Bleacher Report - Articles by Stuart Whitehair

2010 Colorado Commitments react to Hawkins' retention

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:27:30 -0500

The first verbal commitment the Buffs received for the 2010 recruiting class came back in April, when Danny Spond, a four-star quarterback/linebacker/tight end prospect from Littleton committed to play in Boulder.

This past weekend, though, Spond re-opened his recruitment. “Before the season, I just had such high hopes for Colorado,” Spond told BuffStampede.com . “Just with the season they had, it has kind of changed a lot of my thinking.” While Spond did not rule out Colorado as an option, he will be taking other official visits, with Stanford considered to be a leading contender. “I want to go to a program that is fundamentally sound and ready to win,” said Spond.

Ouch.

This is just the sort of sentiment many of us thought would permeate through the 2010 recruiting cycle. Colorado is on a down cycle, Dan Hawkins is a lame duck, and there is no sense of where Colorado will be in four to five years.

But…

Another four-star Colorado high school prospect from Littleton, running back Mister Jones, is not backing away from his commitment. “I am still committed to Colorado,” Jones told BuffStampede.com . “All around it is a perfect school for me, and it is close to home.” Jones, despite a good G.P.A. and a decent ACT score, still has some work to do in the classroom to qualify, and plans to skip running track in the spring to get through all of his classes.

And then there is…

Three-star defensive end prospect Chidera Uzo-Diribe, from Corona, California, has been a “soft verbal” for Colorado since September, but firmed up his decision this past weekend. “Knowing that Coach Hawk will be back really solidified my decision,” Uzo-Diribe told BuffStampede.com . “I have decided not to take any more trips. I really feel comfortable in my decision right now.”

So, there you have it. The decision to retain Dan Hawkins for a fifth year has made different impressions upon different players.

Stay tuned; there are still 10-12 commitments out there to get to complete the 2010 class.

(This weekend, an in-depth look at the quarterbacks, the present roster, incoming recruits, and those still being courted by CU.)

Nebraska 28, Colorado 20

Stuart Whitehair — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:56:33 -0500

Nov. 27, 2009 Nebraska 28, Colorado 20

For the Colorado Buffaloes, the 2009 season ended the way it began with a disheartening home loss to a rival. A season which had the potential for 10 wins and the expectation of at least seven or eight wins and a bowl game, ended with a 28-20 loss to Nebraska to put a terrible 3-9 season out of its misery

Against Nebraska , the offense rolled up a season-high 403 yards. But when the game was on the line in the second half, the Colorado offense failed on three consecutive trips to the red zone to produce any points.

Against Nebrask a, the defense limited the Cornhuskers to 217 yards of total offense. But when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, the Colorado defense gave up a 13-play, 80-yard drive that consumed almost seven minutes of game time, and resulted in a touchdown which clinched the game for Nebraska.

Against Nebraska , the Buffs had a 100-yard rusher (Rodney Stewart, 110 yards), two 100-yard receivers (Scotty McKnight, 114 yards; Markques Simas, 108 yards), but could not produce a sustained offensive attack.

Against Nebraska , the Buffs again allowed non-offensive touchdowns, giving up a punt return for a score and an interception for a score—the difference in the game.

In sum, the 28-20 loss to Nebraska, played out before a sun-bathed Folsom Field crowd of 52,817 (at least two-thirds of which were Colorado fans), was the Buffs’ 2009 season in microcosm.

A day after receiving a reprieve from the Colorado administration granting him a fifth chance to produce a winning season, Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins’ Buffs won the opening coin toss. Rather than defer to the second half, Hawkins chose to receive, pitting the Buffs’ inconsistent offense against a top 15 defense.

The game may have been lost before it ever began.

Colorado started its first possession at its own 17-yard line, and punted three plays later. Nebraska took over at its own 47, and drove to the Buffs’ 34 before two sacks forced a punt.

Colorado started its second possession at its two-yard line, and punted three plays later. Nebraska started possession number two at its 46, but went backwards before punting.

