Nebraska has celebrities, too, Matt Rhule said after the Huskers rolled past Colorado, 28-10.
Rhule was referring to Omaha welterweight boxing champion Terrance “Bud” Crawford, undefeated champion, I should say. Crawford spoke to the Huskers on Friday night and led them onto the field, a championship belt over his shoulder, during the Tunnel Walk.
He also was presented a game ball afterward.
When he spoke to the players, he told them “when he goes into the ring, he doesn’t care who the opponent is,” Nebraska cornerback Tommi Hill said. “He always stays calm and counters. If they make a play, he’s going to have to come back and counter it … Just stay calm and in the moment.
“Don’t be overhyped.”
That’s how the Huskers approached Saturday night’s game, Hill said.
But we’re talking about celebrities, which Hill could be.
After Brian Buschini’s 60-yard punt on Nebraska’s second possession went dead at the Colorado 2-yard line, Hill intercepted a Shedeur Sanders pass on first down and returned it seven yards for a touchdown. “I think Tommi’s one of the best players in the country,” said Rhule.
After Hill’s interception return, “I was fricking pumped,” defensive end Ty Robinson said.
Celebrities? How about Robinson?
On the game’s third play from scrimmage, after two incomplete Sanders passes, Robinson sacked him for a nine-yard loss. Then late in the first half, Robinson blocked a Buff field goal attempt. He didn’t play in the first half of last season’s game at Colorado because of a targeting call in the Minnesota game. “This year I was going to make sure they knew who I was,” Robinson said.
Pretty sure the Buffs’ knew who No. 9 was.
Robinson is a “dominant, dominant, dominant player,” said Rhule.
And yes, three dominants.
Celebrities? What about running back Dante Dowdell?
On Nebraska’s first possession, first-and-10 at the Colorado 25-yard line, Dowdell got his first carry and ran 13 yards through the middle of the Buffalo defense. On the next play, Dowdell carried again through the middle, 12 yards for the touchdown, capping a seven-play, 49-yard drive.
Then he finished off a nine-play, 86-yard drive on the Huskers’ first possession of the second quarter by diving over the line and into the end zone for Nebraska’s third touchdown.
Dowdell was the game’s leading rusher with 74 yards on 17 carries.
Rahmir Johnson started again at running back and was the second-leading rusher, but more importantly, perhaps, he was the leading receiver with eight catches for 49 yards and an 18-yard touchdown, on which he knocked the ball out of the defender’s hands and took it into the end zone.
Only 40 seconds remained in the first half. Nebraska also scored a touchdown with less than a minute left in the first half of the UTEP game, with 2 seconds remaining to be exact.
So you want celebrities?
How about Dylan Raiola, with much-publicized Shedeur Sanders on the other side, for sure a celebrity, and no disrespect intended. But Raiola was 23-of-30 passing for 185 yards and the Johnson touchdown without an interception. He also scrambled for 12 yards and a first down on third-and-10 from the Colorado 49 on the opening touchdown drive.
Robinson was mentioned earlier, but the defense as a whole could have celebrity status for its play Saturday night. Colorado finished with a rushing net of 16 yards. In addition to Robinson’s sack, Nebraska had five others for a total, counting Robinson’s, of 41 yards.
“I thought the defensive line came to play,” said Rhule.
Willis McGahee IV forced a fourth-quarter fumble, which Jimari Butler recovered, giving the Huskers a 2-0 advantage in turnovers, a point of emphasis this season.
Penalties on Nebraska, by the Big 12 crew, were plentiful in its scoreless second half. After being penalized three times for 25 yards in the first half, the Huskers were penalized nine times for 80 yards in the second. But it seemed clear Nebraska had control with its 28-0 first half.
“We’ve gotta do a better job offensively with protection as well as trying to figure out how to establish a run game and be consistent with that,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said.
Without question, Deion is a celebrity, deserved. But you could add Rhule to the celebrity list. Ask any Husker fan in sellout crowd No. 388 of 86,906 Saturday night.
Nearly all of them stayed to the end.
