams last year. Last September, the younger Hardge was playing NBA 2K with Hunter when Ron called him up and said he was sitting next to Blackburn.

“I was talking on the mic with (Hunter) and that’s when I had my brother, who was next to Henry,” Isaiah Hardge recalled. “We were just kind of talking, and he heard him, so I was kind of the middle man.”

Ron rang up Isaiah and he merged the call with Hunter.

“So I had called Henry and then put him on the phone with (Travis) on a merge,” Isaiah said. “And that’s when they were talking … that’s when we kind of set it up with the bowling thing. That’s how it all happened.”

You know the rest. Blackburn and Hunter agreed to bowl in Westminster for charity. Both players wound up contributing $1,000 each to the cause of Blackburn’s choice: Fort Collins-based Realities For Children. The nonprofit, whose motto is, “because no child should be forgotten,” works to improve the lives of children who have been abused, neglected, or are at risk.

Former CSU and Broncos star Shaq Barrett and his wife, Jordana, have backed the organization in the past, and it’s got some cool things afoot. RFC is constructing a Healing Sanctuary Campus on a 4-acre lot adjacent to the organization’s headquarters.

“I met Henry when I went up to Fort Collins with my brother,” Hardge said. “I keep in contact with him. He’s good. Yeah, he’s a good guy, he’s a cool guy. I mean, it just blew up.

“Everybody was saying that was a foul hit. But at the end of the day, they came and squashed the beef. I mean, (there) was no beef. It was good sportsmanship, everybody getting along. And then just coming together and just solving the problem.”

•••

Hundreds of problems, actually. Thanks in part to Hunter and Blackburn, RFC recently filled and distributed 1,005 backpacks full of supplies this summer for local schoolchildren.

Last year, RFC provided emergency funding services for 5,116 children and distributed items to more than 15,000 children and their families while providing youth activities and facilities space for nearly 6,500 kids and guardians.

No child should be forgotten.

No good deed, either.

“I wish I could play for CSU forever,” Blackburn continued. “But I’m lucky to get a fifth year, honestly. I’m really happy that I was able to get five years here. It’s flown by.

“But it’s a blessing. I’ve loved every moment of it. And so it’s good that I’ll be able to kind of leave a legacy and pass on the torch to some of the younger guys when I leave.”

If he could pass them a trophy, all the sweeter. The best legacies are encased for eternity, the best last words engraved.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Keeler: Broncos, easily. I mean, yeah, the Buffs are as one-dimensional as a Pauly Shore flick, but we’re too far down the stream to change horses now. The worst-kept secret in BoCo is that Shedeur Sanders — not Pat Shurmur, not Sean Lewis — makes the big calls on offense. The takeaway from Nebraska postgame? There’s no one No. 2 trusts more with the ball in his hands than himself. While that might work for CU in the D-optional, pass-happy Big 12, Bo Nix is in a different league. Literally. Bo needs more help, man. A lot of help. From everywhere. Now.

Renck: For me the answer is simple: the Broncos. Why? They are built to run. They guaranteed $126 million in contracts to right tackle Mike McGlinchey, left guard Ben Powers and right guard Quinn Meinerz to win at the line of scrimmage, to create, as center Luke Wattenberg called it, “a physical identity.” Yet Nix threw the ball 44 times in the opener. Worse, he was the Broncos’ most dynamic runner. Javonte Williams averaged 3.2 yards per carry over the final 10 games last season and posted 2.9 yards a pop vs. Seattle. He was more explosive in training camp. But is he better? Is he a starter? The eye test — even in a blink — says Audric Estime could be the team’s most dynamic back. Coach Sean Payton reiterated Monday he “didn’t do a good enough job” but explained the run issues involve scheme, better technique by linemen and improved vision from running backs.

Keeler: The downside of “going young”? Cutting sure things. Cutting veteran sure things, especially. Samaje Perine has lost a step, but at least those steps are usually chugging forward. Think Young Bo could’ve used the sure-handed Tim Patrick to keep the chains moving? It’s Sean’s show. Sean’s locker room. But Sean’s offenses in recent years have looked a heck of a lot better when they’re using the run to set up the pass, and not vice versa. Stat to note: Since 2020, Sean Payton teams are 18-5, and 4-2 with the Broncos, when picking up 120 rush yards or more, and 11-16 when it’s 119 or fewer. If Estime turns this engine over and holds the fort as a pass protector, that might be your guy.

Renck: CU is abysmal on the ground, with its running backs collecting 75 yards on 25 carries through two games. Stop the madness with Charlie Offerdahl. He can pick up a blitz. OK. Cool. Make him the backup and expand his role on special teams. Dallan Hayden needs more reps. Feed him and see if it puts the offensive line in rhythm. The Broncos’ situation is more alarming because they want to run. The Buffs do not. They say they do. But they don’t. And until they value balance over Sanders’ passing stats, nothing will change.