Two drives for each team. Colorado had 13 total yards; Nebraska six. Still, the Buffs, starting inside its 20 while giving the ball to Nebraska near midfield, were playing with fire.

Three plays later, the Buffs got burned.

The Buffs’ third possession started at their seven yard line. Three plays netted nine yards, and senior punter Matt DiLallo was sent out for the third time. This time, though, Nebraska would not start their drive near midfield.

Instead, Niles Paul ran right up the middle of the Buffs’ kick coverage for 59 yards and a 7-0 Nebraska lead with 3:34 to play in the first quarter. After the Buffs’ fourth first quarter possession again ended in a three-and-out, the makings of a rout were in the offing. Colorado fans were eyeing the exits a few plays later, as Nebraska capped a six-play, 56-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Zac Lee to Ben Cotton on the first play of the second quarter.

When the Buffs trotted out for their first possession of the second quarter, they were coming off a “perfect” first quarter. Four possessions; four three-and-outs; four punts.

The fifth possession showed a modicum of improvement, as Colorado picked up its first first down of the game on a quarterback sneak by quarterback Tyler Hansen on third-and-one at the CU 29-line. Any thoughts of righting the Buffs’ ship were muted a few moments later, as Tyler Hansen was intercepted by Nebraska defensive back Dejon Gomes at the Nebraska 48 yard line.

Nebraska drove as far as the Colorado 32-yard line, but a 50-yard field goal attempt by Alex Henery missed wide right. Colorado had dodged a bullet, but, with 8:54 to play in the first half, Nebraska had as many touchdowns on the scoreboard as Colorado had first downs (2).

Still, the missed field goal seemed to bring new life to the Buffs. Stuffed all afternoon, the Colorado offense found its rhythm. After a three-yard completion from Hansen to Scotty McKnight on third-and-two at the 41-yard line kept the drive alive, the Buffs put together three straight double digit gains: a 13-yard run by Brian Lockridge; a 22-yard pass from Hansen to McKnight; and a 19-yard Rodney Stewart run. A first-and-goal at the Nebraska two yard line was quickly converted, as Hansen hit fullback Jake Behrens for a touchdown, cutting the Nebraska lead to 14-7 with 5:39 to play in the half.

Colorado fans were in full voice a few minutes later, after the Colorado defense forced a three-and-out. Then…the only cheers were from the 10,000 Nebraska fans.

On third down, Tyler Hansen threw the ball directly to Nebraska’s Matt O’Hanlon. The Cornhusker free safety took the ball 20 yards for a Nebraska score. Hansen’s second pick of the quarter gave the Cornhuskers a second non-offensive touchdown of the game.

Colorado had the edge in yards gained, 148 to 89. Unfortunately, total offense was not the measure of success.

Halftime score: Nebraska 21, Colorado 7.

Determined not be routed in their final game, the Buffs came out and played well in the third quarter. The defense forced a quick punt, and the Colorado offense put together its most impressive drive of the game. Rodney Stewart carried much of the load, carrying the ball five times in the 12-play, 59-yard drive. Assisted by a defensive holding call against Nebraska on a third down incompletion, the Buffs scored when Tyler Hansen hit Scotty McKnight for a six yard touchdown.

Nebraska 21, Colorado 14, with 6:50 to play in the third quarter. It was a new ballgame.

The next three possessions by the Colorado offense all pushed the ball inside the Nebraska red zone ... and put up no points.

The Colorado defense, with the Buffs down only a score, gave the CU offense the ball back five plays later. A 58-yard pass from Hansen to Markques Simas, the longest offensive play of the season by Colorado, put the ball at the Nebraska 25 yard line. Two plays later, on third-and-two at the Nebraska 17-yard line, Tyler Hansen was called for intentional grounding. The 17-yard loss pushed the Buffs back to the Nebraska 34, where Aric Goodman missed a 52-yard field goal attempt.

