Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry
Colorado Buffaloes - Nebraska Cornhuskers |
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History |
First Meeting |
November 17, 1898 |
Last Meeting |
November 26, 2010 |
Next Meeting |
None Scheduled |
Number of Meetings |
69 |
All-Time Series |
Nebraska: 49–18–2 |
Largest victory |
Nebraska: 59
(59-0 in 1981) |
Current Streak |
Nebraska: Won 3 |
Longest Colorado Win Streak |
3 (1956–1958) |
Longest Nebraska Win Streak |
18 (1968–1985) |
At Boulder |
Nebraska leads 23-10-2 |
At Lincoln |
Nebraska leads 26-8-0 |
The Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry was an American college football rivalry played by the Colorado Buffaloes football team of the University of Colorado and the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team of the University of Nebraska. The two teams first played in 1898, but the rivalry intensified during the 1980s, and was somewhat consolidated with the formation of the Big 12 Conference, a development that placed the two universities in the same division of the Big 12 and ended Nebraska's annual matchup with Oklahoma.[1][2] The intensity of this rivalry was often disputed; while Colorado generally viewed Nebraska as its biggest rival, the feeling was not necessarily mutual as Nebraskans still generally viewed Oklahoma as its historically significant rivals even though they no longer played the Sooners every season. The game was traditionally played on the Friday afternoon following Thanksgiving, with the game being nationally televised on ABC.
Series history
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.[3] Nebraska at that time was a perennial powerhouse program and had defeated Colorado fourteen times in a row, and McCartney wanted to use the eventual defeat of Nebraska as a measure of Colorado's success. Four years later, in 1986, Colorado got their first win since McCartney had arrived.[4], a stunning 20-10 upset of #3 Nebraska.
Colorado began to repeatedly threaten Nebraska in the late 1980s, following their 1986 upset win, and then surpassed the Huskers for the Big 8 Championship in 1989. Colorado traveled to Nebraska's Memorial Stadium to again play for the Big 8 Championship in 1990, and the Buffaloes won 27–12 en route to their first National Championship.
The 19-19 tie in the 1991 matchup was the last tie recorded in the Big 8 conference and the last by both schools. To date they have played one contest decided in overtime, a 33-30 Nebraska victory in 1999.
Historically the series was mostly one-sided, with the Huskers having won 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. Between 1996 and 2000, Nebraska won all five meetings by just a combined 15 points.
The series was effectively disrupted by the 2010–11 NCAA conference realignment, when both teams left the Big 12. Colorado joined the Pac-12 Conference and Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska will instead face the Iowa Hawkeyes on the Friday following Thanksgiving, also on ABC; Colorado will revive a decades-dormant rivalry with the Utah Utes the same day.
Game results
[5] Colorado victories are shaded ██ gold. Nebraska victories are shaded in ██ red.
Date |
Site |
Winning team |
Losing team |
Series |
Attendance |
November 17, 1898 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
23 |
Colorado |
10 |
NU 1-0 |
|
October 4, 1902 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
10 |
Colorado |
0 |
NU 2-0 |
|
October 24, 1903 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
31 |
Colorado |
0 |
NU 3-0 |
|
October 8, 1904 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