Keeler: I’ve been stomping for Hayden for two weeks now, to no avail. Meanwhile, Dylan Edwards is averaging 9.5 yards per touch at K-State, where he’s already scored three times in two games for the Fighting EMAWs. The Buffs sure would love that kind of explosion out of the backfield right about now. And young Bo could use it even more.

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.

None of this was particularly surprising given the time and place. Rookie quarterbacks are now 4-15 at Lumen Field. And in his debut, Nix looked spooked and was too often off target before providing hope with a nervy fourth-quarter drive that made the final score more palatable.

It was unsettling but predictable and understandable.

What was not was Sean Payton’s performance. As long as Payton works in Denver, he will be shadow-boxing his championship past. It will be used to judge him.

And Sunday Payton wasn’t good enough, making too many head-scratching decisions than acceptable for someone with his pedigree.

His resume hints of an offensive genius, and the Broncos delivered seven three-and-out drives. They were 5 for 18 on third down. They scored nine points on three red zone trips.

Sunday represented Payton’s 276th game as a head coach. It was the first for Seattle’s Mike Macdonald.

So why were the Seahawks more efficient, more opportunistic and more disciplined? Why were they able to make halftime adjustments, something Payton explained as overrated last season? How did Seattle offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb figure out between bites of fruit and sips of Gatorade to feed the ball to running back Kenneth Walker III?

This is the clarity the Broncos require from Payton. He needed to win the chessboard. He has to be held to a higher standard. On a team speckled with young players and one superstar (cornerback Pat Surtain II), the boss is the most accomplished and highest-paid employee. He cannot have a bad day.

There were plenty of fingerprints on this loss, but Payton deserves the most blame.

“I have to be better,” Payton admitted.

Why?

“Any time you have a plan like that and you don’t execute, you don’t run the ball as well, then you’ve got to look at why,” said Payton, whose record fell to 28-12 against rookie head coaches. “That’s why.”

The game gave off CU-Nebraska vibes with the offensive imbalance. With the Buffs it is expected because there is no evidence that coach Deion Sanders values winning over his son’s statistics.

Payton boasts 169 NFL victories and a Super Bowl ring. He knows better. Nix dropped back 44 times, threw 42 times and was sacked twice. The Broncos ran 25 times for 99 yards. That, though, is deceiving. Nix scrambled five times for 35 yards. So everyone else produced 60 yards on 24 carries.

That is 2.5 yards per carry for those who hate math. It eloquently explains why Nix averaged 3.29 yards per passing attempt. And he got hot late to get there. Deep into the second half, he threatened to break Ben Roethlisberger’s record of 2.68.

When the entire game plan requires protecting Nix, putting him in position to succeed, the Broncos not only could not run but abandoned it. Broncos players not named Nix ran the ball seven times in the second half. Seven!

We are not in the meetings or film sessions. But in the NFL, report cards are based on Sunday’s public exam, and this one is an F.

“There’s always that balance. But it’s hard to keep doing it. We are going to look at the tape, and us, as coaches, have to evaluate the run plan and why it wasn’t effective,” Payton said. “It’s going to be hard to play quarterback period if that’s all we can do running the ball.”

Payton struck the right tone about Nix. He defended him, which was appropriate but mildly surprising given his performance. He fell on his sword, but not before swinging it a few times at the offensive line and skill players.

“Bo gave us a chance. Our protection was average at best. … Our rushing yards were not nearly good enough,” Payton said. “At one point in the game, I went to the bench and talked to the receivers and said, ‘Let’s go. Let’s help this guy.’”

Nix is the future. He needs props, not drops. The problem with this strategy is one I broached in the spring: Who are the playmakers? Courtland Sutton caught four passes on 12 targets. Nix finished 2 of 12 on passes over 10 yards with two interceptions. Payton must fight the gravitational pull to throw the ball when receivers don’t get consistent separation, as was the case Sunday.

Payton has never relied on a rookie quarterback, beyond starting Ian Book once because of COVID in 2021.

As much as we talk about Nix’s development, Payton has to evolve with him. He has to design a better ground attack. Heck, maybe put Nix under center more, giving the running back more options than the half field created by shotgun handoffs. As center Luke Wattenberg said, “We definitely have to be better on first and second down. We have to run the ball, for sure. That’s gotta be our identity.”

Perhaps the Broncos just aren’t good enough. That’s not yet clear. But one thing is certain: Payton can’t call 44 passes and expect to receive anything but a failing grade.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

A Maybach can’t block. An NIL deal won’t chip an angry defensive end. You can’t microwave what has to be baked, slowly.

