BOULDER, Colo. -- Looking for a lopsided win to impress the pollsters, Nebraska was lucky to win at all.

Ahman Green rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns and No. 2 Nebraska survived a fourth-quarter scare to keep its national championship hopes alive with a 27-24 victory over Colorado on Friday.

"We had

Colorado had a tough time tripping up Nebraska running back Ahman Green on Friday. Green trampled the Buffaloes for 202 yards and two TDs. (Reuters)

a chance to put it away," Cornhuskers coach Tom Osborne said. "But at one point there, we kind of lost it and they almost beat us."

Scott Frost passed for 92 yards and ran for 76 yards and a score as the Huskers (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) extended their conference winning streak to 39 games. Colorado (5-6, 3-5) completed its first losing season since 1984.

"Sometimes this whole thing with the polls is bad for you," Frost said. "Early in the fourth quarter, I was hurrying up to get plays in because we wanted to score points. As it turned out, it almost cost us a ball game. We had a fumble and lost an onside kick.

"I'm a little upset. I feel we should have beaten them a lot worse than that."

The Buffaloes, who entered the game as 21-point underdogs, fell behind 27-10 after a dominating third quarter by Nebraska. The Huskers gained 234 yards in the period, had nine first downs and held the ball for 11:05 compared to 3:55 for Colorado.

But the Buffs rallied as John Hessler threw two late TD passes -- a 32-yarder to Marcus Stiggers with 3:16 left and, after a successful onside kick, an 18-yarder to Robert Toler with 2:37 left.

Colorado regained possession with 52 seconds remaining, and Hessler promptly passed 16 yards to Phil Savoy. On third-and-10, Savoy caught a 14-yard pass but was flagged for offensive pass interference.

On third-and-25, Hessler's deep pass was tipped away by cornerback Ralph Brown. On fourth down, Savoy caught a pass off the right side and struggled for the first down, but was stopped three yards short by Erwin Swiney with 12 seconds left.

"SECOND PLACE ISN'T ANY GOOD," Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel said. ``There is at least the positive of knowing you fought valiantly, but it's hollow. This is about winning and losing, at least when it comes down to the final tally. But in terms of personalities and the kids I have a privilege to coach, I was very proud of the effort."

Frost became the 12th Division I quarterback in NCAA history to both run and pass for 1,000 yards in a season. With the Big 12 championship game remaining against Texas A&M, he has 1,016 rushing and 1,036 passing.

The Huskers need a victory in that game to be assured of a spot in the Orange Bowl, where they have a shot at their third national championship in the last four years. Top-ranked Michigan will play No. 10 Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

Osborne refused to speculate on what effect the close outcome might have on his team's ranking.

"THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE WON the game," he said. ``But we almost lost to a team with five losses, so that is probably on the voters' minds also. We just have to go out and win the next game and then our bowl game. That's all we can do."

Hessler completed 19 of 35 passes for 362 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Nebraska, which extended its winning streak over Colorado to six games, scored on its first two possessions but held only a 10-3 lead at halftime.

The Huskers went 55 yards on 14 plays for their first score -- Kris Brown's 25-yard field goal.

Nebraska then went 67 yards for a touchdown, with Frost taking a snap from the shotgun formation and running 19 yards for a TD with 11:42 left in the half.

COLORADO'S DWAYNE CHERRINGTON had consecutive runs of 10, 11 and 7 yards, then ran 43 yards on a fake punt play, and Jeremy Aldrich kicked a 30-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in the half.

Each team needed just two plays to go 80 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.

On the first play from scrimmage in the half, Green bolted 64 yards, marking his 10th straight 100-yard rushing game. He scored on the next play, running into a pile at the line, then spinning and skirting left end for a 16-yard run.

The Buffaloes countered quickly. Hessler passed 45 yards to Darrin Chiaverini, then beat a blitz and lofted a screen pass to Cherrington, who went 35 yards to cut the deficit to 17-10.

Moments later, however, Green capped a 77-yard drive with an 11-yard run, and late in the quarter Brown kicked a 46-yard field goal for a 27-10 lead.

Each team had three short possessions after that but, with five minutes left in the game, Green fumbled at the Colorado 23, and the Buffs promptly went 77 yards for a TD. Stiggers caught a perfectly thrown pass in the rear of the end score.

Darren Fisk then tipped and recovered the onside kick at the Colorado 45, and Toler went high over Brown for the TD.