Undeterred, the Colorado defense quickly gave the offense the ball back. On the first play of the fourth quarter, freshman defensive lineman Will Pericak forced a fumble by Nebraska running back Roy Helu, Jr. The ball was recovered by sophomore defensive lineman Eugene Goree at the Nebraska 49-yard line.

After a 28-yard run by Rodney Stewart to open the drive, an upset, for the first time since the opening kickoff, seemed plausible. Three more plays, though, netted only two yards, and Aric Goodman was again called upon to pull the Buffs closer. Goodman's 37-yard effort, though, missed wide left. The score held at 21-14, Nebraska.

Nebraska's next drive brought back memories for fans wearing both black-and-gold and crimson-and-cream. For Buff fans, it was the memories of games of recent past, when the Colorado defense finally succumbed after making a valiant effort. For Cornhusker fans, whose offense has not been the reason for Nebraska's success this season, it brought back memories of the days of Tom Osborne. Nebraska put together a 13-play, 80-yard drive, taking up 6:52 of the fourth quarter game clock. Cornhusker running back Rex Burkhead carried the load, with nine carries for 60 of those yards, including a seven yard touchdown run with 6:43 to play.

Game all but over. Nebraska 28, Colorado 14.

The Buffs did engineer a third consecutive drive inside the Nebraska 20-yard line on their next possession, with a 23-yard Hansen-to-Simas connection setting the Buffs up at the Nebraska 15-yard line. Then, with just over four minutes to play, the Buffs of 2009 returned. The sequence: complete pass for no gain; incomplete pass; delay of game penalty; false start penalty; and incompletion. Then, on four-and-20, a Tyler Hansen's pass was intercepted by Nebraska.

Colorado did get the ball back at their 20-yard line for one last drive with 1:30 to play. An 80-yard drive was completed with a 56-yard touchdown pass from Hansen to Scotty McKnight as time expired. The longest touchdown play of Colorado's 2009 season came on the last play of the season, as, under NCAA rules, the extra point attempt is not allowed when the score comes with no time to play and the attempt will not affect the outcome. (The inability to attempt the extra point hit two Buff players harder than others. Senior long-snapper Austin Bisnow was to make the snap, with red-shirt freshman placekicker Ryan Aweida to be given the chance at the extra point. With the chance at point taken away, neither player made the final participation chart).

Final score: Nebraska 28, Colorado 20.

Pop quiz: guess which quote goes with which coach ...

1) "We didn't play well today. I'm disappointed in our effort and how we played ... I don't like the way our football team played in any phase of the game";

2) "I think those guys are coming together a little bit. The O-line is growing up ... We just have to clean a few things up ...".

You guessed it. The first quote is from winning coach Bo Pelini; the second quote is from losing coach Dan Hawkins. The Colorado head coach also stated, "I think it's one of those seasons where, if you take away ten plays, you are probably a bowl team."

Assuming the NCAA will not be giving Colorado any "do-overs" anytime soon, the Buffs are still 3-9. The Colorado defense did hold Nebraska offense to 217 total yards, the lowest total since the 1961 Buffs held the Cornhuskers to 31 total yards (a 7-0 Colorado victory). Rodney Stewart did post his eighth career 100-yard game, and the Buffs' offense did have two 100-yard receivers in Scotty McKnight and Markques Simas. The 403 yards gained against the Nebraska defense is the highest of the season; the Buffs were only the second Big 12 opponent to reach the 20-point mark.

"It was closer than it looked," said fullback Jake Behrens. "We had a lot of missed opportunities out there". Linebacker B.J. Beatty also had the party line down. "Like Coach (Ron) Collins always tells us, 'We have a small margin of error,' " said Beatty. "You go back and look at this game, and it could have been three or four plays ... it's the little things that killed us."

Colorado finished the season with a 3-9 record, 2-6 in Big 12 play. Colorado finished 5th in the Big 12 North, just ahead of Kansas, which started the 2009 season 5-0, but lost its final seven games to finish with a 1-7 conference record.