The Buffs were built for this moment. A foundation made of glitter, sand and promises, broken like so many hearts. Nebraska punched CU in the mouth. By the time the Buffs got up off the canvas, the bell had rung and the judges had gone home.

“Of course, (it’s better) whenever you’re able to run the ball consistently,” said CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who threw for 244 yards but was sacked five times Saturday night in a 28-10 loss at rival Nebraska. “But it’s just like — you’ve got to understand what your team’s good at.”

All true. But then again, what’s the point of a top-10 pick at quarterback if he spends half of the weekend running for his life? What good is a generational talent at wide receiver if nobody has time to find him in the clear?

You can’t nuke what has to be buttered and basted. And if the Buffs (1-1) are going to block like this on the road, their season might already be cooked.

CU-Nebraska wasn’t just a game. It was a referendum on The Coach Prime Method, played out on a national stage. A true freshman quarterback and a primarily home-grown offensive line, playing at home, ran for 149 yards and gave up zero sacks. The team with the senior signal-caller and five new linemen who’d only been starting together for a fortnight netted 16 yards on the ground and gave up six sacks on the evening.

The transfer portal is a finisher, a garnish. Not a base. The football programs with staying power stayed there the old-fashioned way, growing and nurturing a unit together.

You can’t hurry love. Or the trenches. Nebraska grounded and pounded its way to a 28-0 halftime lead before staggering to the finish. Three-fifths of the Huskers’ Week 1 offensive line made at least seven starts as a trio in 2023 for the Big Red.

Last Thursday, conversely, was the first time CU’s rebuilt offensive line — almost an entirely rebuilt room — had ever started together as a group. If North Dakota State was a mixed bag, Nebraska was a train wreck. The Buffs chewed up clock in the third quarter against the Bison, but ran the ball for just 59 net yards on 23 attempts against an FCS opponent. It was a harbinger of what was to come at Memorial Stadium, in all the wrong ways.

Oregon 2023 postgame: You better get us now.

Nebraska 2024: Hold our beers.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who haven’t played with each other,” said Buffs safety Cam’Ron Silman-Craig, who finished with a team-best 11 tackles. “We’re really just feeling each other out … we’re going to get better and better.”

They were better in the second half. Again. Heck, CU’s 2-0 after halftime this year, for whatever that’s worth. Although how much of that was the Big Red running it 18 times over the final 30 minutes, trying to just salt this one away and start the party on P Street?

If there’s a silver lining, underneath the bruising, it’s that the Mid 12 should be more forgiving. With apologies to Utah, the Wisconsin of the West, the Huskers (2-0) fielded arguably the best defense, and most physical offensive and defensive lines that CU will see the rest of the way. The Buffs are built to win 38-31 games, and the Big 12 promises plenty, a basketball league that plays basketball on grass in the fall.

In the macro, most of what Deion Sanders promised is still on the table. Technically. But not the College Football Playoff. Not this fall. Not for a team with more penalties at the half (seven) than first downs (six).

Not for a team that has a former Ohio State tailback in Dallan Hayden, and so rarely uses him.

Coach Prime has been running a program without a huddle, hurrying up to maximize the last collegiate years of sons Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, trying to milk the pre-NFL time the superlative Travis Hunter has left.

He’s got 10 games. And he’ll probably be missing Shilo for at least some of those.

But as a test? As an affirmation? Saturday wasn’t just telling. It was screaming.

Fire up the portal.

Can we get a new offensive line in here?

New defensive line?

New offensive coordinator, maybe?

This was last September in Eugene without the three-week honeymoon first, Oregon without the fumes. Except for the steam coming from Coach Prime’s ears on the sideline.

“(Expletive) CU!” the Nebraska students chanted.

“Shilo’s broke!” they bellowed during warmups.

By the hosts’ second series, Shilo was on the bench, getting treatment. With 5:51 left in the first quarter, he was seen headed to the locker room with a presumed arm injury. Things for Shedeur didn’t start much better.

CU got the ball first, and the contrast between last fall and this was apparent immediately. Mostly in terms of locale, as the younger Sanders appeared to struggle to be heard. His first play, a screen to Hunter, skipped across the turf. His second, a screen to LaJohntay Wester, was off the mark. His third ended in a sack by Ty Robinson for a 9-yard loss.

On the Buffs’ next possession, given a short field thanks to a 61-yard Jimmy Horn Jr. return, they went for it on fourth-and-1 and the Huskers’ 28. Charlie Offerdahl got stuffed for a 2-yard loss.  Their next shot started at the CU 2, and rather than run to make room, Shedeur dropped back on the first play, firing a pick-6 to Nebraska’s Tommi Hall that pushed the Big Red’s cushion to 13-0 with 5:46 left in the first quarter.

