Three keys for No. 22 Colorado to beat Nebraska

One week down for the Colorado Buffaloes with a victory that was unexpected by many. Deion Sanders' team and their performance against TCU has been the talk of the town in the college football world

CU Buffs

One week down for the Colorado Buffaloes with a victory that was unexpected by many. Deion Sanders' team and their performance against TCU has been the talk of the town in the college football world.

Week 2 brings on the "arch-nemesis" of Boulderites and beyond. The one-time powerhouse has been reduced to pretty much powerless. Colorado has won the previous two meetings over the Huskers since both schools broke away from the Big 12 in 2010. The rivalry is renewed after these not two not seeing one another the past three seasons.

Nebraska lost a road opener at Minnesota last Thursday. A late interception by Huskers QB Jeff Sims was converted into a last-second field goal for the Gophers win. The Georgia Tech transfer finished with 114 yards to go along with a touchdown and three interceptions.     

Meanwhile, CU knocked off last year’s National runner-up in TCU by a score of 45-42. Shedeur Sanders set a school record with 510 yards passing and Travis Hunter had an interception and 119 yards receiving. Dylan Edwards led the way in receiving yards with 135 and 3 TDs.

Here are three keys for a CU win over Nebraska. 

Make Nebraska's offense one-dimensional 

Colorado needs a clean up job after giving up 262 yards on the ground to TCU. Now, extreme heat might've played a factor in this, but well get a better look this week. They'll need to be well-rounded when it comes to the Huskers attack.  Look for the Buffs to load the box on defense to slow down the Husker run game. Nebraska rushers Gabe Ervin Jr. and Anthony Grant combined for 79 yards against Minnesota's defense. 

All eyes will be on Sims as a dual-threat. He put up 91 yards on 19 carries against the Gophers, who didn't account for him as a rusher several times in the game. Sims is somewhat predictable and doesn't allow the play to completely break down before he takes off. 

Colorado will need to bring pressure often and not let up. This will be key for them to be successful. The Buffs secondary can feast on Sims, and trust me, they'll look to stay away from Travis Hunter. CU Linebackers Marvin Ham II and LaVonta Bentley could have a big day hitting the gaps and stopping the Cornhusker running game. This could lead to a big day for the CU secondary, if Nebraska is forced to throw the ball.

Let Shedeur Sanders do what he does best

The world saw how Shedeur Sanders dissected TCU's defense, throwing for four touchdowns and completing 38-of-47 passes with no interceptions. Those are next-level numbers from the Jackson State transfer, who got better since coming to CU. 

Nebraska forced two turnovers and had three sacks in the loss to Minnesota. They'll want to force Sanders into making bad decisions or use his legs more than he did against TCU. But they really want to see him having to be helped up of the field after every pass, whether that comes from a pressure or a sack. 

The Buffs O-line gave up four sacks to the Horned Frogs and a clean pocket means everything for Sanders' downfield game. He showed that even under pressure he can make the right throws. But if you give Sanders time and he will eat the Black Shirts alive. 

Run em' all the way back to Lincoln

Colorado ran for just 55 yards against TCU, but you have to take into account what Dylan Edwards did as a receiver. The Buffs will be successful by keeping the ball on the ground and eating up the Huskers to load up for a big shot down the field. 

Nebraska held Minnesota to under 100 yards on the ground, but the Gophers aren't boasting a running back committee like CU. The Buffs will need to establish some sort of threat between the tackles to keep the Black Shirts honest on defense. Last week, Colorado used a trio of backs in Sy’veon Wilkerson, Dylan Edwards, and Anthony Hankerson.  

However, they're probably sitting on the deepest RB room in FBS. Houston transfer Alton McCaskill IV and Kentucky transfer Kavosiey Smoke are the next up in the six-man rotation, with lionheart walk-on Charlie Offerdahl there as well. McCaskill, Smoke, and Wilkerson were all named to the 2023 Doak Walker watch list showing that the talent is clearly in Boulder.

The conclusion of "Hate Week" on Saturday brings back this bitter rivalry and a chance for Colorado to make it three straight against the Huskers. There is nothing like beating your biggest foe and improving to 2-0 on the season.

No. 22 Colorado welcomes Nebraska into Boulder on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon ET on FOX.