The Buffs will not play again until September 4, 2010, taking on a Colorado State team which also finished 3-9, losing its final nine games of the season.

Colorado-Nebraska: T.I.P.S. for Taking out the “Bugeaters”

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:34:09 -0500

Colorado has split the last eight games with Nebraska, one of the best runs by the Buffs in the history of the series (18-47-2). Still, the Cornhuskers have won three of the past four, and are coming to Boulder already having punched their ticket to the Big 12 championship game against Texas.

Arguably, Nebraska has nothing to play for Friday, except a ninth win (and a better bowl bid if the Cornhuskers do not earn the automatic BCS bid with an upset of the Longhorns). Still, the Cornhuskers will be looking to cement their status as the “Kings of the Big 12 North”, a title ceded to them by perhaps the weakest division in the BCS.

"Dominant" Nebraska is, in fact, 10 years removed from their 1999 Big 12 championship, and most Cornhusker fans are painfully aware that the program has not gone a calendar decade without a title since the 1950s.

The 2009 Cornhuskers have been far from over-powering, with an offense that has been mediocre for much of the season. Nebraska has utilized a suffocating defense to win its games, and will be looking to shut down a weak Colorado offense.

If the Buffs are to pull off an upset, they must take advantage of every scoring opportunity.

T.I.P.S.

T: Talent

Nebraska junior quarterback Zac Lee has played in every game this season, but has not played every offensive down. Freshman Cody Green has seen action in six games, including three Big 12 games.

After Lee threw three interceptions in a 9-7 home loss to Iowa State, Cody Green was given the start against Baylor, a 20-10 Nebraska victory.

Both quarterbacks played in the Cornhuskers’ next game, a 10-3 win over Oklahoma, with Green sitting out the last two games.

If not for their improving running game, the Cornhuskers would be in trouble offensively, as the passing game is not effective. Junior running back Roy Helu, Jr. has over 1,000 yards rushing, and has averaged over 100 yards per game the last three games—all wins. Shutting down Helu will be the first cause of business for Colorado on Friday.

One constant with the Nebraska offense, as you can see from above scores, is that the Cornhuskers have played a significant number of low-scoring games. The Cornhuskers are averaging 25 ppg over the course of the season, but that total has been inflated by high non-conference point totals against Sun Belt opponents Florida Atlantic (49 points), Arkansas State (38), and Louisiana-Lafayette (55).

In Big 12 play, Nebraska has gotten past three touchdowns on the scoreboard only twice (27 against Missouri; 31 against Kansas). In seven conference games, Nebraska is averaging only 17.4 ppg (the Buffs, with only two Big 12 wins, are averaging 20.5 ppg).

The unit keeping Nebraska from a disappointing season is the defense, ranked in the top 10 nationally in both total defense and scoring defense, led by its two defensive tackles. Senior Ndamukong Suh has gotten all of the publicity (remember when Suh was touted as a Heisman candidate back when Nebraska was 4-1?). Suh is a monster, and will be pitted against the Buffs’ Ryan Miller this weekend.

Despite the stories devoted to Suh, he may not even be the best player on the Cornhuskers’ defensive line. Sophomore defensive tackle Jared Crick has nine sacks, 18th best in the nation. Suh has 6.5 sacks, the same number as Colorado’s Marquez Herrod.

I: Intangibles

The ‘ol “win one for the Gipper” hasn’t worked for Colorado the past two games, so there is little reason to believe that it will work extra magic against Nebraska. The issue of Dan Hawkins’ future is the elephant in the room.

Hawkins this week indicated his regret that Cody had been recruited to Colorado. This is not the talk of a coach whose son will be a senior next fall, especially if the father planned on being around to coach him.

Also, despite this weekend being a potentially big game for hosting potential recruits for the 2010 class, no official visits are planned for this weekend. Read into that what you want about the future of the coaching staff…

This is not to say that the Buffs do not have a great deal to play for. There are a number of seniors (17) who will be putting on the black and gold for the final time. It’s the final game of the season and it’s a home game.

