• Video: See what Nebraska coach Bo Pelini had to say after the Huskers' 28-20 win over Colorado:




BOULDER, Colo. — Make no mistake about it, Friday was a home game for Colorado.

But the Sea of Red showed again that it sure can travel.

The CU faithful saw plenty of red at Folsom Field, enough even to make a few stadium workers comment on the Nebraska following.

One security worker asked if there was really a home-field advantage for the Buffaloes. Another asked a co-worker if it was “hard to get around with half of Nebraska here?”

NU fans occupied about 30 percent of the stadium. Even in areas where Colorado fans usually dominate with gold and black, there were pockets of red.

And the Husker fans made their presence known.

Husker backers showed up early, cheered and made their team feel at home in the mountains. A huge group clad in red and white created a tunnel walk of sorts near the NU locker room before the Huskers took the field for warm-ups.

They dominated almost one entire end-zone section and huge areas behind the Husker bench.

It's a fact that isn't lost on bowl committee members. Representatives from at least one postseason game, the Holiday Bowl, were on hand.

Friendly faces

In less than 24 hours, Tim Cassidy saw both the participants in next week's Big 12 championship game.

Cassidy, a former NU associate athletic director and now a Texas A&M associate A.D., was on hand Friday to watch his son Austin, an NU sophomore safety. On Thursday night, Cassidy watched the Aggies fall short in a 49-39 loss to Texas in College Station.

But he wasn't the only former Husker staff member on hand Friday.

Scott Downing, a former Husker recruiting coordinator and tight ends and kickers coach, was in the stands. Now the Northern Colorado head coach, Downing stopped near the Nebraska bench to talk to Husker assistant Marvin Sanders and others before kickoff. Downing's fourth season ended at 3-8 two weeks ago.

He's bigger than Suh

Run, Ralphie, run.

The CU mascot took two trips around Folsom Field on Friday — once before kickoff and another at halftime — in a tradition that dates more than 60 years.

This version, Ralphie VI, wore a banner that read “beat Nebraska” on one side.

It's hard to call a beast like a buffalo a prima donna, but Ralphie's pen did slow the Huskers' entrance before kickoff.

The final wave of NU players — the linemen and linebackers — were held up when a truck pulling Ralphie's pen backed up in front of them.

Big grab for ex-Mustang

Friday may have been Senior Day for 18 CU players, but it's a safe bet none had quite the day that Jake Behrens had.

The Millard North graduate caught his first touchdown pass of the season, a two-yard catch in the second quarter. Behrens, a 6-foot, 245-pound fullback, played in all 12 games each of the last two seasons, and entered Friday in the Buffs' top 10 for receiving yards this season.

Behrens got a nice ovation from both Colorado and Nebraska fans.

“Just going back against Nebraska has brought a little extra to these games,” he said, adding that it's always nice to “give them a little heck.”

Behrens said he had around 15 family members in the stands that he had now converted to CU fans.

“I don't know if they'll stay that way though,” he joked.

Behrens hopes to get a tryout with an NFL team, but said if things don't progress that way, he'll go after an accounting job in Denver.

CU linebacker Shaun Mohler, who at one time was committed to Nebraska, was also a part of CU's senior group.

Fun with Alfonzo

Does Alfonzo Dennard realize who he's messing with?

The sophomore cornerback pulled a good one on a group of coaches, including his position coach Marvin Sanders, before kickoff.

As punters sailed kicks high in the air to players waiting around midfield, Dennard jokingly drifted toward the coaches and acted as if he was going to catch one. All three scurried, drawing a big laugh from Dennard.

Good one, Ngum

There were signs, and then there was the one held by Ndamukong Suh's sister, Ngum.

The older sister held up a sign that gave prices for airfare, hotel and car. Below it read, “seeing Suh do this again” with arrows pointing to a picture of her brother's interception return for a touchdown against CU last year, and then the word “priceless.”

A year ago, Suh picked off a pass late in the game and took it the distance, stomping on then-Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins along the way.

After his work was done Friday, Ndamukong came to look at Ngum's sign, giving it a smile and a head shake before walking back towards the NU bench.

Another noteworthy sign held by an NU fan thanked CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn, who Thursday announced that CU coach Dan Hawkins would be back for next year.

The sign read “We (heart) Hawkins, too,” and gave his record after a predicted loss to Nebraska Friday: 16-33.

Bad time to ask

Who said kickers don't do anything during their down time?

An NU fan leaned over the railing behind the NU bench between the first and second quarters and asked Alex Henery to sign a red Nebraska hat. The junior kicker sheepishly obliged but hurried over to the kicking net before two other autograph seekers arrived.

Wrong stadium

Maybe they've still got pennant fever.

When a chant that usually ends with “let's go” chimed out, many of the Colorado faithful screamed “Tu-lo,” the same way they called out Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

None of it worked

Colorado wore its all-black uniforms for only the second time this season. Their only other appearance came in a loss to Colorado State. ... A sign on the stadium video boards welcomed fans to Folsom Field and reminded them where they were, at an elevation of 5,334 feet. ... Buffaloes linebacker coach Brian Cabral declared Saturday a “lava-lava” game and wore a traditional Polynesian outfit. Before Friday's game, the Buffs were 4-1 when he wore the black-and-gold wrap around his waist.

— Nick Rubek

• Sights and sounds from the Nebraska-Colorado game:

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