6 |
Nebraska |
0 |
NU 3-1 |
|
November 11, 1905 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
18 |
Colorado |
0 |
NU 4-1 |
|
October 26, 1907 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
22 |
Colorado |
8 |
NU 5-1 |
|
October 9, 1948 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
16 |
Nebraska |
9 |
NU 5-2 |
|
November 19, 1949 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
25 |
Colorado |
14 |
NU 6-2 |
32,000 |
October 14, 1950 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
28 |
Nebraska |
19 |
NU 6-3 |
25,000 |
November 17, 1951 |
Lincoln |
Colorado |
36 |
Nebraska |
14 |
NU 6-4 |
31,000 |
October 25, 1952 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
16 |
Colorado |
16 |
NU 6-4-1 |
30,600 |
November 14, 1953 |
Lincoln |
Colorado |
14 |
Nebraska |
10 |
NU 6-5-1 |
36,000 |
October 23, 1954 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
20 |
#11 Colorado |
6 |
NU 7-5-1 |
32,500 |
November 12, 1955 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
37 |
Colorado |
20 |
NU 8-5-1 |
34,000 |
October 27, 1956 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
16 |
Nebraska |
0 |
NU 8-6-1 |
42,818 |
November 16, 1957 |
Lincoln |
Colorado |
27 |
Nebraska |
0 |
NU 8-7-1 |
29,264 |
October 25, 1958 |
Boulder |
#12 Colorado |
27 |
Nebraska |
16 |
TIE 8-8-1 |
40,271 |
November 14, 1959 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
14 |
Colorado |
12 |
NU 9-8-1 |
27,808 |
October 22, 1960 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
19 |
Nebraska |
6 |
TIE 9-9-1 |
40,409 |
November 18, 1961 |
Lincoln |
#8 Colorado |
7 |
Nebraska |
0 |
CU 9-10-1 |
28,108 |
October 27, 1962 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
31 |
Colorado |
6 |
TIE 10-10-1 |
34,183 |
October 26, 1963 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
41 |
Colorado |
6 |
NU 11-10-1 |
37,630 |
October 24, 1964 |
Boulder |
#5 Nebraska |
21 |
Colorado |
3 |
NU 12-10-1 |
41,472 |
October 23, 1965 |
Lincoln |
#3 Nebraska |
38 |
Colorado |
13 |
NU 13-10-1 |
53,873 |
October 22, 1966 |
Boulder |
#7 Nebraska |
21 |
Colorado |
19 |
NU 14-10-1 |
46,112 |
October 21, 1967 |
Lincoln |
#4 Colorado |
21 |
Nebraska |
16 |
NU 14-11-1 |
65,842 |
November 16, 1968 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
22 |
Colorado |
6 |
NU 15-11-1 |
48,327 |
November 1, 1969 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
20 |
#18 Colorado |
7 |
NU 16-11-1 |
67,084 |
October 31, 1970 |
Boulder |
#4 Nebraska |
29 |
Colorado |
13 |
NU 17-11-1 |
50,881 |
October 30, 1971 |
Lincoln |
#1 Nebraska |
31 |
#9 Colorado |
7 |
NU 18-11-1 |
66,776 |
November 4, 1972 |
Boulder |
#3 Nebraska |
33 |
#15 Colorado |
10 |
NU 19-11-1 |
52,128 |
October 3, 1973 |
Lincoln |
#13 Nebraska |
28 |
#17 Colorado |
16 |
NU 20-11-1 |
76,555 |
November 2, 1974 |
Boulder |
#9 Nebraska |
31 |
Colorado |
15 |
NU 21-11-1 |
52,949 |
October 25, 1975 |
Lincoln |
#4 Nebraska |
63 |
Colorado |
21 |
NU 22-11-1 |
76,509 |
October 9, 1976 |
Boulder |
#6 Nebraska |
24 |
Colorado |
12 |
NU 23-11-1 |
53,538 |
October 22, 1977 |
Lincoln |
#18 Nebraska |
33 |
#7 Colorado |
15 |
NU 24-11-1 |
76,486 |
October 21, 1978 |
Boulder |
#5 Nebraska |
52 |
Colorado |
14 |
NU 25-11-1 |
53,262 |
October 27, 1979 |
Lincoln |
#2 Nebraska |
38 |
Colorado |
10 |
NU 26-11-1 |
76,158 |
October 25, 1980 |
Boulder |
#9 Nebraska |
45 |
Colorado |
7 |
NU 27-11-1 |
51,489 |
October 10, 1981 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
59 |
Colorado |
0 |
NU 28-11-1 |
76,169 |
October 9, 1982 |
Boulder |
#7 Nebraska |
40 |
Colorado |
14 |
NU 29-11-1 |
53,022 |
October 22, 1983 |
Lincoln |
#1 Nebraska |