“Why would we keep running the ball if, OK, we’re out there, we’re in a situation where it’s a must-get,” the Buffs QB explained, “and we won’t get it?”

They don’t get it. They might never get it. Deion Sanders could outrun the football gods and dare them to keep pace. Coach Prime can’t. At some point, all that empty catches up with you.

That is what made Friday interesting and further proof of his comfort level with his second Broncos team entering its first game of the season. He entertained questions, both broad and narrow. He cracked a smile, even showing a slice of self-deprecating humor regarding his college study habits.

Payton has found a desirable role straight out of central casting: the underdog. He’s reveling in it. He might as well be wearing Air Buds instead of Air Jordans.

“I think there’s a bit of pride in all of us in what we do and a competitive nature,” Payton said when I asked about what he likes about his team being overlooked. “I think a really good motivating factor, and not just in sports but with all of us, is the fear of failure. That’s pretty powerful. I think — and I don’t want to use the word ‘I’ — we like a challenge, and that’s a challenge.”

The Broncos as cold-nosed mutts is not something we are used to around here. But this is their reality. They enter the season rebuilding, with sportsbooks predicting five wins. The Seattle Seahawks are six-point favorites on Sunday. Anyone the Broncos play will be a popular survivor pool pick.

OK, coach, time to justify that $18 million salary.

Last season Payton came across as arrogant. This year, he appears confident. You don’t think Payton believes he can outsmart Seattle’s Mike Macdonald?

Consider this: In his career, Payton boasts a 28-11 record vs. rookie coaches, counting the playoffs. He is 12-4 in the first half of the season, including victories against three Mikes — McCarthy, Smith and Zimmer.

Forgive the extrapolation, but it does not diminish the stat. Payton is at his best in games like this. When your resume boasts a Super Bowl title, when your legacy creates a compelling argument for Canton, it’s on you to deliver an A grade on the X’s and O’s. No excuses.

Macdonald features a staff with first-time coordinators. Payton has to outcoach him just as Pete Carroll won wits two years ago vs. Nathaniel Hackett. Though, in fairness, Nate was more like Ronald McDonald than Mike.

Payton offered shades of his Saints past last season. He led the Broncos to meaningful games in December, briefly flirting with a postseason berth. Russell Wilson provides a mulligan for 2023, not necessarily because of his performance, but because of the fit and the fact that Payton would have never acquired him in the first place.

This year is different. Payton has his quarterback in Bo Nix. He has a roster intertwined with youth, players who benefit most from teaching and guidance. This is what Payton enjoys most. It has shone through in his attitude and energy this summer.

“I wasn’t sure he knew my name for a while,” rookie running back Audric Estime said with a laugh. “But then he began telling me stuff about me I couldn’t believe he knew. He knows and connects with the players.”

OK, show us. It might not be reflected in the record, but Payton’s excellence must reveal itself in improvement, discipline and Nix’s progress. Payton is fond of saying when evaluating players that you don’t have to see it all the time, but you have to see it.

Well, coach, we are waiting.

Remember “The Six Million Dollar Man,” the TV series in the 1970s? For its money, the government received a rebuilt astronaut with bionic implants that gave him superhuman strength, speed and vision. For $18 million, the Broncos need a coach with uncanny instincts, impeccable clock management and a vision for the future.

Payton has shown his worth in Seattle. He is 3-3 at Lumen Field — the Marshawn Lynch Beastquake loss still stings — but has won two straight. He posted a victory with Teddy Bridgewater in 2019 and Jameis Winston in 2021. The latter game is revealing because Winston was a reclamation project. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. He rushed eight times for 40 yards. He committed no turnovers. If you are wondering what a Nix line could look like in an upset, this is it.

While many of his players are not seasoned, Payton is built for this. Sometimes, the game is won during the week. Payton’s demeanor on Friday tells me his ready.

“The perfect scenario,” he said, “is to be the underdog with the better team.”

Or, in the case of Sunday, the better coach.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

“Every (Cornhuskers fan) goes, ‘He’s egotistical,'” Lousberg said of the Buffs’ second-year football coach before CU kicked off against rival Nebraska on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. “I’m like, ‘Yeah. We knew that when we hired him.’

“That’s what their thing is. I think everybody wants to beat Deion Sanders. They want him so bad. I think that’s what made ’em mad the most is, we’re actually in the prime-time (slots) even though we’re not that good.”

Lousberg is a rare breed — a CU fan in the middle of Big Red Country. Well, more on the fringes of Big Red Country, technically.

