Colorado-Nebraska rivalry in background as Sanders, Rhule continue building in their second seasons

Updated Sep. 4, 2024 11:51 a.m. ET

Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's 1994 national championship team is holding a reunion this weekend to coincide with the Cornhuskers' game against Colorado.

Thirty years ago, the programs were at the height of their rivalry in the old Big Eight Conference and ranked in the top three when they met here on a sun-splashed October afternoon that saw Nebraska take a huge step toward Tom Osborne's first title with a 24-7 victory.

Nebraska and Colorado are in different conferences now and far removed from the days when they played for championships. Both are trying to get back on the national radar following extended down cycles, and both have second-year coaches who have fan bases that have faith that better days are ahead.

Colorado has won the first three of four games in the home-and-home series with the Huskers, including 36-14 in Boulder last year. The Buffaloes finished the season with four wins and the Huskers with five.

Both won their openers last week, and one of the themes going into Saturday night's meeting at Memorial Stadium is that it will be a measuring stick for how much progress CU's Deion Sanders and Nebraska's Matt Rhule have made.

“I just look at this as a really good football test for two teams,” Rhule said. “Two teams that have plans on being good teams and want to be relevant at the end of the year. They’re going to play us and we’re going to play them, and we’re not even in the same conference. So, while I know it matters to people and it matters to us and it matters to them, we’re going to see where we are.”

Sanders was finishing his college playing career at Florida State in the 1980s when the Colorado-Nebraska rivalry was revving up, and he appreciates its history.

“We’re going to dominate the day as best that we can. ... So I love it. I think that’s what college football is all about, whether we’re in the same conferences or not. But this is a tremendous rivalry, and I look forward to it,” Sanders said.

Both teams have changed significantly since last year.

The Buffs still have dynamic quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way sensation Travis Hunter — both are possible top-five NFL draft picks in 2025 — but they have a revamped offensive line and five new starters among the defense's front seven.

The Huskers' biggest upgrades are on offense, where five-star freshman Dylan Raiola already has established strong chemistry with transfer receivers Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor, and transfer running back Dante Dowdell makes the team four-deep at the position.

Though the Colorado and Nebraska players of 2024 were toddlers when the intensity of the rivalry was fading, there remains an undercurrent that this game means a little more.

“It’s a bigger game because it’s rivalry week, but we want to attack every game like it’s rivalry week,” CU offensive lineman Justin Mayers said. "Nebraska, I hear, is going to be sold out and all these things, but that still doesn’t faze us. We practice hard. We have the crowd noise going, so I think Coach Prime’s getting prepared for a great game this upcoming Saturday.”

Raiola is well aware of the Colorado-Nebraska history. His dad, Dominic Raiola, played center three years for the Huskers and was a consensus All-American in 2000 before his 14-year career with the Detroit Lions. Nebraska had three wins by a combined seven points when Dominic played.

“This week he told me, ‘Just so you know, I never lost to them,'” Dylan said. "I know the rivalry runs deep. You have to stay focused on the task at hand. You can’t get caught up in everything else. We just have to worry about playing football and doing our brand of football.”

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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Boulder, Colorado, contributed to this report.

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