NBC analyst Colt McCoy talks Dylan Raiola

McCoy, the NBC analyst for Saturday night’s game between NU and Colorado, was a redshirt freshman quarterback at Texas in 2006 when he rolled into Memorial Stadium. A back-and-forth game turned late in the fourth quarter when a late Husker fumble turned into McCoy’s game-winning drive.

UT won 22-20 on a 22-yard field goal as snow swirled about the field. McCoy recalls the moment as magical and memorable.

“The stadium was electric,” McCoy said Wednesday via phone. “The fans were incredible — you hear a lot about the Nebraska fans. They were super-welcoming but loyal to their team. The pride of the state for the state of Nebraska and the Huskers is unmatched. To go back to that stadium now and to be part of it is going to be tons of fun.”

McCoy beat NU three times — the last of those, in the 2009 Big 12 Championship, is the one Husker fans always bring up to him — and begins his broadcasting career on Saturday calling the Huskers-Buffaloes.

He officially retired in August from the NFL after spending 13 seasons with five different teams but he spent the summer prepping for the broadcasting role with busy NBC production executives who were juggling the Olympics as well.

McCoy is better known for his career at Texas, where he won 45 of 53 starts and threw 112 career touchdowns. McCoy said he’s “been in the shoes” of both NU quarterback Dylan Raiola and CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

McCoy’s second career start came at home vs. Ohio State. Raiola’s second start is Saturday vs. Colorado. His first start, a 40-7 win over UTEP, impressed McCoy.

“Dylan’s first start as a quarterback, his third-down passing percentage, his clutch play on third down — that’s the money down for a quarterback, and he was on it,” McCoy said of Raiola, who completed 5 of 6 on third down vs. the Miners. “Really, really impressive.”

Sanders, meanwhile, is a veteran college QB with “full command” of the offense and McCoy knows that feeling, too.

“He takes a bunch of hits and throws strikes across the middle,” McCoy said. “He’s just very poised and confident. He knows when to take his chances, knows when to check it down. He’s a seasoned guy.”

McCoy rattled off the names of CU’s top receivers, Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn and LaJohntay Wester. Colorado’s path to victory on Saturday night is Sanders connecting with his talented receivers.

Nebraska, meanwhile, will try to control the clock and use its run game, which had success at times last season against the Buffaloes.

“They’re really good at the point of attack, they ran the ball 47 times last week, and that’s their bread and butter,” McCoy said of the Huskers’ offensive line and running backs. “If you’re a freshman quarterback like Dylan, that’s such a luxury, to have that group of guys in front of you who are that good in pass protection. Then they went out and a got a group of tall, playmaking receivers.”

It should make for an exciting Saturday night that McCoy’s ready to call from the NBC booth. And if a Husker fan sees him beforehand, he could hear about the 2009 Big 12 title game when officials put one final second back on the game clock, enough time for the Longhorns to kick a game-winning field goal for a 13-12 win.

“That whole play, and that whole series, was chaotic,” McCoy said.