Colorado football had a disappointing showing against Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday. The Buffaloes gave up three touchdowns to freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola's offense, en route to a 28-10 loss on the road. It was another frustrating defeat for Colorado at the hands of a power 4 conference team.
While there is still plenty of time this college football season for Colorado to pick up some wins and become bowl eligible, the Buffaloes let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers for a key non conference win. Here are some reasons why the Buffaloes are most to blame for their loss to the Cornhuskers Saturday night.
Colorado football's offensive line couldn't protect Shedeur Sanders
The Buffaloes did a good job in Week 1 against North Dakota State protecting quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders was able to move at will against the Bison, and threw for 445 yards in that contest. Sanders was sacked only once in that game.
Against Nebraska, the Colorado football offensive line was not able to continue that success. Sanders ran for his life against Nebraska, taking five sacks and frequently getting knocked to the ground. The gunslinger was hurried and harassed all over the field by the Cornhuskers defensive line and linebackers. By the end of the game, Sanders surely need an epsom salt bath to heal his wounds.
“Protections were a problem,” Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said after the game, per ESPN. “You know, I'm trying to be polite and say it, because you know I can say the same thing you're thinking, but if I say it, you'd say I'm throwing my guys up under the bus. I'm not doing that whatsoever. Protections were a problem. We gotta figure out a way to prevent that and do a better job with that.”
Shedeur Sanders seemed frustrated by the end of the game, as he finished the Nebraska contest with just 244 passing yards, along with a touchdown and interception. That interception proved to be the next critical mistake for the team.
Shedeur Sanders made one critical mistake that led to 7 points for Nebraska football
Sanders made a bad read in the first half of the game that cost his team dearly. Shedeur and the Colorado offense were pinned deep in their own territory, when the Buffaloes quarterback tried to make a play. He threw across the field to a Colorado receiver, only to have the pass picked off by a Nebraska player. That pass was at a bad angle and it was an easy play for the Nebraska defender to make the pick. The Cornhusker Tommi Hill returned the interception for a touchdown, and he needed just seven yards to do it.
That score turned out to be a key turning point in the game for Colorado. The Buffaloes went down 14-0 after that interception, and the wind seemed to fall completely out of their sails. Following that interception, the squad gave up two more touchdowns before the first half finally ended mercifully. It felt with the score 28-0 at halftime that the game was already over for Colorado.
What are the promising signs for Colorado now?
There are some good signs for Colorado, moving forward. The team did a better job defending the pass against Nebraska, than they did against North Dakota State. Against the Bison, Colorado gave up 292 passing yards. Nebraska's freshman sensation Dylan Raiola posted only 185 yards passing. So there is hope for the Colorado secondary.
The Buffaloes defense also didn't give up a single point in the second half against the Cornhuskers. That is truly a step forward for this team, as the Buffaloes defense was frequently gashed last season. If Colorado football hadn't had as many mental mistakes in the first half, this game may have gone quite differently.
Colorado football has to have a short memory. The Buffaloes play Colorado State on Saturday, in a must win game for the squad. The following week, the team begins their inaugural Big 12 conference schedule.
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