The Buffs’ season-ticket holder is also the owner of the Middle of Nowhere Bar & Grill in Venango, Neb., serving burgers and beers to Bugeaters a mile from the Colorado-Nebraska state line, three hours east of Folsom Field and four-and-a-half hours west of Lincoln.

“CU and Nebraska have both been irrelevant for the last decade,” Lousberg laughed. “(The Big Red) are just mad because they’re living in the ’80s and ’90s.

“Now (Huskers fans) are all hoping (Sanders) leaves after his kids (are done at CU). But that ain’t going to happen. I don’t think he wants to coach the pros. He can’t develop pro players, because they’re overpaid crybabies.”

Behind enemy lines, Lousberg’s discovered from his patrons and neighbors that what gets under the skin of Nebraska fans when you mention Coach Prime is how national voices, big voices, can’t stop talking about him — and therefore, can’t stop talking about the Buffs. Win or lose.

“I think it depends on which Nebraskans you talk to,” former CU fullback and Omaha native Jake Behrens told me before the game. “I think there’s some that are jealous and wish (Nebraska) had him.

“It’s mixed. Very, very much mixed. Some jealous things. They wish they had him but still like him. I have friends who love Deion because he was big when we were in our younger years. When we were 7, 8 years old, I think we all imitated Deion playing backyard football … there’s also some jealousy. But that’s to be expected.”

Boulder and Lincoln still go together like quinoa on a Runza. But when it comes to football, they’re all chasing the same pie.

Big Red locals admit that the Huskers want badly what CU got just from hiring Sanders, and snatched without having to win a ton of games first: Relevance. A seat at the big kids’ table at ESPN and Fox. Nebraska fans don’t care if you love or hate Big Red football. They just miss people having to talk about it, to care about it.

“I think (Coach Prime) has done an amazing job bringing attention to this program,” Jamie Schnegelberger, who grew up around Boulder and now lives in Ogallala, Neb., told me recently. “The buzz walking into Folsom (Field) against Nebraska last season was something that you can’t really describe.”

Know what else she can’t describe? The language a Big Red fan threw her direction at a gas station once for having the audacity to wear a CU sweatshirt while filling up her tank.

“The majority (of it) is light-hearted though,” said Schnegelberger, who also sports a proud pair of bison tattoos on her arm.

“They usually tell me that they thought I was ‘smart enough to know better,’ or give me a hard time about how I ‘must have lost a dare,’ but I’m pretty quick on my feet and can usually come up with a response to catch them off-guard.”

Behrens, who played fullback at CU from 2006-09 after he redshirted in ’05, has a response, too: 5,034. As in, before Saturday night, that’s how many days had passed since Nov. 26, 2010 — the last time Nebraska had beaten the Buffs in football.

“That gets them quiet pretty quickly,” chuckled Behrens, who now calls Parker home. “I feel like, one way or another, there’s a good-natured dislike toward each other. … I think it’s fun and friendly to be a part of it. As a fan, I have a little more at stake because I have a good group of friends from Nebraska that I have enjoyed talking smack to for the past 14 years.”

Lousberg said most of his far-west Husker pals have been quieter than usual, given the Buffs’ three-game win streak heading into Saturday’s tussle. After all, they’ve been burned before.

“62-36,” Lousberg beamed, recalling the 2001 CU win that both sides, in retrospect, consider to be the beginning of the end of the Big Red’s national football profile. “I was living in Sutherland, Neb., at the time, and (Husker fans were saying), ‘Oh, yeah, we’re going to kick your (butt).’ I’m like, ‘Oh no, you’re not.’ I made some money on that one.”

When you’re running a CU-friendly bar on the Nebraska side of the border, the autumn weekends are rarely boring. Even if you’re stuck slinging chicken-fried steak to Huskers in the Middle of Nowhere.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut until after the game,” Lousberg chuckled. “If after the game we win, all Hell breaks loose — I’ll give ’em Hell. I don’t like to crow too much.”

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

The statniks up in the Grading The Week cubicles didn’t believe it, either, frankly.  But then somebody sent them details of Devin Larsen’s prime-time inaugural appearance for CSU-Pueblo up in Rapid City, S.D.

Larsen’s record-breaking debut — A

Making his ThunderWolves debut, the senior transfer from Western New Mexico (’21-’23) by way of Garden City Community College (’21) and Iowa State (’19-’20) piled up 508 passing yards while throwing for five touchdowns and zero interceptions to power CSU-Pueblo to a 35-6 victory.

The 6-foot-4 Arizona native completed 30 of 45 throws on the night. His 508 yards were a school record and the most by any collegiate QB at any NCAA level for the week.

While Sanders has showcased his talents as a singer, writer, rapper and performer, it turns out Larsen is something of a renaissance man himself. In April 2023, the future CSU Pueblo signal-caller won a creative writing contest held by the Western New Mexico humanities department for his poetry. Larsen’s winning entry was titled “To Find My Great Perhaps,” and was described by the university as a work that “celebrates the adventure of living in nature.”

