LINCOLN, Neb. — Fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers have eagerly awaited this moment.

A victory over rival Colorado? It has been 5,034 days since they last achieved that in 2010.

A 2-0 season start? The last time this occurred was eight years ago, back in 2016.

To accomplish both against the colorful Deion Sanders, who coached Colorado, especially after suffering a loss to them last year?

All the stars aligned this Saturday as Nebraska triumphed over Colorado, 28-10, in front of a crowded Memorial Stadium, which accommodated 86,906 fans.

Nebraska’s quarterback, Dylan Raiola, delivered an impressive performance, completing 23 out of 30 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown. Dante Dowdell was the standout on the ground, amassing 74 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns.

The Huskers took an early lead and were ahead 28-0 by halftime, while Colorado faced challenges with two of its key defensive starters sidelined. Safety Shilo Sanders, the son of Deion, suffered a forearm injury earlier in the game. Linebacker Trevor Woods was also disqualified due to a targeting penalty late in the second quarter.

Nebraska successfully sacked Colorado’s quarterback Shadeur Sanders five times, resulting in a loss of 33 yards. Sanders ended the game with 23 completions out of 38 attempts, accumulating 244 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

The two teams have only faced each other four times since 2010, when they were both part of the Big 12 Conference. Following their shift to different conferences, they agreed to a four-game matchup in 2012, where Colorado won the first three games in 2018, 2019, and 2023.

Next week, Colorado will face its rival, Colorado State, on CBS, while Nebraska is set to host Northern Iowa.

For highlights and updates from the game, check out YSL News Sports below.

Deion Sanders postgame interview

Colorado’s touchdown: LaJohntay Wester scores to narrow it to 28-10

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska linebacker Mikai Gbayor was ejected with about nine minutes remaining in the game after a targeting call against Colorado’s quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Gbayor struck Sanders with his helmet while the quarterback was sliding down for a first down.

This penalty brought Colorado to the Nebraska 10-yard line, setting up Sanders to connect with receiver LaJohntay Wester for a 5-yard touchdown pass just two plays later.

This marked Colorado’s first touchdown of the game, reducing the score to 28-10.

Attendance for Nebraska vs. Colorado: A full house once again

LINCOLN, Neb. — Entering the fourth quarter, Nebraska held a 28-3 lead after controlling possession during the last six minutes of the third quarter. The only scoring in the second half had been a field goal for Colorado, but Nebraska was determined to secure the win and start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2016.

The game drew an official attendance of 86,906, marking the 398th consecutive sellout for Nebraska.

Colorado’s field goal: Alejandro Mata reduces lead to 28-3

LINCOLN, Neb. – Colorado finally put points on the board against Nebraska by opting for a 27-yard field goal instead of attempting a touchdown on fourth down and goal from the 10-yard line.

Kicker Alejandro Mata successfully kicked the ball through the uprights, cutting Nebraska’s lead to 28-3 with 10:38 remaining in the third quarter. The drive covered 49 yards over eight plays during Colorado’s initial second-half possession.

Shedeur Sanders completed 17 of 30 passes for 178 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception.

Halftime score: Nebraska 28, Colorado 0

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska enters halftime with a 28-0 advantage after a challenging period for Colorado.

The troubles began when one of Colorado’s leading defenders was disqualified late in the second quarter for targeting. Linebacker Trevor Woods was penalized when his helmet hit Nebraska receiver Isaiah Neyor’s head, which by rule caused his ejection, and Nebraska gained an additional 15 yards from that penalty.

This placed Nebraska at Colorado’s 33-yard line, where they capitalized on this opportunity to score. Following another penalty from Colorado for pass interference, Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola threw a pass to running back Rahmir Johnson. Despite Colorado defender LaVonta Bentley’s attempt to intercept the ball, it slipped through his fingers and into Johnson’s hands, who ran it in for an 18-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left in the first half.

Colorado then attempted a long 61-yard field goal to conclude the half but fell short.

Shilo Sanders injury update

LINCOLN, Neb. – Colorado’s starting safety Shilo Sanders sustained a forearm injury and will not return for the remainder of the game against Nebraska, his father and coach, Deion Sanders, confirmed to NBC at halftime.

Shilo exited the game in the first quarter. He was a key player last season, leading the team in tackles, and is playing his final year of college football after transferring to Colorado from Jackson State, where he played under his father.

