Report card vs. Colorado

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RUNNING GAME

D

A knee injury added to a season's worth of wear and tear on Cory Ross, who got just one second-half carry. His absence in what was NU's lowest rushing output of the season is the only reason why this grade isn't worse.

PASSING GAME

C Joe Dailey had another record-setting day with 29 completions and 55 attempts while totaling 306 yards. But his season ended as it began, with four interceptions. Before Saturday, Colorado had multiple picks in just one game.

AGAINST THE RUN

D Bobby Purify had the cutback move working while producing a 101-yard first half, and with 6-foot-2, 240-pound Lawrence Vickers adding 69 in the final 30 minutes, the Buffs finished with 198. Even quarterback Joel Klatt, who had negative yardage for the season, looked good running a couple of option plays.

AGAINST THE PASS

C Klatt had half of his 18 completions in the first quarter, so Nebraska shored things up. But the Huskers still allowed a backup, Blake Mackey, to record an eight-reception, 116-yard day.

SPECIAL TEAMS

B Sam Koch's punting — he averaged 43.8 yards and left three balls inside the Colorado 20-yard line — was the best it's been all season. David Dyches barely missed a 51-yard field goal that would have drawn the Huskers to 17-10. The booming punts of CU's John Torp gave Nebraska almost no chance to improve field position.

GAME MANAGEMENT & PENALTIES

B The Huskers were flagged just five times. Nebraska also managed the clock particularly well in the two-minute drill during the second quarter, and even had a timeout left to try and ice Mason Crosby before the Buffs' field-goal kicker booted a 39-yarder on the final play of the half.

PLAY CALLING

C Bill Callahan called for an onside kick that worked at the start because of a hole he saw in Colorado's four-man front alignment. The gameplan took a detour when Ross got injured and the Huskers fell behind, but against a defense playing primarily a nickel package, NU functioned well enough to amass 212 second-half yards.

OVERALL

C As in the status of the season — done. It's unexplainable why Nebraska needed time to settle into a game that demanded its complete devotion and attention. Sadly, that now will serve as a lesson in history for future Husker teams.

— Curt McKeever