Buffs admit they weren’t ready for moment after Huskers beat down

LINCOLN—Playing in front of nearly 90,000 fans and attempting to back a decades-old rivalry the Colorado Buffaloes fell flat on their face against their rival Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday and they know it too.

Nebraska started the contest with 28 unanswered points thanks to mistakes and penalties and never looked back. Sure the Huskers beat the Buffs on Saturday but before they could, CU beat themselves. Both head coach Deion Sanders and star quarterback Shedeur Sanders had their own way of saying the moment got to the black and gold.

“Not just the pressure of them rushing the passer, the pressure of the game, the pressure of the moment, the pressure of the time,” the coach said. “Everyone wants to be him until it’s time to be him but they need to handle that pressure.”

The rush pressure was certainly on the quarterback, as he was sacked six times for 41 yards and threw a pick-six from his own end zone as the line crunched in on him.

When asked about the rush getting after him, Shedeur quipped about the running game struggling.

“How many times did (Huskers QB Dylan) Raiola get touched,” he said. “When you can run the ball constantly it opens up the pass but you have to understand what your team is good at. Why would we keep running the ball if we are in a situation of must-gets.”

Colorado had 22 rushes for a net 16 yards, totaling now 65 yards total on the season through two games.

“You prepare, you do everything the right way, how you’re supposed to, but you got to make sure everybody is on that same page when the big lights and everything come on,” the younger Sanders said. “Like the small mistakes and everything exposes you. The preparation was there, it’s just like the will.”

The stadium may be only a third of the size but Colorado is on the road again next week facing a rival looking to avenge a last season loss. The challenge might not be as high but now at 1-1 and with tons of questions looming, the pressure is still on.