Colorado's Matt McChesney hopes the medicine tastes bad, Nebraska.

After the Buffaloes' 26-20 win at Memorial Stadium on Friday, the senior defensive tackle was ready to twist the knife in what was already a dead Nebraska season at 5-6.

In the weeks leading up to the game, McChesney had been asked if ending Nebraska's sacred traditions of 42 straight winning seasons and 35 consecutive bowl appearances mattered to him.

"I told you all last week that it wasn't important, but I lied," McChesney said with a laugh. "I lied really bad and it was really important and I'm glad we did it. I'm really glad they're home for the holidays, actually. Now, they can sit there and watch everyone else play. I hope it feels good."

CU coach Gary Barnett was much more diplomatic, saying: "There's such great tradition and fans here. That (losing record) is probably a one-year deal. I wouldn't get too worried about it."

While Barnett spoke, occasional joyous shouts from the nearby locker room could be heard.

Moments after the game, players and coaches had sung their school fight song in that locker room and then handed a game ball to Dick Tharp, who resigned as Colorado's athletic director Monday after a season sullied with scrutiny directed at the football program.

For a program that had been accused of using sex and alcohol to recruit players; for a program that had lawsuits accusing players and recruits of sexual assaults and had to temporarily suspend Barnett from his coaching duties in the offseason; for a program that is facing allegations of fund-raising problems; beating Nebraska seemed to make all that noise momentarily mute.

And the Buffs were going to live it up rejoicing in that fact.

As the clock ran out, CU running back Lawrence Vickers cupped his hand to his ear and screamed at Husker fans: "What? Where you at now?" Greeted with no response, he yelled, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Other CU players yelled, "Go Missouri."

Because if Missouri can beat Iowa State today, Colorado (7-4, 4-4) would represent the Big 12 North in the conference championship game against Oklahoma on Dec. 4. That's pretty good for a team expected to fold under the scrutiny of this offseason.

"People didn't understand why I stood up and did any interview that anyone asked concerning everything that happened last year," said CU junior quarterback Joel Klatt, who completed 18 of 29 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. "It's because of the guys that are around me and the character that's on this football team."

Such character showed through Friday. It was the much-maligned Buffs who kept their poise while the Huskers did not.

"They were just discombobulated," McChesney said of the Nebraska offense. "They were yelling at each other in the huddle. The offensive linemen were yelling at the quarterback. He was yelling at everybody. I was pretty happy about it, honestly. I was smiling, laughing at them."

But it was Nebraska who was laughing only a second into the game, when the Huskers tricked CU and recovered an onside kick at the Buffs' 43-yard line.

The Huskers went three-and-out on offense and had to punt. CU then drove 90 yards for a touchdown.

"That gave me an indication of what our team was going to be like today," said Barnett, whose defense held Husker running back Cory Ross to just 35 yards rushing. "I never did feel like they were going to move the ball on us unless we slipped or fell or made some really big mistake."

Nebraska managed only 11 total yards in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Colorado always seemed to have the Husker defense unsettled by mixing a quick-hitting passing game with 130 yards rushing from running back Bobby Purify.

By the end of the third quarter, thanks in part to four Mason Crosby field goals, CU led 26-7.

Then, the Buffs got stupid.

With the game in his back pocket, Barnett called what he later admitted to being a dumb pass play with four minutes left.

Klatt has his pass intercepted by Ira Cooper, who returned it 44 yards to the CU 4.

NU scored a touchdown, got the ball back again, and drove 88 yards for another score to make it a six-point game with 1:44 left.

But Nebraska, despite rallying to get a respectable 373 total yards, ran out of time.

"They broke down early, but they came back hard with a lot of heart at the end," said McChesney. "I wouldn't expect anything other from (Nebraska.) They have a lot of heart."

But McChesney's graciousness ended there. He grew up in Longmont, Colo., a lifelong Buffs fan.

As a kid, Nebraska often broke his heart. But in his five years as part of the program, McChesney's Buffs won three times, including a 62-36 win in 2001 that was the beginning of the Huskers' fall from grace.

"We may have turned the tables here," said McChesney, all smiles over the pain he had caused. "I feel like we did. We always had to go and beat them. Now, they have to come beat us."

Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7438 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.