69 |
Colorado |
19 |
NU 30-11-1 |
76,268 |
October 20, 1984 |
Boulder |
#5 Nebraska |
24 |
Colorado |
7 |
NU 31-11-1 |
52,124 |
October 26, 1985 |
Lincoln |
#5 Nebraska |
17 |
Colorado |
7 |
NU 32-11-1 |
76,014 |
October 25, 1986 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
20 |
#3 Nebraska |
10 |
NU 32-12-1 |
52,440 |
November 28, 1987 |
Boulder |
#5 Nebraska |
24 |
Colorado |
7 |
NU 33-12-1 |
52,026 |
November 12, 1988 |
Lincoln |
#7 Nebraska |
7 |
#19 Colorado |
0 |
NU 34-12-1 |
76,359 |
November 4, 1989 |
Boulder |
#2 Colorado |
27 |
#3 Nebraska |
21 |
NU 34-13-1 |
52,877 |
November 3, 1990 |
Lincoln |
#9 Colorado |
27 |
#3 Nebraska |
12 |
NU 34-14-1 |
76,464 |
November 2, 1991 |
Boulder |
#15 Colorado |
19 |
#9 Nebraska |
19 |
NU 34-14-2 |
52,319 |
October 31, 1992 |
Lincoln |
#8 Nebraska |
52 |
#8 Colorado |
7 |
NU 35-14-2 |
76,287 |
October 30, 1993 |
Boulder |
#6 Nebraska |
21 |
#20 Colorado |
17 |
NU 36-14-2 |
52,277 |
October 29, 1994 |
Lincoln |
#3 Nebraska |
24 |
#2 Colorado |
7 |
NU 37-14-2 |
76,131 |
October 28, 1995 |
Boulder |
#2 Nebraska |
44 |
#7 Colorado |
21 |
NU 38-14-2 |
54,063 |
November 29, 1996 |
Lincoln |
#4 Nebraska |
17 |
#5 Colorado |
12 |
NU 39-14-2 |
75,575 |
November 28, 1997 |
Boulder |
#2 Nebraska |
27 |
Colorado |
24 |
NU 40-14-2 |
52,738 |
November 27, 1998 |
Lincoln |
#14 Nebraska |
16 |
Colorado |
14 |
NU 41-14-2 |
75,958 |
November 26, 1999 |
Boulder |
#3 Nebraska |
33 |
Colorado |
30 |
NU 42-14-2 |
52,946 |
November 24, 2000 |
Lincoln |
#10 Nebraska |
34 |
Colorado |
32 |
NU 43-14-2 |
77,672 |
November 23, 2001 |
Boulder |
#14 Colorado |
62 |
#2 Nebraska |
36 |
NU 43-15-2 |
53,790 |
November 29, 2002 |
Lincoln |
#13 Colorado |
28 |
Nebraska |
13 |
NU 43-16-2 |
77,804 |
November 28, 2003 |
Boulder |
#25 Nebraska |
31 |
Colorado |
22 |
NU 44-16-2 |
53,434 |
November 26, 2004 |
Lincoln |
Colorado |
26 |
Nebraska |
20 |
NU 44-17-2 |
77,661 |
November 25, 2005 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
30 |
Colorado |
3 |
NU 45-17-2 |
54,831 |
November 24, 2006 |
Lincoln |
#23 Nebraska |
37 |
Colorado |
14 |
NU 46-17-2 |
85,800 |
November 23, 2007 |
Boulder |
Colorado |
65 |
Nebraska |
51 |
NU 46-18-2 |
51,403 |
November 28, 2008 |
Lincoln |
Nebraska |
40 |
Colorado |
31 |
NU 47-18-2 |
85,319 |
November 27, 2009 |
Boulder |
Nebraska |
28 |
Colorado |
20 |
NU 48-18-2 |
54,214 |
November 26, 2010 |
Lincoln |
#16 Nebraska |
45 |
Colorado |
17 |
NU 49-18-2 |
85,646 |
References
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Bowls & rivalries |
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Culture & lore |
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People |
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Seasons |
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National championship seasons in bold
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Venues |
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Bowls & rivalries |
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Culture & lore |
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People |
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Seasons |
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National championship seasons in bold
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Conference |
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Non-conference |
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North Division |
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South Division |
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Non-conference |
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