Boulder, Colo. ? Overcoming a week of distractions, Nebraska players rallied around beleaguered head coach Frank Solich.

T.J. Hollowell’s interception set up Judd Davies’ one-yard touchdown run with 5:48 left, helping No. 25 Nebraska hold off Colorado, 31-22, Friday in a bid to bolster Solich’s job security.

Solich has been under fire despite a 58-19 record in six seasons at Nebraska. The Lincoln Journal Star quoted unidentified boosters this week as saying that Solich would be forced into retirement after Friday’s game.

“I don’t plan on resigning,” Solich said after the game. “I could go through a list of reasons why I would not do that.”

Asked if he planned to coach in the Huskers’ bowl game, Solich said, “I would like to think so. I haven’t had anybody tell me anything different. So it’s business as usual for us. I’m ready to get back to work.”

Solich added that “no one deserved having a few rumors take off like wildfire and have it build to the point where there is so much in question. This program doesn’t deserve that. Our players did a good job of staying focused.”

Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson, who has declined to comment on the coaching situation until he evaluates the program after the season, was unavailable for comment after the game.

The Huskers (9-3 overall, 5-3 Big 12 Conference) went ahead 24-22 on David Dyches’ 19-yard field goal with 8:30 remaining.

Three plays later, Hollowell intercepted Joel Klatt’s pass, returning it 25 yards to the Colorado six-yard line, and Davies went the final yard on fourth down for the clincher.

“I knew he was going through a lot, and we wanted to push everything aside and win it for coach Solich,” Hollowell said.

Colorado (5-7, 3-5), which failed to become bowl eligible, then marched to the Nebraska five, where Klatt’s pass was intercepted by Pat Ricketts in the end zone.

Klatt threw three touchdown passes for Colorado, which failed on a pair of two-point conversion plays in the second and third quarters that could have affected the outcome.

“Sometimes you get caught in a situation where you go for two too early,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. “You never know if there are going to be any more scores. It’s a guessing game.”

Three big special teams mistakes helped lead to 17 points for the Cornhuskers: a 64-yard kickoff return and a successful fake-field goal play, as well as Colorado’s four-yard punt.

“It came down to special teams and turnovers,” Barnett said. “We gave up three scores on special teams and had two turnovers. We’re every bit capable of beating Nebraska. We just didn’t play well enough to win.”

Jammal Lord passed for one touchdown and ran for another for Nebraska.

In the first quarter, the Huskers twice failed on fourth-down plays — at the Colorado 26 and 27. But Lord completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to tight end Matt Herian with 10:15 left in the period.

Colorado countered with an 80-yard scoring drive, capped by Klatt’s 33-yard pass to D.J. Hackett.

Mason Crosby kicked a 44-yard field goal early in the second quarter, putting Colorado ahead 10-7.

Nebraska’s Josh Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards, and a face-mask penalty was tacked onto the play, giving the Huskers possession at Colorado’s 20. Three plays later, Lord ran five yards off the right side for a TD.

After a Colorado punt, Nebraska scored again, highlighted by a fake field-goal play. On fourth down from the Colorado 31, holder Kellen Huston ran 15 yards for a first down, helped by an official who inadvertently screened out two Colorado defenders. Cory Ross ran the final 2 yards for a 21-10 lead with 6:01 left in the half.

Hackett blocked a punt with 1:41 remaining and then scored a touchdown 52 seconds later, catching Klatt’s 6-yard pass. The two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

Colorado went ahead 22-21 when Klatt hit Derek McCoy on a 31-yard touchdown pass with 10:46 left in the third quarter. But again the 2-point conversion failed as Klatt’s pass was intercepted by Demorrio Williams.

After an exchange of short punts, Nebraska went 58 yards for a go-ahead field goal.

Colorado’s John Torp, attempting a pooch punt, got off a high kick that bounced backward and traveled only four yards, giving Nebraska possession at its 40.

Lord sneaked two yards on fourth-and-one to keep the drive alive, and Dyches kicked a 19-yard field goal for a 24-22 lead with 8:30 left.