Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry
First Meeting	November 17, 1898
Last Meeting	November 26, 2010
Next Meeting	September 8, 2018
Meetings	69
Series	Nebraska leads, 49–18–2

The Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry was an American college football rivalry between the Colorado Buffaloes and Nebraska Cornhuskers. They first played in 1898, but the rivalry intensified in the 1980s as Colorado improved under head coach Bill McCartney. It was somewhat consolidated with the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996, which placed the two universities in the same six-team division and ended Nebraska's annual game with Oklahoma.

The intensity of this rivalry was often disputed; while Colorado generally viewed Nebraska as its biggest rival, the feeling was not mutual as Nebraska still generally viewed Oklahoma as their historically significant rival, even though they now played the Sooners every other regular season. After the formation of the Big 12, the game was traditionally played on the Friday afternoon following Thanksgiving, nationally televised on ABC. In the Big 8, this time slot was often used for the Nebraska–Oklahoma game. (Oklahoma now plays in-state rival Oklahoma State at the end of the regular season in the Bedlam Series.)

Series history

Colorado and Nebraska met six times from 1898 to 1907, then took a 40-year hiatus until Colorado joined the Big Seven Conference in 1948. From 1948–61, Colorado went 9–4–1 against Nebraska. After their 7–0 victory in Lincoln in 1961, Colorado gained their only lead in the series (10–9–1).

With the arrival of Bob Devaney in 1962, Nebraska emerged from nearly two decades of mediocrity (and seven straight losing seasons) and returned as a national power in the mid-1960s, followed by national titles in 1970 and 1971. He won his first 5 against Colorado and was 10–1; successor Tom Osborne won his first 13, with a final record of 21–3–1. Nebraska is 40–8–1 against Colorado from 1962–2010.

When Bill McCartney was hired by Colorado in 1982, he almost immediately designated Nebraska as Colorado's primary rival, in an attempt to motivate his team. Nebraska at that time was a perennial powerhouse program and had beaten Colorado 14 straight times; McCartney wanted to use the eventual defeat of Nebraska as a measure of Colorado's success. Four years later, Colorado got their first win over the Cornhuskers since 1967, upsetting #3 Nebraska 20–10. It was also the first win over Nebraska at Folsom Field in Boulder since 1960.

Colorado then began to repeatedly threaten Nebraska in the late '80s, following the 1986 upset. In 1989, #3 Nebraska met #2 Colorado at Folsom Field tied for the lead in the Big 8. Colorado won 27–21 on their way to winning their first Big 8 Championship since 1976. #9 Colorado went to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to play #3 Nebraska for the Big 8 title yet again in 1990. The Buffaloes won 27–12 en route to their first national title. McCartney went 3–9–1 against Nebraska. Successor Rick Neuheisel was 0–4, while Gary Barnett was 3–4.

The 19–19 tie in 1991 was the last recorded by Nebraska. To date, they have played one game decided in overtime, a 33–30 Nebraska victory in 1999.

Historically, the series was mostly one-sided, with Nebraska winning nearly three out of every four matchups. However, the last two decades had been very competitive with many matchups decided by a touchdown or less. From 1988 to 1996, both teams were ranked going into the matchup, and in 5 of those meetings both teams were in the top 10. In 1989 and 1994, Colorado and Nebraska went into the game ranked #2 and #3 respectively, and split those games. Between 1996 and 2000, Nebraska won all five meetings by 15 points combined.

More fire fueled the rivalry in 2001 when #2 Nebraska went into Boulder undefeated. #14 Colorado had one conference loss, making this the Big 12 North championship. Colorado shocked the nation with a 62–36 drubbing of Nebraska and won the Big 12 Championship against #3 Texas the following week. Nebraska eventually went to the BCS title game despite the loss, but Colorado was only a point behind Nebraska in the BCS poll.

The decade started with Colorado winning 3 of 4, and ended with Nebraska taking 5 of 6. Starting with Bill McCartney's first game in 1982 through 2010, Nebraska went 21–7–1 against Colorado.

The series was disrupted by the 2010–13 NCAA conference realignment, when both teams left the Big 12 before the 2011 season. Colorado joined the Pac-12 Conference and Nebraska went to the Big Ten Conference. Each team now plays border rivals in the opposite direction. Nebraska faces Iowa on the Friday following Thanksgiving, also on ABC; Colorado has revived a rivalry with Utah the same day.

It was announced on February 7, 2013 that Colorado and Nebraska agreed to renew the rivalry. Colorado will travel in 2018 to Lincoln, and then return to Boulder in 2019. After a 3-year break, Nebraska will go to Colorado in 2023 and then host the Buffaloes again in 2024 to finish the series.