It’s Nebraska.

The Buffs have been pulling out all of the stops, motivation-wise. Former head coach Bill McCartney, and former Buff All-American linebacker Kanavis McGhee addressed the troops. From all indications, McCartney and McGhee made an impression.

“He told us (Nebraska) was a game we had to be ready for,” said running back Rodney Stewart of McCartney’s talk. “It’s our rival. It was one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard.”

Senior defensive tackle Taj Kaynor said, “[McGhee] was just talking about his passion for CU, and what it means to be a Buff, and how our priority is to beat Nebraska. I really connected with him on that, and I feel the same way.”

Passion and adrenaline, though, can only take you so far. Let me take you back to this past weekend:

It was rivalry week in Bozeman, MT. The hated Grizzlies from Missoula were coming in to face the Bobcats. Montana was 10-0, ranked third in the nation. Montana State was 7-3, ranked 23rd. The Grizzlies had already clinched the Big Sky’s automatic bid into the FCS playoffs, but the Bobcats needed a win to earn an at-large berth.

Early on, as is often true in rivalry games, it was a defensive struggle. The score at the end of the first quarter was—I kid you not—2-2. Both defenses forced safeties and neither offense could move the ball. At halftime, Montana lead Montana State 9-5, then opened up the third quarter with a touchdown drive. As good teams do, Montana slowly, methodically, but with a certain degree of inevitability, took control of the game.

The final score was Montana 33, Montana State 19. The Grizzlies are home this weekend for the first round of the FCS playoffs; the Bobcats are just home.

I would very much like to see the Buffs come out this weekend with passion and intensity, and I believe I will. How long the Buffs will be able to sustain that intensity, though, remains to be seen.

P: Preparation

As odd as it may sound, I actually give Colorado the edge in this category against Nebraska. True, Colorado’s 2009 season will come to an end around 5:00 PM on Friday, while Nebraska still has the Big 12 title game and a bowl to look forward to, but I believe that actually works—for this game only—in the Buffs’ favor.

Nebraska’s win over Kansas State last weekend ended the debate over the Big 12 North. The Cornhuskers will be traveling to Dallas next weekend to face Texas. The Longhorns have been dismantling Big 12 competition, averaging 38.3 ppg in conference. In the past four conference games, Texas has put up 41 vs. Missouri, 41 vs. Oklahoma State, 47 vs. Baylor, and 51 vs. Kansas.

Those numbers will get the attention of any defense.

The “Blackshirts,” if they have been given back their moniker, would be forgiven if they were not looking past Colorado to the nationally televised game against the Longhorns. Win the Big 12 North, and the Nebraska name will be restored; get routed, and the Big 12 North slinks home for another long winter.

Fans in Lincoln have been talking up the Texas game—this week.

Colorado and its fans can be hopeful that the Nebraska players are not as prepared for the Buffs as they might otherwise be…

Two other factors in terms of scheduling and preparation favor Colorado. The Buffs played on Thursday night last week, while the Cornhuskers played the de facto Big 12 North title game against Kansas State on Saturday night. The Buffs have had two extra days to prepare for their rival.

Also, with no game next week—or in the next nine months—there is no reason for the Buffs’ players (and coaching staff) to let it all hang out. Trick plays, new formations, motivated players—could be a good formula for the Buffs.

S: Statistics

The numbers that matter against Nebraska start and end with the Cornhuskers’ defense. The worst defensive number for Nebraska is 17—as in the Cornhuskers’ ranking for passing defense.

In the other significant defensive categories—rush defense, scoring defense, and total defense—Nebraska is ranked better than 17th.

For those worried about Tyler Hansen’s health, Nebraska is ranked 14th nationally in sacks, at almost three per game. Colorado, meanwhile, is ranked 117th in the country at giving up sacks.

Obviously the Colorado offense is going to have to produce some big plays against the Nebraska defense. The Buffs will not be able to count on 10-play drives if they hope to be successful.

Are there any positive numbers for Buff fans?

