Colorado Defense vs Nebraska OffenseUnity Consciousness #3143

(9azzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzk of 11)

Colorado Buffaloes versus Nebraska Cornhuskers, September 7, 2024. It always comes down to moving the ball by running or passing and stopping the run or the pass. Clearly, the strength of Nebraska is the run. They are going to pound the ball. They are also going to take shots over the top downfield, mostly along the sidelines. In game one, Colorado had trouble controlling and moving the line of scrimmage: on offensive runs and when pass coverage was good; on defense on delayed runs and draws. A basic strategy to stop the run must include scheme bluffing, mixing and shifting to encourage Nebraska to throw the ball. Colorado, though susceptible to slants and routes across the middle, likely has the edge against Nebraska's receivers rather than the edge against the run game.
Since Nebraska has a new QB who is a freshman, CU should seek to blitz and rattle the QB early in the first three series.
Unless CU makes significant defensive adjustments after game one, they are in trouble. They have no margin for any errors.
Nebraska will seek to do the opposite by trying to limit CU's passing attack and dare them and invite them to run. So it boils down to, can Colorado have more big pass plays and passing scores than Nebraska can have more big runs and running scores?
After the Nebraska game, I will do a defensive analysis and compare and contrast it to the defensive analysis after the NDSU game and this analysis.
Even though CU bailed NDSU out and gave them a least ten free points, the NDSU offense also bailed out CU. Hopefully the officiating will be better, especially from the referee and the side judges who definitely should have seen that hold on Travis that allowed a touchdown, and should have seen the late high hit on Shedeur.