LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Running back Rex Burkhead passed for two touchdowns and ran for 101 yards and another score, and No. 16 Nebraska clinched the Big 12 North with a 45-17 victory over Colorado on Friday in their final meeting before they head to different conferences.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was on his best behavior after his sideline berating of officials and quarterback Taylor Martinez last week earned him a public admonishment from the Nebraska chancellor.

Nebraska (10-2, 6-2) will go to Arlington, Texas, next Saturday hoping to win its third Big 12 title, and first since 1999, before going to the Big Ten next year.

Colorado (5-7, 2-6), which played its third game under interim coach Brian Cabral, failed to become bowl eligible in its last season before joining the Pacific-12.

With Martinez out because of injuries to his right ankle and left foot, the Cornhuskers relied heavily on Burkhead to take pressure off backup quarterback Cody Green.

Burkhead went to the bench early in the second half, when the Huskers converted three turnovers into touchdowns to break open the game.

Before that, Burkhead, who finished with 19 carries, took handoffs and pitches from Green and direct snaps in the wildcat formation. He also showed he could still throw a little bit.

Burkhead, who played quarterback as a high school sophomore, gave Nebraska a 17-3 halftime lead after he took a pitch and started running to his right. He pulled up and lofted a perfect spiral over Colorado’s Jalil Brown and into the hands of Brandon Kinnie for a 26-yard touchdown.

Burkhead’s other TD pass was worthy of the season highlight video. Lined up in the wildcat, he faked a handoff and ran right, pumping once before he reversed field and headed left. He pushed away defensive end Forrest West and, as he neared the sideline, flipped a short pass to Kyler Reed for a 4-yard TD.

The Huskers capitalized on back-to-back interceptions of Cody Hawkins in the third quarter. DeJon Gomes got the first pick, and Green passed 16 yards into the left corner of the end zone for Kinnie’s second touchdown. Eric Hagg had the other interception, returning it 26 yards to the Colorado 4 before Burkhead threw his second TD pass.

Green scored from the 1 early in the fourth quarter after Gomes picked up Scotty McKnight’s fumble and ran it 19 yards to the CU 3.

Green completed 10 of 13 passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns, and Roy Helu Jr. ran 15 times for 77 yards.

Fired Colorado coach Dan Hawkins watched from the press box as his son, Cody Hawkins, became Colorado’s all-time leading passer when he threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Will Jefferson. Hawkins was 10 of 26 for 163 yards and two TDs. He finished his career with 7,409 yards, breaking Joel Klatt’s record of 7,375.

For Nebraska, the victory was a happy ending to a tumultuous week. Chancellor Harvey Perlman on Sunday called out Pelini for his intense and animated outbursts directed toward officials and Martinez during last weekend’s 9-6 loss at Texas A&M. Pelini publicly apologized for his behavior on Monday.

On Tuesday defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, Bo’s brother, apologized for knocking a video camera out of the hands of a reporter on the field after the A&M game and athletic director Tom Osborne issued a statement saying he expected Bo Pelini to tone down his antics.

Bo Pelini’s temper was tested early in Friday’s game when Burkhead dropped a short pass and officials initially ruled it a fumble instead of an incompletion. Pelini showed no visible reaction to the call, which was overturned on video review.

Later, he raised his hands but kept his cool as he talked to two officials about why no flag was thrown when Burkhead got bumped after appearing to have called for a fair catch on a punt.

The Nebraska student section played off Pelini’s complaints about penalties in the A&M game, showing up with yellow flags that they waved en masse whenever it looked like a penalty was or wasn’t warranted.