Well, as noted, the Nebraska offense has been far from imposing. The Cornhuskers are in the bottom half nationally in all of the major offensive categories, including passing offense (85th), total offense (82nd), and scoring offense (73rd).

Colorado cannot give up the big play, the cheap touchdown. The Buffs’ defense must keep Nebraska to field goals when the red zone is penetrated, or—better yet—force turnovers. The last team to beat Nebraska, Iowa State, forced eight turnovers (four in the red zone).

Give Colorado eight turnovers against Nebraska this Friday, and I like the Buffs’ chances.

Otherwise, it’s a tough sell.

The Greatest Games Ever On Nov. 27th

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:16:51 -0500

This Day in History —November 27th

Colorado record on November 27th 1 —3

1913 Oklahoma L 14—3;

1930 Denver W 27—7;

1947 Denver L 26—20;

1998 Nebraska L 16—14.

November 27 —Colorado —best game on this date

Colorado at #14 Nebraska November 27, 1998

The Buffs came into the 1998 matchup with Nebraska with a 7-3 record. Nebraska, under new head coach Frank Solich, was 8-3, and had just lost to Kansas State for the first time since 1968, clinching the Big 12 North title for the Wildcats. Still, both teams had plenty to play for—Nebraska was ranked 14th , and had top ten aspirations. The Buffs were playing for second in the North, a better bowl, and, unbeknownst to the players, for one last chance to beat the Cornhuskers in the Neuheisal era.

#14 Nebraska 16, Colorado 14

"General” Robert Neyland, longtime head coach at the University of Tennessee, is a legendary name in the annals of college football. In leading the Volunteers to over 160 wins in 20 seasons, the College Football Hall of Fame coach was used to winning. “Almost all games,” Neyland pointed out, “are lost by the losers, not won by the winners.”

Such was the case in Memorial Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend, 1998.

The Buffs, despite facing a Nebraska team equally riddled with injuries and self-doubt, came out playing like an intimidated team. Early mistakes proved to be the difference in a frustrating 16—14 defeat, giving Nebraska a seven game winning streak over the Buffs.

Just as was the case in 1995, when the Buffs allowed Ahman Green to score on a 57—yard run less than two minutes into the game, (on the way to a 44—21 loss) and in 1992, when an interception led to a three—yard scoring run by Derek Brown with only 1:14 off of the first quarter clock (en route to a 52—7 rout), Colorado played early like a team destined to lose.

After a touchback on the opening kickoff, the Buffs set up shop at their own 20—yard line. On Colorado’s second play from scrimmage, quarterback Mike Moschetti fumbled. The ball squirted loose, finally recovered by the Buffs back on their own one—yard line. Two plays later, a shanked punt by Nick Pietsch gave the ball to the Cornhuskers on the CU 30—yard line. Nationwide, Buff faithful uttered: “Here we go again”. The Buff defense held, however, and after Kris Brown missed a field goal attempt, Colorado had new life. Perhaps this would be the year that the Buffs would overcome the first quarter blahs and carry the day!

Nah.

Mike Moschetti’s first pass attempt after the missed field goal attempt brought the Buffs back to reality. Moschetti, harried by defensive lineman Jeremy Slechta, was intercepted by free safety Clint Finley, who returned the pick 42 yards for a touchdown. That gave Nebraska the first score of the game with 11:09 still to play in the first quarter. The missed field goal had been a ruse. Colorado was back to playing like Colorado. Even worse, Colorado was making Nebraska look like Nebraska again.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the rout. The Buffs didn’t fold. In fact, the Buff defense played brilliantly, holding Nebraska out of the end zone for the remainder of the game. Three field goals and 254 yards of total offense were all the Cornhuskers could muster. For the second time in 1998, the CU defense had held a top ten offense to 16 points.

And, for a second time, CU lost.

