• Ndamukong Suh at the postgame press conference:



BOULDER, Colo. — It wasn't the short week of preparation.

It wasn't the long football season, free of breaks since the first days of October. It wasn't the Colorado scheme or the Buffaloes' nothing-to-lose mindset. It certainly wasn't the fact that Nebraska clinched the Big 12 North last week.

And don't suggest that NU might have been peering toward next week and Texas.

The Nebraska defenders were in no mood Friday after their 28-20 win over the Buffs to rationalize away the problems that allowed CU to post 403 yards of offense — a season high by an NU foe.

Colorado completed its 3-9 season by tossing three touchdowns against a Nebraska defense that allowed four through the air in the 11 games prior.

So what was it?

“We didn't execute,” coach Bo Pelini said. “We didn't play well. I'm not happy with it. The team's not happy with it.”

The refrain is familiar. Pelini perpetually searches for the right buttons to push to keep his team sharp. No doubt, the second-year coach wants to find any mental edge for NU as it heads into the Big 12 championship game against unbeaten Texas a week from today.

And by the way, Pelini's got a good point. CU entered Friday's finale ranked 82nd nationally in total offense and exceeded its average by 57 yards. Its pass plays of 58 yards and 56 on the final play account for two of the four longest gains allowed this year by the Blackshirts.

Pelini called it one of the Huskers' worst performances of the year.

His players did not argue.

“It was average, at best,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “I think we were playing hard, but we made a lot of mistakes that we shouldn't have allowed. It was a collective thing. Small plays where we were right there and we didn't do it.”

Safety Larry Asante described it as a lack of attention to detail.

“We left a lot out there on the field,” Asante said. “At times, we lost focus. We just didn't play good, sound defense. We know what's ahead of us. It's going to be a big task.

“We've got a lot of practicing to do, a lot of corrections to make.”

Still, Nebraska held the Buffs to two scores until the final seconds, when Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen hit Scotty McKnight.

A “meaningless” touchdown, according to defensive coordinator Carl Pelini.

The elder Pelini, in fact, chose to dwell more on the positive than his head coach brother.

“I'm elated,” Carl Pelini said. “Our backs were against the wall coming out of the Iowa State game, and we just ran off five straight. That's not easy to do in college football today. We knew we were going to get Colorado's best shot. It wasn't perfect, but it was a tough challenge.

“I'm very pleased. I'm always happy with a win.”

The Pelinis, by now, have mastered the good-cop, bad-cop act. Usually, it's Bo who gets to deliver the scathing reviews.

“We played sloppy football,” he said. “We didn't play to our standards. We're a lot better than what we showed out there.”

Nebraska recorded just one sack of Hansen, a key 17-yard loss credited to Suh on an intentional-grounding call that turned a third-quarter field goal from 35 yards into a 52-yarder that Aric Goodman missed wide left.

But the Huskers intercepted three passes, including a second-quarter pick by safety Matt O'Hanlon returned 20 yards for a touchdown.

Really, it was a mix of good and bad.

“They have 85 guys on scholarship, too,” Carl Pelini said. “We've been able to maintain our focus. And that's huge, because that's something I thought was our Achilles' heel last year, where we'd play well for stretches and then we'd lose our concentration. I think our focus is great this year.

“When people score on us, it's because they execute down the field.”

Colorado appeared to outfox the Huskers with some personnel packages and shifting that left Nebraska in unfavorable matchups. NU subbed regularly into base defense, often using freshman linebackers Will Compton and Sean Fisher in down-and-distance situations typically reserved for the nickel and dime alignments.

“What you saw today is what we saw on film the whole time,” Carl Pelini said. “They're a very multiple offense. Lots of personnel and unconventional sets. Again, I applaud our guys. It was a difficult week of preparation.”

Fisher, in particular, struggled. He was credited with one tackle.

“Fish is a little bit rusty,” Carl Pelini said, “but he's a young guy.”

One look with which NU turned the tables on the Buffs: A five-man defensive line. It allowed Suh to avoid the double team and led to O'Hanlon's interception return, though it was also in use when Hansen lofted a throw to Markques Simas for 58 yards over Eric Hagg.

Carl Pelini said he “loved” the five-man front.

And Suh, well, he didn't like a lot about Friday's performance, but he's grateful for the opportunity against Texas to make another statement.

“We need to keep proving ourselves week in and week out,” Suh said. “We obviously have two games left to do that — the first, starting with Texas. It's a great challenge. I'm excited for it.”

Contact the writer:

402-473-9587, mitch.sherman@owh.com

• Nebraska's Larry Asante at the postgame press conference:

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