Nebraska touchdown: Rahmir Johnson extends lead to 28-0

Targeting: Trevor Woods ejected from Colorado

Colorado’s field-goal attempt blocked

LINCOLN, Neb. — Colorado faced a challenging first half. After advancing 63 yards in just nine plays, the Buffaloes aimed to score but their 29-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Nebraska’s DeShon Singleton with just 3:33 remaining before halftime.

Nebraska maintained a 21-0 lead. Alejandro Mata, Colorado’s kicker, failed to get enough height on the kick, allowing Singleton to deflect it.

Nebraska touchdown: Dante Dowdell scores again extending lead to 21-0

Nebraska – A significant passing play from Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola has propelled Nebraska to a 21-0 advantage over Colorado, with just 6:44 remaining in the first half.

On first down, Raiola rolled to his right and threw across his body to the left, finding receiver Jaylen Lloyd who made a catch just one yard shy of the end zone for a gain of 36 yards. Running back Dante Dowdell then scored on the following play, pushing Nebraska’s lead to 21-0.

This scoring drive covered 86 yards in nine plays, taking up 4:46 of the game clock. Raiola has completed 10 out of 12 passes for 81 yards.

Nebraska 14, Colorado 0: Score at the end of the 1st quarter

LINCOLN, Neb. – At the conclusion of the first quarter, Nebraska leads Colorado 14-0 and has controlled the game effectively on both offense and defense. The Cornhuskers racked up 103 yards of total offense, while Colorado has struggled with a total of minus-2 yards.

Dylan Raiola is currently 8 of 9 for 32 yards passing, whereas Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has faced three sacks and thrown one interception, which resulted in a 7-yard touchdown for Nebraska.

Sanders’ stats show him completing 3 of 7 passes for 25 yards, but he has also incurred minus-25 rushing yards due to the sacking.

Nebraska touchdown and interception of Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

LINCOLN, Neb. – Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is having a rough start. He has been sacked twice within his first four plays and has also thrown an interception that was returned for a touchdown by the Cornhuskers.

At this point in the first quarter, Nebraska is leading 14-0.

On his third possession, Sanders attempted a first-down pass for freshman receiver Drelon Miller on the right, but Nebraska’s Tommi Hill intercepted it and returned it 7 yards for a touchdown with 5:46 left in the first quarter.

Shilo Sanders exits the game

Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, who is also Coach Prime’s son, left the field during the first quarter while holding his helmet. No immediate information was available regarding why he departed. During the NBC broadcast, it was mentioned that “he is probable to return.”

Red balloons released after Nebraska touchdown

LINCOLN, Neb. – The tradition of releasing red balloons has returned at Memorial Stadium. Fans let the balloons fly after the Cornhuskers scored their first touchdown in the first quarter against Colorado.

This marks the first occurrence of the balloon release since the tradition was suspended in 2022 due to a helium shortage, as announced by Nebraska’s former athletic director Trevor Alberts. The balloons will now be released on “select special occasions.”

Nebraska scores as RB Dante Dowdell puts them up 7-0

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska was the first to score against Colorado, taking a 7-0 lead following a 12-yard rushing touchdown from running back Dante Dowdell.

This initial drive consisted of 49 yards over seven plays after the Cornhuskers halted Colorado’s first drive with a sack on quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Colorado was unable to advance, going three-and-out with Sanders missing two passes on the first and second attempts.

Memorial Stadium’s capacity

Memorial Stadium can house more than 85,000 fans, and it typically sells out during Nebraska Cornhuskers football games.

“Nebraska holds the NCAA record for the longest streak of consecutive sellouts spanning back to 1962, now at 396 games heading into the 2024 season,” as noted on Nebraska’s official site. ‘The Cornhuskers celebrated their 300th consecutive sellout with a record crowd in 2009 against Louisiana-Lafayette.’

Who is Tommie Frazier?

Former Nebraska quarterback Tommie Frazier was present on the field at Memorial Stadium as part of the 1994 national championship team recognized before the game against Colorado.

That year, Nebraska finished undefeated at 13-0, ranked No. 1, while Colorado ended up No. 3 at 11-1, their only loss being against Nebraska in Lincoln.

Frazier led Nebraska to consecutive championships in 1994 and 1995 and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Ohio State’s Eddie George in 1995. He also won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award that same year, among many other accolades.

Kickoff of Colorado vs. Nebraska

The game commenced at 7:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. Colorado had the first possession but struggled to make any significant progress, leading to Nebraska’s quick offensive start.

Broadcast details for the Colorado-Nebraska game

• The game is available on NBC and also streams on Fubo.

