No. 22 Colorado Beats Nebraska Football By 36-14

Sims stumbles once more as Nebraska football falls to No. 22 Colorado by a wide score.

At one point in the 34-31 loss to Colorado on September 7, 2019, in Boulder, Colorado, Wan’Dale Robinson was tackled to the ground.

Nebraska’s most recent triumph over a group rated in the AP Top 25 came on September 17, 2016, when they upset the No. 22 Oregon Ducks. The Huskers’ most recent triumph on the road occurred on November 12, 2011, when they beat No. 12 Penn State.

Nebraska had a chance to break each of these dry periods and keep Deion Sanders from making his home debut on Saturday against No. 22 Colorado. However, the Huskers ultimately lost 36-14, going home empty-handed.

The key factor in the defeat was the turnover battle, as Nebraska turned the ball over four times, matching their total from last week’s 13-10 loss to Minnesota.

Senior wide receiver Billy Kemp IV remarked following the game, “We always talk about ‘don’t beat ourselves,’ and protecting the ball is the main key to that.” So, as I stated, we just need to keep working on protecting the ball during practise.

With a strong offensive performance to start the game, the Huskers advanced the ball to the 31-yard line, with junior quarterback Jeff Sims completing two throws for gains of 17 and 21 yards. The drive was cut short when Sims botched the snap and the Buffaloes recovered the ball at the 35-yard line.

Colorado also had outstanding ball movement on its first drive, but the drive was stopped by a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and an intentional grounding, which required a punt to return the ball to Nebraska. Contrary to how many people expected the first quarter to proceed against a potent Colorado offence, two Nebraska three-and-outs and one by Colorado concluded the first quarter 0-0.

The Buffaloes’ drive would have been stopped by the Huskers if it weren’t for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty called on the sidelines following an incomplete throw on third down. Even though Nebraska was penalised and the ball was down at the nine-yard line, the Blackshirt defence still forced Colorado to punt, which was costly.

The drive started with a 26-yard run by sophomore running back Gabe Ervin Jr., which was followed by an 18-yard pass completion to Kemp IV. Rahmir Johnson, a junior running back, added six yards two plays later. Ervin Jr. then gained 13 yards on another solid carry, putting the ball at the 24-yard line.

When a snapped ball hit freshman tight end Luke Lindenmeyer, who was moving, the Huskers were in jeopardy on third-and-five. Lindenmeyer successfully tripped the Huskers’ defender, saving Nebraska by recovering the ball. Then, rookie kicker Tristan Alvano succeeded in making a 45-yard field goal. During his tenure in college, he only attempted two field goals, but one of them was blocked at a critical moment. The miss left the scoreboard with a score of 0.

Even after the disastrous drive, the Huskers’ defense performed admirably, resulting in another three-and-out. The Blackshirts were a problem for Colorado in the first half even though they outscored TCU by 45 points. On the first play after the punt, Sims again botched the snap, giving the Buffaloes the ball at the Nebraska 19-yard line. The Husker defence had to return to the field quickly and forced another three-and-out, which led to a Colorado field goal to break the tie.

On the very next drive, Sims made a second mistake by throwing an interception at the Nebraska 30-yard line, giving Colorado an even smaller field. With 2:35 left in the half, sophomore quarterback Shedeur Sanders of Colorado proved to be too much for the Husker defence, throwing a score on the very next play.

Sims made three mistakes in the opening period, but Sims was still chosen to play by Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule.

Heinrich was never discussed being included, according to Rhule after the game. “I definitely need to look into everything that transpired in more detail. We cannot, however, have so many turnovers, as Jeff would be the first to point out.

After a quick drive that necessitated a punt from Nebraska, the Buffaloes marched down the field and kicked a field goal with one second left to put themselves in a 13-0 lead going into halftime. Since 2004, Colorado had not led Nebraska at halftime before.

Nebraska scored on its opening possession of the second half thanks to a superb play call after failing to score in the first half. Sims only successfully carried the ball six times in the first half, but he broke off his first run of the second half for a 57-yard house call to reduce the score to 13-7.

For Colorado, this acted as a warning. It answered by traveling 75 yards in 10 plays for a second touchdown on the very next drive. Sanders had a pass connection with senior wide receiver Xavier Weaver with the score at 20-7 to bring the Buffaloes’ lead back to 13.

Colorado scored 23 points in a row from this point on to completely dominate the remainder of the game. Even though Nebraska managed to score another touchdown in the last seconds, Colorado still prevailed 36-14.

Sims was injured with 9:21 left in the game and left the match after that. Rhule speculated after the game that it might be a high-ankle sprain, but the team won’t be certain until later.

The defeat left the Huskers winless. On September 16th against Northern Illinois at Memorial Stadium, they will have their next opportunity to record their first win under Rhule.

After the game, Rhule predicted that “everyone will be upset and panicked, as they should.” However, we are superior to what we are portraying.