Put it this way, plain and simple, this is our biggest win since the 1997 Orange Bowl. We were 14 point dogs, they were 5-0 at home, viaing for a spot in the 2005 Conference champ game and we spanked them.
Couldn't ask for anything better.
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TOTAL DOMINATION![/SIZE]
Huskers' offense, defense, special teams come up big in rivalry
By Chris Dempsey - Denver Post Staff Writer
Boulder - The yellow pompom-waving fans at Folsom Field stood cold and disbelieving. The black shirts were dominating, but those players weren't wearing gold helmets.
Nebraska's defense - nicknamed "the Blackshirts" - swarmed Colorado, and the Huskers' offense provided a knockout punch in a 30-3 blowout win over the Buffs on Friday that few saw coming.
"How could you predict this?" Buffs linebacker Akarika Dawn said.
"I did not see this coming in any way," CU coach Gary Barnett said. "One team responded to the challenge of this game and one team did not. My team did not, and I take full responsibility."
Colorado, once in control of its destiny, played itself into a hope-and-pray situation if it wants to go to its second straight Big
12 championship game. The Buffs are now Kansas fans. The Jayhawks must defeat Iowa State on Saturday for CU to advance to the title game.
Iowa State, which was traveling to Lawrence, Kan., for much of Friday, arrived in town to find out it needs only to win to advance to its first Big 12 championship game. Kansas, at 5-5, is playing for bowl eligibility.
Three weeks ago, Colorado had two shots to qualify for its fourth conference title game in the past five years. Then it lost to Iowa State, the team playing the best football in the North Division.
But even with a second lease on division title life, CU couldn't get anything going against the motivated Huskers, who have lost in Boulder just once since 1989. Nebraska played its most complete game of the season, gaining 497 yards on offense and holding the Buffs to a season-low 212 yards.
"This was a total team effort," Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. "The special teams, defense and offense all rose to the occasion today and met the challenge."
Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor carved up the Buffs' defense all day, finding soft spots in the middle of the field and in underneath routes. Taylor threw for 392 yards and two touchdowns. It was the second-highest passing yardage total in Nebraska history.
The Huskers survived early-game energy from the Buffs, who started the game with a 45-yard run from tailback Hugh Charles and eventually took a 3-0 lead.
Nebraska scored the next 30 points.
A 26-yard Jordan Congdon field goal tied the score at 3. Two drives later, Nebraska scored the first of back-to-back touchdowns when Taylor hit Cory Ross on a middle screen pass that resulted in a 19-yard touchdown.
After a CU three-and-out on its next drive, Nebraska marched 62 yards in five plays and got a 1-yard touchdown run from Cody Glenn with 9:57 left in the second quarter to make the score 17-3. Congdon's 30-yard field goal late in the second quarter gave the Huskers a 20-3 halftime lead.
The second half held no relief for the Buffs.
Freshman wide receiver Nate Swift caught a 21-yard pass in the third quarter to stretch the Huskers' lead to 24 and effectively end any hope of a CU rally. The fourth quarter played out like the final few minutes of a basketball blowout.
CU's seniors could not make good on being the first class to beat Nebraska three times - or four, depending on the player. Klatt ended his tenure at Folsom Field with a thud, throwing for 159 yards and an interception. He was sacked four times.
"I don't know what to tell (the seniors), I really don't," Barnett said. "I just expressed my pride in them, pride in what they've done. I just feel so badly for them, that they had to go out on a game like this."
Now the Buffs must wait and watch.
"It's disappointing to have to sit back and watch to see what happens to us," CU tight end Quinn Sypniewski said. "Stunned is the just the perfect word to sum up tonight."
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-820-5455 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