Who is on NBC’s broadcast team for the Colorado-Nebraska game?

Former NFL quarterback and Texas standout Colt McCoy is making his NBC debut after recently retiring from football. Celebrating his 38th birthday on Thursday, McCoy will serve as the analyst in the booth alongside play-by-play announcer Paul Burmeister, a former Iowa quarterback. Reporter Kathryn Tappen will cover the sidelines in this broadcast, part of NBC’s Big Ten Conference football lineup.

Betting odds and predictions for Nebraska vs. Colorado

Nebraska is favored by -7.5 points. Here are the odds for tonight’s game from BetMGM Sportsbook. For more gaming information, visit YSL News Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub. The lines were last updated Saturday at 5:45 p.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Colorado +220 (bet $100 to win $220) | Nebraska -275 (bet $275 to win $100)
• Against the spread (ATS): Colorado +7.5 (-115) | Nebraska -7.5 (-105)
• Over/Under (O/U): 58.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)

Cold reception for Deion Sanders in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. – Prior to the game, Colorado coach Deion Sanders received a less-than-friendly reception from the Nebraska crowd. About 65 minutes before kickoff, he emerged from the locker room to a crowd of fans lining his route to the field. Walking onto the field through the end zone and accompanied by a bodyguard, he jogged toward the Nebraska student section, which welcomed him with a vulgar chant:

“(Expletive) CU.”

Sanders, 57 years old, he previously played for Florida State back in 1986. In that match, he made four tackles, but Nebraska triumphed, winning 34-17.

Final Game in Colorado-Nebraska Agreement

This matchup signifies the end of a four-game contract established between these two rivals in 2012. Colorado has emerged victorious in the first three encounters: defeating Nebraska in 2019, winning at home in 2019, and also at home in 2023 with a score of 36-14.

It’s uncertain when they will meet again, as no plans have been disclosed for the continuation of their rivalry.

Having formerly been part of the Big Eight and Big 12 Conferences, these teams faced off annually from 1948 until 2010. Both teams then moved to different conferences, thus establishing a non-conference game contract to maintain their rivalry.

Nebraska currently leads the historical series with 49 wins, 21 losses, and 2 ties.

A Contrast Between Coaches Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule

The upcoming game between Colorado and Nebraska brings forth a crucial inquiry about the swiftly evolving landscape of college football:

What is the most effective strategy for team building in the current era?

Both head coaches began their tenures at the same time, in late 2022. Since then, however, Deion Sanders of Colorado and Matt Rhule of Nebraska have taken significantly different approaches in their efforts to reconstruct their rival teams.

Week 2 College Football Schedule, Top 25

• Here are the kickoff times and broadcast information for the Top 25 teams according to the US LBM Coaches Poll. (All times are Eastern):
• No. 16 Kansas State at Tulane, ESPN, noon
• Arkansas at No. 17 Oklahoma State, ABC, noon
• No. 3 Texas at No. 9 Michigan, FOX, noon
• Bowling Green at No. 8 Penn State, Big Ten Network, noon
• Tennessee Tech at No. 1 Georgia, ESPN+, 2 p.m.
• Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa, CBS, 3:30 p.m.
• Baylor at No. 11 Utah, FOX, 3:30 p.m.
• Eastern Michigan at No. 25 Washington, Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m.
• Northern Illinois at No. 7 Notre Dame, NBC, Peacock, 3:30 p.m.
• Jacksonville State at No. 24 Louisville, ESPN+, 3:30 p.m.
• Middle Tennessee at No. 5 Ole Miss, SEC Network, 4:15 p.m.
• Florida A&M at No. 15 Miami (Fla.), ESPN+, 6 p.m.
• South Florida at No. 4 Alabama, ESPN, 7 p.m.
• Buffalo at No. 10 Missouri, ESPN+, 7 p.m.
• No. 20 Kansas at Illinois, FS1, 7 p.m.
• Nicholls at No. 19 LSU, ESPN+, 7:30 p.m.
• No. 12 Tennessee at No. 23 N.C. State, ABC, 7:30 p.m.
• Western Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m.
• Houston at No. 13 Oklahoma, SEC Network, 7:45 p.m.
• Appalachian State at No. 22 Clemson, ACC Network, 8 p.m.
• Boise State at No. 6 Oregon, Peacock, 10 p.m.
• Northern Arizona at No. 18 Arizona, ESPN+, 10 p.m.
• Utah State at No. 14 Southern Cal, Big Ten Network, 11 p.m.