LINCOLN, Neb. — After his team suffered its first loss of the season and the second-lowest scoring record of his tenure, Colorado coach Deion Sanders wondered how he could get his offense back on track.

The Buffaloes were completely outgained in the first half, struggled to protect quarterback Shedeur Sanders and finished with 16 rushing yards in their 28-10 loss to Nebraska on Saturday night.

Colorado (1-1) fell behind quickly against an opponent it had beaten 36-14 the previous season and trailed 14-0 when Shedeur Sanders threw an interception from his own end zone that Nebraska cornerback Tommi Hill returned 7 yards for a touchdown, a turnover he called a “rookie mistake.” Colorado ran 11 plays in the first quarter for a net gain of -2 yards.

“The way we started doesn’t define who we are,” Deion Sanders said. “And we never got it right.”

Often under pressure, Shedeur Sanders threw for 244 yards and one score on 23 of 38 passing. He was sacked five times and the Buffs went 4 of 14 for third-down conversions. He didn’t finish the game, leaving the final four minutes of the fourth quarter as a precaution after a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Shedeur Sanders told reporters afterward that he was “a little banged up” but doing OK. He praised the performance of Nebraska’s defensive line.

“Protection was an issue,” Deion Sanders said. “You know, I try to be polite and say it, because you know I can say the same thing you did, but if I said it, you’d say I’m throwing my guys under the bus. I’m not doing that at all. Protection was an issue. We’ve got to find a way to prevent that and deal with it better.”

Colorado couldn’t do much in the run game to take the pressure off their passer. Their running backs combined for five carries for 16 yards in three quarters and failed to convert on two fourth-and-1 rushing attempts that night.

The Buffaloes finished last in FBS in rushing yards in 2023 with 827 yards through 12 games. They threw for 445 yards and rushed for 59 in their 31-26 win over North Dakota State to open the season. After rebuilding the offensive line largely with transfer portal additions, Deion Sanders acknowledged that his team needs to figure out how to execute a consistent run game.

When asked why it was so difficult for Colorado’s offense to respond to Nebraska’s defense, he replied, “I have no idea. If we had known that answer, I think we would have responded quicker. It’s like we never got it going until it was too late.”

The Buffaloes trailed 28-0 at halftime after Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola threw a pass over the middle to running back Rahmir Johnson that Colorado linebacker LaVonta Bentley nearly intercepted. Instead, the ball jumped into the air and fell to Johnson, who scampered for an 18-yard score.

“When something like that happens, you just have to take your hat off and say, ‘Oh, it’s not our day, baby,'” Deion Sanders said. “‘Cause that kind of stuff doesn’t normally happen. That was crazy. What a play.”

Colorado’s defense held off another score the rest of the way, forcing five straight punts in the second half. Deion Sanders was happy to see his team keep fighting, but there were far too many mistakes — including nine penalties for 104 yards and a blocked field goal — to mount a rally.

Shedeur Sanders said his team is going back to the drawing board and working to get it right. They’ll hit the road again next Saturday against in-state rival Colorado State, which led the Buffaloes to overtime in 2023, before their first run through the Big 12 Conference begins Sept. 21 against Baylor. Against one of the toughest schedules in the conference, they’ll need a lot more offensive balance — and a lot more points.

“We have a great offense,” Deion Sanders said. “We should be able to move the ball to everybody. We should be able to protect with the experience we have offensively. We just couldn’t get it going today.”