Nebraska has celebrities, too, Matt Rhule said after the Huskers beat Colorado 28-10.

Rhule was referring to Omaha welterweight boxing champion Terrance “Bud” Crawford, undefeated champion, I should say. Crawford spoke to the Huskers on Friday night, leading them onto the field, a championship belt slung over his shoulder, in the Tunnel Walk.

Afterwards he was also presented with a match ball.

When he spoke to the players, he told them that “when he steps in the hoop, he doesn’t care who the opponent is,” Nebraska cornerback Tommi Hill said. “He always stays calm and counters. If they make a play, he’s got to come back and counter… Just stay calm and in the moment.

“Don’t make it into an over-hype.”

That’s how the Huskers approached Saturday night’s game, Hill said.

But we’re talking about celebrities, and that could be Hill.

After Brian Buschini’s 60-yard punt on Nebraska’s second possession ended at the Colorado 2-yard line, Hill intercepted a Shedeur Sanders pass on first down and returned it seven yards for a touchdown. “I think Tommi is one of the best players in the country,” Rhule said.

After Hill intercepted the ball, “I was really excited,” defensive end Ty Robinson said.

Celebrities? How about Robinson?

On the third play from scrimmage of the game, after two incomplete Sanders passes, Robinson tackled him for a loss of nine yards. Robinson then blocked a Buff field goal attempt late in the first half. He did not play in the first half of last season’s game at Colorado because of a targeting call in the game against Minnesota. “This year I wanted to make sure they knew who I was,” Robinson said.

I’m pretty sure the Buffs knew who number 9 was.

Robinson is a “dominant, dominant, dominant player,” Rhule said.

And yes, three dominants.

Celebrities? And what about running back Dante Dowdell?

On Nebraska’s first possession, a first-and-10 at the Colorado 25-yard line, Dowdell got his first carry and ran 13 yards up the middle of the Buffalo defense. On the next play, Dowdell carried up the middle again, 12 yards for a touchdown, capping a seven-play, 49-yard drive.

He then capped a nine-play, 86-yard drive on the Huskers’ first possession of the second quarter by diving over the line and into the end zone for Nebraska’s third touchdown.

Dowdell was the game’s leading rusher with 74 yards on 17 carries.

Rahmir Johnson started again at running back and was the second-leading rusher, but more importantly he was the leading receiver with eight catches for 49 yards and an 18-yard touchdown, knocking the ball out of defenders’ hands and taking it into the end zone.

There were only 40 seconds left in the first half. Nebraska also scored a touchdown with less than a minute left in the first half of the UTEP game, with 2 seconds left to be exact.

So you want celebrities?

How about Dylan Raiola, with the much talked about Shedeur Sanders on the other side, certainly a celebrity, and no disrespect intended. But Raiola was 23 of 30 passing for 185 yards and the Johnson touchdown without an interception. He also scrambled for 12 yards and a first down on third-and-10 from the Colorado 49 on the opening touchdown drive.

Robinson was mentioned earlier, but the defense as a whole could be a celebrity for their play on Saturday night. Colorado finished with a rushing net of 16 yards. In addition to Robinson’s sack, Nebraska had five more for a total, including Robinson’s sack, of 41 yards.

“I thought the defensive line was there to make a play,” Rhule said.

Willis McGahee IV forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that was recovered by Jimari Butler, giving the Huskers a 2-0 lead in turnovers, a key focus this season.

Penalties on Nebraska, by the Big 12 crew, were plentiful in the scoreless second half. After being penalized three times for 25 yards in the first half, the Huskers were penalized nine times for 80 yards in the second half. But it seemed clear that Nebraska was in control with its 28-0 first half.

“We’ve got to do a better job offensively with the protection and we’ve also got to try to figure out how to establish a run game and be consistent with it,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said.

Without a doubt, Deion is a celebrity, and rightfully so. But you could also add Rhule to the list of celebrities. Just ask any Husker fan in sold-out venue #388 of 86,906 Saturday night.

Almost all of them stayed until the end.