If Larsen’s initial appearance for the ThunderWolves is any indication, CSU-Pueblo fans could be in for more than a few celebratory adventures this fall.

PS2’s reign as NFL’s highest-paid CB — B

Pat Surtain II will always have Wednesday. And Thursday. And … well, that’s pretty much it. Turns out PS2’s reign as the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, while deserved, also became fairly brief. So brief, it lasted about two days.

This past Wednesday, the Broncos’ Pro Bowl defender inked a deal worth $24 million per year. On Friday, the Dolphins gave Jalen Ramsey a three-year deal worth a reported $24.1 million a season, just pipping Surtain over the finish line.

Dollander’s dominance — A

More than 13 strikeouts per game. A K-to-walk ratio of almost 4-to-1. A 2.38 ERA overall, and a 1.65 ERA over his last eight starts.

Sounds a lot like Paul Skenes, you say? Darn straight. Only those numbers belong not to the National League’s most exciting starter. They’re the latest stats for arguably the most exciting National League starter in the minors right now — and he’s a Rockie.

If you’re like the kids on the GTW staff, you’d sooner stare into the high desert sun than watch the pitching on 20th and Bleak. But would you believe help is on the way?

While Bo Nix, Sean Payton, Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter are stealing all the digital ink to start the fall, Rockies right-handed starter Chase Dollander, Colorado’s top pick in the ’23 MLB Draft, is quietly making a case to be considered one of the top pitching prospects chucking it right now.

This past Thursday, the 6-foot-2 Georgia native posted his sixth straight appearance for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats of at least five innings pitched, at least six strikeouts and with two or fewer runs allowed.

Late last month, he became the first Hartford pitcher to record back-to-back games of double-digits Ks, fanning 10 Binghamton hitters after recording 10 strikeouts against New Hampshire. The righty’s racked up at least 10 Ks in six of his 22 appearances this season for Spokane and Hartford. Other than the baseball gods, who says Rockies fans can’t have nice things?

Time for Russell Wilson to find an aisle on the plane to Atlanta. Get him a transfusion of wolverine blood, STAT. There is no therapy off the table, no app dismissed.

We need Wilson’s ailing calf to heal to start Sunday, leaving him in position to face the Broncos in Week 2 at Empower Field. That game without Wilson is like “Star Wars” without Darth Vader. He makes the juice worth the squeeze.

Wilson is questionable to play against the Atlanta Falcons after re-aggravating a training camp injury. His status could be determined in pregame warmups. Normally, caution would be the advised path. My concern? If Justin Fields replaces Wilson and plays well, the 35-year-old might not get his job back.

That would stink.

Other than coach Sean Payton returning to New Orleans in October, no Broncos game features more interest. Understandably, it is difficult to ask Broncos Country to pull for Wilson. He made $124 million in two seasons for 11 victories and made headlines for eye-rolling stuff like his office, birthday party and four-hour high knees workout on the plane to London.

Wilson had allies in some Broncos players, and others were indifferent or worse. Payton was not a fan, doing everything but driving the quarterback’s Uber to the airport to facilitate his exit. The drama would not be manufactured. There would be hard feelings on both sides. And fans would revel in the fervor at a raucous Mile High. Remember, there is no guarantee that the Broncos will play meaningful games in December. Can we have one in September?

We need Russell Mania. Pump those arms. Raise those knees. Get well soon, Russell.

Chief Concern: The NFL has a number of issues — though its TV ratings leave them immune to crisis — and chief among them is Kansas City. In the Chiefs’ nationally televised games, the average fan sees biased officiating in the defending champion’s favor. Thursday night, the Ravens became the poster team for illegal formations with tackle Ronnie Stanley flagged three times in the first half while Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor escaped punishment with a similar alignment. The Chiefs are already too good. They don’t need help from the ref show.

Contract Delay: Jamal Murray has still not agreed to a max extension. He was shooting jumpers at Ball Arena this week, so it’s too soon to say that something is amiss. But each day the Nuggets guard goes without a new contract, it is fair to wonder about his short- and long-term future.

Whiff in the Air: The Rockies remain on pace for 102 losses. They rank second in MLB with 1,393 strikeouts. And they make up for the lack of contact with a lack of speed (75 stolen bases). To not make some changes would be laughable, regardless of how much they like their young core of players.

Mail Time

I read where the Broncos are expected to activate Lil’Jordan Humphrey from the practice squad to the game. I was curious why teams place roster players on the practice squad at the beginning rather than simply placing them on the 53-man roster to begin with since they know they are going to play? 