Game results

Colorado victories

Nebraska victories

Tie games

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
1	November 17, 1898	Boulder	Nebraska	23–10
2	October 4, 1902	Boulder	Nebraska	10–0
3	October 24, 1903	Lincoln	Nebraska	31–0
4	October 8, 1904	Boulder	Colorado	6–0
5	November 11, 1905	Lincoln	Nebraska	18–0
6	October 26, 1907	Lincoln	Nebraska	22–8
7	October 9, 1948	Boulder	Colorado	16–9
8	November 19, 1949	Lincoln	Nebraska	25–14
9	October 14, 1950	Boulder	Colorado	28–19
10	November 17, 1951	Lincoln	Colorado	36–14
11	October 25, 1952	Boulder	Tie	16–16
12	November 14, 1953	Lincoln	Colorado	14–10
13	October 23, 1954	Boulder	Nebraska	20–6
14	November 12, 1955	Lincoln	Nebraska	37–20
15	October 27, 1956	Boulder	Colorado	16–0
16	November 16, 1957	Lincoln	Colorado	27–0
17	October 25, 1958	Boulder	#12 Colorado	27–16
18	November 14, 1959	Lincoln	Nebraska	14–12
19	October 22, 1960	Boulder	Colorado	19–6
20	November 18, 1961	Lincoln	#8 Colorado	7–0
21	October 27, 1962	Boulder	Nebraska	31–6
22	October 26, 1963	Lincoln	Nebraska	41–6
23	October 24, 1964	Boulder	#5 Nebraska	21–3
24	October 23, 1965	Lincoln	#3 Nebraska	38–13
25	October 22, 1966	Boulder	#7 Nebraska	21–19
26	October 21, 1967	Lincoln	#4 Colorado	21–16
27	November 16, 1968	Boulder	Nebraska	22–6
28	November 1, 1969	Lincoln	Nebraska	20–7
29	October 31, 1970	Boulder	#4 Nebraska	29–13
30	October 30, 1971	Lincoln	#1 Nebraska	31–7
31	November 4, 1972	Boulder	#3 Nebraska	33–10
32	October 3, 1973	Lincoln	#13 Nebraska	28–16
33	November 2, 1974	Boulder	#9 Nebraska	31–15
34	October 25, 1975	Lincoln	#4 Nebraska	63–21
35	October 9, 1976	Boulder	#6 Nebraska	24–12
36	October 22, 1977	Lincoln	#18 Nebraska	33–15
37	October 21, 1978	Boulder	#5 Nebraska	52–14
38	October 27, 1979	Lincoln	#2 Nebraska	38–10
39	October 25, 1980	Boulder	#9 Nebraska	45–7
40	October 10, 1981	Lincoln	Nebraska	59–0
41	October 9, 1982	Boulder	#7 Nebraska	40–14
42	October 22, 1983	Lincoln	#1 Nebraska	69–19
43	October 20, 1984	Boulder	#5 Nebraska	24–7
44	October 26, 1985	Lincoln	#5 Nebraska	17–7
45	October 25, 1986	Boulder	Colorado	20–10
46	November 28, 1987	Boulder	#5 Nebraska	24–7
47	November 12, 1988	Lincoln	#7 Nebraska	7–0
48	November 4, 1989	Boulder	#3 Colorado	27–21
49	November 3, 1990	Lincoln	#9 Colorado	27–12
50	November 2, 1991	Boulder	Tie	19–19
51	October 31, 1992	Lincoln	#8 Nebraska	52–7
52	October 30, 1993	Boulder	#6 Nebraska	21–17
53	October 29, 1994	Lincoln	#2 Nebraska	24–7
54	October 28, 1995	Boulder	#2 Nebraska	44–21
55	November 29, 1996	Lincoln	#4 Nebraska	17–12
56	November 28, 1997	Boulder	#2 Nebraska	27–24
57	November 27, 1998	Lincoln	#14 Nebraska	16–14
58	November 26, 1999	Boulder	#3 Nebraska	33–30OT
59	November 24, 2000	Lincoln	#10 Nebraska	34–32
60	November 23, 2001	Boulder	#14 Colorado	62–36
61	November 29, 2002	Lincoln	#13 Colorado	28–13
62	November 28, 2003	Boulder	#25 Nebraska	31–22
63	November 26, 2004	Lincoln	Colorado	26–20
64	November 25, 2005	Boulder	Nebraska	30–3
65	November 24, 2006	Lincoln	#23 Nebraska	37–14
66	November 23, 2007	Boulder	Colorado	65–51
67	November 28, 2008	Lincoln	Nebraska	40–31
68	November 27, 2009	Boulder	Nebraska	28–20
69	November 26, 2010	Lincoln	#16 Nebraska	45–17
Series: Nebraska leads 49–18–2