Husker junior quarterback Joe Ganz has provided a spark to the team since taking over as starter two games ago.

Could the spark die out Friday?

Ganz doesn’t think so. He said there will be no problem getting fired up to play a team like Colorado.

“It’s always an emotional game. There’s bad blood between the two schools. There’s not going to be a lack of spark,” Ganz said.

Nebraska fans have sometimes taken exception to calling Colorado a rivalry game.

New year, old question: Is it?

“We dislike everybody that we play,” Ganz said. “If it’s Colorado, Kansas. They’re faceless objects, is what we look at the opposing team (as).  They (the Buffaloes) do try to make it into a rivalry game and we accept that and make it one back. That’s really all pre-game stuff, all that rivalry talk.

“When it comes down to the field, you don’t really think, ‘Oh, this is a huge rivalry. We need to play better.’ We need to accomplish what we need to accomplish on the field. If they want to be talking about a rivalry, that’s fine.”

CU linebacker Jordon Dizon told the Boulder Daily Camera that he talked to teammates last week about the standard of preparation he expects from them during Nebraska week.

“If you don’t get up for this, if you don’t play your best in practice or study the most, you are not a true Buffalo because this is Nebraska,” Dizon said the newspaper.

With both teams having 5-6 records, a spot in a bowl game is at stake.

Husker coach Bill Callahan said two games tell you all you need to know about the talent the Buffs have.

“They’re a good football team,” Callahan said. “You don’t beat Oklahoma and Texas Tech and not do it in a physical manner, and they certainly displayed that.”

A goodbye present?: Given all the speculation about this possibly being Callahan’s last game as Husker coach, Ganz was asked if he thought players would be thinking about winning one for the coaching staff this week.

“You don’t want to be the, ‘Win one for the Gipper-type deal,’ but you really want to win it for (Coach Callahan) and all the coaches. And especially the fans. They’ve been through a tough year,” Ganz said. “We’d like to reward him with winning this last game and then going to a bowl game and hopefully winning that. There is kind of a sentimental value to it.”

By the numbers: 22 - Number of years since Colorado has had back-to-back losing seasons.

It would happen again if Nebraska wins Friday.

Scouting report: QB Cody Hawkins

Colorado’s Cody Hawkins is one of just 16 freshmen starting at quarterback in major college football this year.

Typical of a freshman, the son of CU coach Dan Hawkins has been sporadic in his play. He’s thrown for more than 2,400 yards and 17 touchdowns. But he’s also thrown 15 interceptions.

“I think he’s a playmaker,” Callahan said. “They do a lot of different things.  They’re pretty versatile in terms of the multiplicity of personnel groupings, formations.  They’re doing a lot of things for a young quarterback at an early stage, which is really smart.”  

Hawkins is not very fleet of foot. His longest run of the season is 12 yards.

Still, Callahan said, “He can make plays with his feet, so I wouldn’t dismiss that notion.”

Opponent watch: Colorado

According to the Daily Camera, CU officials reported about 5,000 tickets remain for Friday’s game.

Apparently, most of the tickets are end-zone seats, normally occupied by students. Officials don’t expect many CU students to attend the game since they had the entire Thanksgiving week off from school.

Given that the game will start at 10 a.m. in Boulder, the Buffs have been practicing at that time every day this week.

Callahan doesn’t think the early kickoff will hurt Nebraska. On Monday, he had his team practice at 5:50 a.m.

“Young people have a lot of resiliency and I think they have a mind-set that they’re accustomed to playing at any time, whether it’s night, day, early, late or whatever,” Callahan said. “They adapt pretty well.”

— Brian Christopherson