LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska sweated through slow starts to both halves Saturday in the season opener, pushing past Ohio 49-21.In one of the hottest games ever played at Memorial Stadium, the temperature soared past 95 degrees, causing Nebraska fans to leave by the thousands at halftime with the Huskers ahead by 1 point. Nebraska went on to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns to open a comfortable lead in what was a one-possession contest early in the fourth quarter.After an uneasy offseason in Lincoln and an unusually understated approach by coach Matt Rhule ahead of his fourth season at Nebraska, the Huskers stoked plenty of nerves with disjointed periods of play.Some concern existed in August that Nebraska might lose its NCAA-record sellout streak. It survived, advancing to 411 consecutive games. And so did the Huskers, who first led midway through the second quarter but erased worries of a disastrous upset loss in the fourth.“I wanted a battle,” Rhule said. “What we didn’t need was for this not be to be a challenge. That was a challenge.”Ultimately, the Nebraska debuts of quarterback Anthony Colandrea and defensive coordinator Rob Aurich ended on solid notes. As did the debut of freshman running back Jamal Rule, who finished with 169 total yards and three touchdowns in his first collegiate game.Here’s what we took away:How did Anthony Colandrea look in his Huskers debut?He made plays. He missed plays. He took risks. Nebraska’s first-year quarterback, a transfer from UNLV, avoided turnovers on Saturday, though there was a moment or two of worry.Largely, Colandrea appeared composed. In his 32nd career start, he completed 18 of 32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns.Colandrea scored his first touchdown with the Huskers on a 13-yard scamper around the left end in the third quarter. He showed escapability, without the breakaway speed of recent running quarterbacks at Nebraska.The trade-off for the Huskers is that they’ve got a quarterback with moxie and excellent accuracy. His timing with the backs and receivers was on point. At times, he put too much mustard on throws, leading to drops.Rhule said Colandrea “just started to scratch the surface” of his potential at Nebraska this fall.“I think Anthony’s a baller,” the coach said.One thing we only saw late, as the Ohio defense tired: Colandrea extending plays to create downfield opportunities. When he mixed in that element in the fourth quarter, the Nebraska offense turned much more potent.Anthony Colandrea had a positive debut as Nebraska’s QB after his transfer from UNLV. (Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)The QB described his performance as “sloppy.” He agreed with his coach that Nebraska will gain more from a game that stayed close for more than 45 minutes of clock time.