The good, bad, and ugly from Nebraska’s win over Colorado

Even though Colorado is fresh off a 4-8 season, there’s no doubt that last Saturday’s matchup had a big-game feel. It was a big game for Nebraska football and one the Huskers absolutely needed to win.

A loss, well, it’s almost too terrible to think about what that would have meant — the least of which would have meant Colorado fans getting a chance to have bragging rights until the next time Colorado and Nebraska meet again.

Instead, all the bravado of the Buffaloes and their fans was gone in a few minutes. It was clear that Colorado was unable to run the ball. The Huskers dominated in every facet of the game, in the first half at least.

Things got sloppy all around in the second half, thanks to some of the worst officiating I’ve seen. But Nebraska only allowed one CU touchdown, and here’s a look back at the 28-10 win with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good: Dylan Raiola and a “clean” offense

Nebraska football is 2-0 for a lot of reasons. But here are two telling stats: The Huskers rank 4th in college football in time of possessions. They are also 17th in turnover margin.

Yes, you read that right, 17th. That’s because the offense has just one giveaway in two games. Freshman starting quarterback Dylan Raiola has none and it’s a huge reason why the Huskers have looked so good through two games.

The defense was elite last season. It was good enough for this team to compete for a Big Ten title. Now, Nebraska might have an offense capable of doing the same.

There is still work to do. The second half showed us that, but Raiola, despite not having a huge night statistically, felt in control. He picked up key conversions such as the run on third-and-11 or the huge pass to Thomas Fidone to pick up a 2nd-and-24 in the second half.

Having an elite quarterback means having a guy who can make a few plays each game that others can’t (see throw to Jaylen Lloyd) and Raiola showed that ability once again on Saturday. He’s also got a knack for protecting the ball, which is a welcome sight from a Nebraska footbal quarterback.

The bad: Second half

Whether it was Nebraska, Colorado, or the officials, there was a lot of bad in the second half on Saturday night.

The Huskers were flagged every other play, it felt like. There were some legit calls, like the one on Ben Scott that called back a touchdown, but there were some strange calls too, and a LOT of missed holding calls on Colorado — jersey grab holds too.

It was one of the longest halves of football I can remember. Nebraska’s defense was outstanding and even stuffed CU on a 4th-and-inches, but then, the Huskers failed to come away with points.

There were a few blown plays on the Nebraska side of things, and it felt like the players lost focus. But, on the whole, it was a weird half of football for all involved.

The ugly: Colorado’s offensive line

Nebraska’s defensive line had a hand in making Colorado look so bad up front, but teams reflect their head coach and the CU offensive line reflects their Charmin Soft head coach.

The Buffaloes didn’t want to run the ball. They also couldn’t run the ball. Shedeur Sanders was running for his life and it was a joy to watch him get hit over and over and over again.

In all, the Huskers had six sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Colorado had 22 rushing attempts for 16 yards. Nash Hutmacher, Jimari Butler, Ty Robinson, and those guys ate the lunch of the CU offensive line.

Nebraska football didn’t just beat the Buffs, they emasculated them on national television.

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