— Scott Bristol, email

Scott, it is a function of flexibility, a strategic move. The COVID-19 pandemic was horrific, but it spawned the expanded practice squads that allow players with unlimited service time. The 16-person squad is valuable because there are veterans who will clear waivers after training camp — like Humphrey and fullback Mike Burton — and young players who will not. So, the Broncos kept a developmental project like tackle Frank Crum rather than risk losing him. It will not be a surprise if both start on Sunday at Seattle. A practice squad player can be activated three times. On the fourth activation, the player must be added to the active roster. In a nutshell, it is roster gymnastics, and the Broncos are good at it.

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.

“They go recruit and get the best players they can get,” Rhule, Nebraska’s second-year football coach, said of CU. “They do well in school. They don’t get in trouble off the field. And they compete. I respect that with what they do.”

“I have a ton of respect for Matt Rhule,” Coach Prime offered this past Tuesday when asked about the Cornhuskers. “And I love what he’s accomplished in his college coaching career.”

Remember when Buffs-Huskers was … personal? Those were the days, my friend.

Sorry. Not buying it. Make no mistake: Both programs need this one. Both fan bases need this one. Both coaches need this one.

CU, which visits Nebraska on Saturday in the final tilt of a four-game contract, hasn’t lost to the Big Red in 14 years. Rhule could use a rivalry win to get some wind beneath his wings and the Bugeaters off his back.

Sanders could use a road victory at one of the most hallowed grounds in college football. The Buffs could use more steak to go with all that sizzle. And nothing tastes sweeter than winning in Lincoln.

“You look at CU, and everybody wants to see what they’re going to be this year,” ex-Texas Longhorns and NFL quarterback Colt McCoy, who’ll make his debut as a television analyst as part of NBC’s booth for CU-Nebraska, told me by phone recently.

“You look at the numbers of who watched them play (North Dakota State) last week — they got a lot of attention. A big following, probably not only in Colorado but across the country … from that standpoint, it’s huge for CU.

“On the flip side, I think Nebraska is building it from the inside out. They’re well-coached. They’ve got a really good group of returning guys on defense. Their offensive line is probably their strength. And their freshman quarterback (Dylan Raiola) is a highly touted guy and sees the field really well.”

Coach Prime is 5-8 at CU; Coach Matt is 6-7 with the Big Red. The jury’s still out on Sanders and Rhule. But the winner of this weekend’s Salt Creek Showdown has the chance to make one heck of a case before a national TV audience.

“You can’t underestimate the value of experience when you’re dealing with units and with (chemistry),” McCoy continued. “And I think that’s the thing. We’ll see how far (CU) has come. This is a big test, to me.”

Big stage. Big stakes. We’ve come a long way from Dan Hawkins and Mike Riley, and thank goodness. The Buffs and Huskers are fighting for the same space, to pocket the spare key to college football’s penthouse again, to reclaim a generation lost. A pair of ’90s grunge bands trying to claw their way off the state fair oldies circuit, one gig at a time.

“On the CU side, listen, (they) came out with a bang last year but it just kind of fell off,” McCoy said of the Buffs. “What are we going to see this year? Kind of a close game last week … (didn’t) really run the ball that well. I feel that’s going to be a huge question mark.

“Obviously, they protected the passer a little better. On those known passing downs, (Shedeur Sanders) was rushed, he was hurried. You don’t want to be one-dimensional. You don’t know how good CU’s defense is. (The Buffs and Huskers), when I broke them down, neither one of them showed very much.”

It’s not just the stars. Or the styles. It’s the contrasts. CU’s 2024 recruiting class of 55 players, per the 247Sports database, featured 11 enrollees and 43 transfers, headlined by 5-star freshman left tackle Jordan Seaton. Nebraska’s ’24 class of 41 new Huskers included 31 enrollees and nine transfers, headlined by 5-star frosh QB Raiola. Same idea. Different ratio.

CU’s ’24 class was ranked 22nd nationally by the site, while the Huskers’ crop checked in at No. 23. Same coin. Different sides.

“When I played at Texas, we didn’t have a single JUCO transfer (during my tenure). It was very much, ‘We’re going to cultivate, we’re going to coach (guys),'” McCoy said.

“I think, naturally, over the years, that’s changed. I think being able to make changes through the transfer portal is something teams should utilize. No one’s done it at the pace that CU has done it, and think that (outcome) remains to be seen, obviously. You can’t second-guess the coaching staff and Deion, their (philosophy) is what they feel like is the best for the team and their program. We’ll see. I think that (outcome) is yet to be known.”

Ironically, that testy matchup between the two old rivals last fall — CU rolled, 36-14, thanks to four Nebraska turnovers and three Shedeur Sanders TDs — also showed the other side where they were still falling short.

