Colorado coach Deion Sanders previewed the team’s Week 2 game against Nebraska by stoking the rivalry between the teams that are former members of the same conference.
“This is personal,” Sanders said Tuesday. “That’s the message of the week: This is personal.”
Saturday’s home opener for Sanders’ Buffaloes will be the 72nd meeting between the rivals, members of the Big Eight and Big 12 until 2010, when Nebraska joined the Big Ten and Colorado left the Big 12 to join the Pac-12.
The rivals have only met twice since then, with Colorado winning both encounters.
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Sanders and his sons Shedeur and Shilo are new to the program, as are the 87 freshmen who have joined the program since Deion Sanders took over in December. Despite the new faces in Boulder, Sanders has tried to pass on what he learned from the rivalry to his squad.
“Colorado, we don’t like Nebraska. Simple,” said Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. “That’s it.”
Shedeur Sanders set a school record with 510 yards rushing in Saturday’s 45-42 road win at then-No. 17 TCU on Saturday as a 20-point underdog. Colorado, which debuted Tuesday at No. 25 in the coaches’ poll and No. 22 in the media poll, is three-point favorites against the Huskers, who lost their first game under new coach Matt Rhule on Thursday after giving up a late touchdown and a 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Nebraska leads the rivalry all-time at 49-20-2.
“I like getting to know the dynamics of the different rivalries. It’s wonderful,” said Deion Sanders. “I have learned the toughness and seriousness of this rivalry and I accept it 100 percent.”
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(Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)