Colorado Football: This Day in History, Oct. 31

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 This Day in History – October 31^st

 Colorado on October 31^st – 10-5-1

- 1891 – Denver Athletic Club – L 42-0;

- 1894 – West Denver H.S. – W 26-4;

- 1899 -  Colorado Mines – W 25-6;

- 1903 - Colorado Mines – W 17-0;

- 1914 – Colorado College – W 10-7;

- 1920 – Colorado College – T 7-7;

- 1925 – Colorado Mines – W 14-3;

- 1936 – Colorado College – W 7-0;

- 1942 – Wyoming – W 28-7;

- 1953 - Iowa State – W 41-34;

- 1959 – Missouri – W 21-20;

- 1964 – Oklahoma – L 14-11;

- 1970 – Nebraska – L 29-13;

- 1981 – Oklahoma – L 49-0;

- 1987 – Iowa State – W 42-10;

- 1992 – Nebraska – L 52-7.

Colorado's Best Game on This Date

Colorado at Iowa State, October 31, 1987

[The week before playing Iowa State, the Buffs fell, 24-6, to No. 1 Oklahoma in Norman.]

“They’re No. 1″

In Colorado’s football history, the Buffs have gone up against the No. 1-ranked team in the nation on 10 occasions, with six of those games coming against Oklahoma. 

The Buffs’ cumulative record: 0-10 (Nebraska was No. 1 in the BCS standings when the Buffs thumped the Huskers, 62-36, in 2001, but the Cornhuskers were No. 2 in the polls). 

This is not to say that the Buffs have not come close. In 1957, Colorado faced the Sooner machine of the 1950’s coached by Bud Wilkinson. OU came out on top in Norman that day, 14-13, but the Buffs’ effort knocked Oklahoma from the No. 1 ranking. 

History repeated itself in 1975, when the Buffs returned to Norman, hanging tough before falling, 21-20. Once again, the one-point win cost the Sooners the No. 1 spot in the national rankings.

The 14-point loss to the Sooners did not move Oklahoma out of the top ranking in 1987.  But it did serve notice that the Buffs were coming of age. 

Said Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, now 14-1 against Colorado teams, “It’s evident CU is a very good football team. I came away feeling they have more speed and quickness than I have seen on a Colorado team in recent years.”

The emergence of Colorado and the fall of Oklahoma, though, were still a few years away.

Colorado 42, Iowa State 10

The Cyclones came into the Halloween contest with Colorado with a 2-5 record, but with wins in two of its last three games. While Colorado was hanging in against Oklahoma, Iowa State was registering its first conference win of the year in outscoring hapless Kansas, 42-28. 

After ISU jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, the game was dominated by the Colorado offense. 

By the time the Cyclones posted another score early in the fourth quarter, Colorado was safely ahead 35-7. Quarterback Sal Aunese, in addition to passing for a score, ran in three more touchdowns in posting 19 carries for 127 yards rushing. 

Fullback Erich Kissick also reached the century mark in accumulating 124 yards on 15 attempts.

The defense held ISU to only 239 yards of total offense, allowing the Buffs to post its fifth win of the year. With the victory, Colorado raised its all-time record to 500-333-32, the 26th team in NCAA history to record 500 wins.

[The Buffs would go on to defeat Missouri and Kansas State to run their record to 7-3. A season-ending 24-7 loss to No. 5 Nebraska left Colorado with a 7-4 record, 4-3 in Big Eight play.

While a winning conference record and a seven win season would guarantee a bowl game in the 21st century, it was not good enough to earn a bowl invite in 1987. After the disappointment, the Buffs would not go bowl-less again until a 5-7 record kept Colorado home in 1997.]

Best Games in College Football History: October 31   

1964: No. 4 Ohio State 26, No. 2 Illinois 0  

Halloween as the No. 2 team in the country was too scary for Illinois, as the Illini were shut out at home by the Buckeyes. Future NFL tight end Bob Trumpy had a pass go through his hands for an interception which set up Ohio State’s first score.

For the second week in a row, Ohio State passed for more yards than it ran, a statistical anomaly which had happened only twice in the previous 64 games under head coach Woody Hayes.

Despite the lofty late October rankings, neither team would go bowling, as Michigan would go on to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl.

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