The Buffs’ speed was impressive, but the burners-to-blockers ratio felt too skewed toward the former. CU needed beef and depth. The Huskers needed a Shedeur of their own and home-run threats on the outside. Enter Raiola, Big Red Country’s Baby Mahomes. Enter starting wideouts Isaiah Neyor and Jahmal Banks, both 6-foot-4, a pair of transfers from Texas and Wake Forest, respectively.

“As far as who needs it more, these (kind of) games are important for everybody,” McCoy said. “For CU, if they can go in and get a win on the road, that would be huge. For Nebraska, it’s the next game for your mission of becoming the Blackshirts again, becoming a Big Ten blueblood … I don’t know which one has the edge. Which makes it fun to call.”

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

One of these variables will determine whether Bo Nix wins his debut on Sunday. And the numbers don’t add up.

I love the Broncos as a surprise team this season, but don’t like them in Week 1. When coach Sean Payton named Nix the starter, it made sense. He earned it. He is ready. Teammates believe in him.

Lost in the optimism is a sobering reality: There are few places worse for him to launch his career than Seattle.

So, when watching Nix become the first Broncos rookie to start the opener since John Elway in 1983, context matters. Elway won at Pittsburgh and completed one pass. He was benched.

That will not happen to Nix. But achieving success remains a daunting task. Prepare accordingly, Broncos Country. Replace your game day gum with Tums. And don’t make every pass a referendum on the kid’s career.

I refuse to give the easy take, but this is the honest take. The math says Nix needs a slight miracle. Coaches despise history when it fails to follow their narrative. The Broncos are young and fun, not burdened by their past or humps. This team, which echoes in my ears, has never lost in Seattle.

But many teams have when starting a rookie quarterback. Since Lumen Field opened in 2002 — three stadium names ago — rookies are 4-14. Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence are among the victims. This stadium isn’t loud. It is a Led Zeppelin concert.

And it spans multiple coaches and defenses. I have never covered a game in a more hostile setting than Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle to begin the 2022 season. The decibels and vitriol were a blend of the Premier League and Dante’s Inferno.

Yes, Nix is unique because of his college experience. And the last rookie to win in Seattle — Brock Purdy — featured a similar resume. The difference? He played for San Francisco, a team the Broncos will never be confused with.

Nix’s maturity, teammates insist, will prevent the Broncos from becoming Seasick. They trust him.

“There’s almost zero panic with him. That’s how he is,” starting center Luke Wattenberg said. “He’s calm, cool, collected. It’s a great energy to have in the huddle.”

Added receiver Courtland Sutton, “He carries himself like a leader. He doesn’t look at any stage as being too big for him.”

In another venue, another city, this would compel me to predict a win. I refuse to fall for the banana in the tailpipe. Not on the road. Not in Seattle.

The Broncos haven’t posted a road victory against the Seahawks since 2002. Brian Griese was the quarterback. Peyton Manning lost here, the offensive game plan oddly blown up when tight end Virgil Green suffered a concussion in the first series. Wilson lost here, playing decent, before coach Nathaniel Hackett filmed “Clueless in Seattle,” electing to kick a potential game-winning  64-yard field goal that nobody thought was funny.

Too many numbers scream that Nix’s first start deserves patience and perspective. Don’t get this confused. I am not baking in excuses for him. He has to show he can handle the moment, has to demonstrate that preseason was not a false positive. But that is something different entirely from defeating the Seahawks in this environment.

The last NFL rookie to win a Week 1 start was Sam Darnold in 2018. The quarterbacks are 0-7-1 since. Since the merger in 1967, rookies are 16-35-1 in openers.

In other words, they are the 2024 Rockies. Would you feel confident betting on them?

Complicating matters is new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald. With his predecessor, Pete Carroll, you knew what to expect: an opportunistic defense with an aggressive secondary that camouflaged an inability to stop the run. Macdonald is known for his odd-man fronts and exotic blitzes. His Ravens defense tied for the league lead in takeaways last season. His personnel is not as talented in Seattle, which means his creativity will be on full display. Again, not ideal for Nix.

Rookies who have won at Lumen Field share common threads, namely not turning the ball over. And let’s be honest, for the Broncos to pull off the upset on the first stop of their revenge tour, it starts with running the ball. Nix has the cognitive ability to operate Payton’s offense, which will bend to the quarterback’s strengths. But a ground game is critical to helping him. Nothing forces fans to sit on their hands like a team that excels with its legs.

There is clearly a way to beat the Seahawks. They are nobody’s idea of a contender. But, sorry, history matters. Nix is going to win his share of games this season, but the numbers say his first victory won’t come Sunday in Seattle.

Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.