SUN SPORTS:...Coach Prime Goes 2-0, Colorado Whomps Nebraska, 36-14...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas - The final score shows a whipping, but Colorado's win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers was one of those 36-14 slogs. A slog is 36-14? This one was.

Saturday in Boulder, Colorado, at Folsom Field, is never really a bad deal.

Showing up to see the Buffaloes go (however methodically) 2-0 was the so-called frosting on the social outing cake. CU fans filled the stadium to capacity as Head Coach Deion "Prime Time" Sanders marched his young charges in search of a second consecutive win after beating TCU in Fort Worth, Texas last weekend.

Here's the game wrap-up from bouldercamera.com: [ A crowd of 53,241 - the largest at Folsom Field in 15 years - showed up for the much-anticipated home debut of first-year head coach Deion Sanders and the new-look Buffs and they weren’t disappointed.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders shook off a slow start to throw for 393 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing score, and receiver Tar’Varish Dawson scored two touchdowns – one on a reception and one on a run. Xavier Weaver had 10 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown.

The first half was almost completely opposite of a week earlier at TCU. In that one, the Buffs seemed to score at will while the defense struggled to stop TCU. On Saturday, the offense sputtered throughout the first half and the defense was locked in.

CU punted on each of its first four possessions, while Nebraska kept making mistakes. The Cornhuskers lost a fumble on its first possession, punted twice and then had a field goal attempt hit off the right upright. The Huskers lost a second fumble with 5 minutes, 32 seconds to play in the second quarter, giving the Buffs the ball at the Nebraska 19-yard line. The offense sputtered again, but Jace Feely hit a 31-yard field goal to get the scoring started.

Three plays later, CU’s Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig picked off a Jeff Sims pass and CU took over at the Nebraska 30. The next play was a 30-yard touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to Tar’Varish Dawson for a 10-0 lead. Just before halftime, the Buffs forced a Nebraska punt and then Shedeur Sanders found some rhythm, going 4-for-4 for 48 yards. That put the Buffs in position for a 32-yard field goal from Feely, making it 13-0 going into halftime.

CU got the ball to start the third quarter but failed on a fourth down attempt at the Nebraska 33-yard line. Four plays later, the Huskers got on the board with a 57-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jeff Sims, cutting the CU lead to 13-7.

Rather than spark listless Nebraska, that seemed to spur the Buffs.

Colorado responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to Xavier Weaver. After a Nebraska three-and-out, the Buffs got another field goal from Feely to go up 23-7. Then, with 10:45 to play in the fourth, Dawson scored on an 8-yard run to give the Buffs a 29-7 lead.

Shedeur Sanders added a 6-yard touchdown run with 4:54 to go to cap the scoring. ]

# 22 Colorado's 2-0 record is coming after the team went 1-11 last season. The Buffaloes have a great shot at going 3-0 next weekend, when they host the Fort Collins-based Colorado State Rams before taking on tougher #13 Oregon on Sept. 30 in an away game.

That one will be a tough one for Coach Prime...

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