Old Rivals Clash in Matchup Between Huskers and Buffaloes

Huskers | Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola — © Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes (1-0) travel to Lincoln, Nebr. for a big-time rivalry matchup versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0), at 7:30 p.m. EST on Sept. 7. There will be plenty of star power on both sidelines, with high stakes for the two elite programs.

What's at Stake?

Colorado entered the 2024 season with mixed expectations and didn’t exactly clear those up in Week 1. Colorado defeated North Dakota State (0-1), an FCS program, by a final score of 31-26. Colorado has star power on offense, but physicality in the trenches still evades them. Although NDSU is a top program in the FCS ranks, Colorado fans would have liked to see a more dominant win than one that came down to the final play. If they hope to come into Memorial Stadium and knock off a revamped Cornhuskers team, they must execute at a higher level, especially on defense. This game is a must-win for Deion Sanders and the Buffs as they look to improve on last year’s 4-8 season record.

This is also a must-win game for Nebraska, which opened its season at home against UTEP, dominating from start to finish for a 40-7 win against the Miners. Plenty of hype attended the offseason for the Huskers, and it has only ramped up since their commanding Week 1 win. The season-opening victory gave Nebraska fans plenty to be happy about, but at the end of the day, it was still a non-Power Four opponent. As the Huskers take the field this weekend, they will look to prove to their fans and the nation that they are ready to compete at a high level once again.

Key Players: Huskers

Dylan Raiola: The Huskers’ true freshman quarterback is without question the most important offensive player on the team. The five-star prospect put the nation on notice in his impressive debut but will need to be just as good in Week 2 for Nebraska to keep up with Colorado’s offense.

Offensive Line: The offensive line as a whole will be crucial in Nebraska getting the win in Week 2. They kept Raiola clean in Week 1, but Colorado has more talent than UTEP. The Huskers should still have the advantage over the Buffs, but it has to be more than an advantage; they need to dominate.

Isaiah Neyor: The transfer (Texas, Wyoming) wide receiver had a big game in the opener, hauling in 6 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Raiola doesn’t have a bona fide number-one option yet, but with another big game, Neyor could cement himself in that position.

Nash Hutmacher: “The Polar Bear,” as he is called by Nebraska fans, will need to have a dominating performance in this one. At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, the senior defensive lineman will be a physical mismatch for a smaller Colorado offensive line.

Ty Robinson: Robinson is another defensive lineman who will be a physical nightmare for the Buffs. Another senior, Robinson is even larger than Hutmacher at an astounding 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds. He and Hutmacher could wreck the Colorado offensive line by themselves.

Secondary: Nebraska’s secondary will be in for quite the test in this one. They’ll be facing a blazing-fast receiving corps, headlined by Travis Hunter, with one of the best quarterbacks in the nation throwing them the ball. The secondary had a few slip-ups against UTEP that they didn’t end up paying for, but that will not be the case against Colorado.

Key Players: Colorado

Shedeur Sanders: Colorado’s senior quarterback is one of the best in the nation, and maybe the most polarizing as well. People love to hate him, but he is an uber-talented player and drives this offense. He needs to stay composed in this one, and should also be able to exploit Nebraska’s secondary by extending plays with his feet.

Travis Hunter: The second top-five projected 2025 NFL Draft pick on this roster, along with Sanders, is Hunter. He plays both ways and does it at a high level on both sides of the ball. The stellar wide receiver/defensive back had a fantastic game against NDSU, specifically on offense, hauling in 3 touchdown passes in the win. He’ll need to lock down his side of the field on defense and continue to be a playmaker on offense.

Jimmy Horn Jr.: The other electric playmaker on this Colorado offense is Horn. He burnt the Bison multiple times last week with his blazing speed. Look for him to stretch the field against Nebraska as well.

Defensive Line: Just as Nebraska’s offensive line will be key, Colorado’s defensive line needs to impress this week. The Buffs’ best chance to slow down Nebraska on offense is to make Raiola uncomfortable. As talented as he is, Raiola is still a true freshman and hasn’t yet faced high-level pressure.

Shilo Sanders: 'Coach Prime' has sons on both sides of the ball, Shilo being the more unpredictable of the two. He’s had issues in the past with unnecessary penalties that can hurt Colorado. Composure for the Buffaloes in a hostile environment will be key.

Trends to Watch

Nebraska won their first season opener since 2019 last week. They haven’t started 2-0 since 2016. They broke one streak last week, they will look to break another on Sept. 7.

Colorado got off to a hot start last year, beginning the season 3-0. Unfortunately for the Buffs, they stumbled with tougher opponents down the stretch, losing eight of their last 9 nine. Once again, Colorado’s schedule will get tougher later on in the season, so it is key that they win the gettable ones early.

Nebraska leads the all-time series between the two with a 49-21-2 record. Colorado has gotten the best of Nebraska lately, winning the last three meetings.