Colorado did put together decent drives, tying the score on a 17—yard pass from Moschetti to Javon Green midway through the first quarter. Colorado took the lead, 14—13, on a 13—yard pitch and catch from Moschetti to freshman fullback Andy Peeke in the third. Colorado even had a chance to put the game away late in the third quarter. After taking the lead, the Buffs’ defense forced a Nebraska punt. On a nifty reverse punt return, freshman John Minardi took a pitch from Ben Kelly, following a convoy 39 yards, all the way to the Nebraska 22-yard line. Already up 14—13, the Buffs seemed poised to deliver a knock-out punch and pull out a win in Lincoln for only the second time since 1967.

Destiny, though, took a hand. Penalties, missed assignments, and turnovers sealed the Buffs’ fate. Colorado did not even get a field goal attempt out of their great field position. Given ample chances by their defensive teammates, the Colorado offense just could not put together that one drive which would have righted so many wrongs.

Cornhusker Kris Brown connected on a 25—yard field goal with 8:48 remaining to give Nebraska a 16—14 lead. The Buffs had several opportunities in the waning moments to put together a final drive to pull of the upset, but it wasn’t meant to be. An offensive pass interference call against senior wide receiver Darrin Chivarrini (held without a catch for the first time all season) put an end to the Buffs’ final chance.

"When you do a post-mortem on a two-point loss,” said a disconsolate Rick Neuheisal after the game, “it’s the most sickening thing. It’s hard for me to stay upbeat.” Neuheisal would have to, though, as the 1999 season would begin with the preparation for CU’s upcoming bowl game, announced a week later to be Oregon in the Aloha Bowl.

Interpretation

So much in college football rides on perception. A team in the preseason top ten will be given much more leeway with a loss than a pretender which does not have the history or the hype. Coming into the game against Colorado, much of the talk was of the end of the Nebraska dynasty. The Cornhuskers in 1998 had lost to Kansas State for the first time in 29 years, had lost at home for the first time in six years, and had been saddled with three conference defeats for the first time since 1976. First-year head coach Frank Solich, while not on the hot seat for his job, was certainly subject of much discussion amongst the Nebraska faithful.

One win later—never mind that his team had been outplayed in many facets of the game—Solich and Nebraska were back amongst the elite. 9—3 (the 12th game courtesy of a set up game with Louisiana Tech to start the season), Nebraska now had nine wins for the 30th consecutive year. The 47—game home winning streak and 19—game winning streak overall had been lost earlier in the season, but the beat went on. Nebraska edged closer to the top ten in the next poll, rising to 13th.

For Colorado, though, coming on the heels of a 5—6 year, there was only mild consolation in a 7—4 campaign. The Buffs had been 5—0, but had stumbled mightily down the stretch. Those who saw the glass as half empty noted that head coach Rick Neuheisal, who had posted a 20—4 record in his first two seasons utilizing primarily Bill McCartney’s recruits, had gone only 12—10 since with his own recruits in the leadership positions. Those who saw the glass as half full noted that many young players had been forced into duty due to injury, and saw the winning campaign as a sign that the ship had been righted.

In either event, Colorado’s win early in November against Iowa State had assured the Buffs of a bowl game, which Neuheisal recognized as vital to the advancement of his young team due to the extra practices a bowl game provided. Colorado would have to wait, though, until after the conference championship games to find out where and when they would be playing.

Duck Soup

A game against the 6—5 Washington Huskies (how’s that for irony, considering what transpired a month later) seemed the most likely scenario for the Buffs as the Conference Championship games were being played. Along with the title games, though, was a make-up game between Miami and UCLA. The game, originally scheduled for September 26th, had been re—scheduled to December 5th due to fears that a hurricane would hit the Miami area the last weekend in September. For UCLA, the later game proved disastrous, as the 3rd—ranked Bruins fell to the Hurricanes, 49—45. The loss eliminated UCLA from consideration for the National Championship game (once beaten Florida State being chosen to face undefeated and top-ranked Tennessee), with the Rose Bowl being the Bruins’ consolation prize. This move set off a chain reaction, as Arizona, which had hoped to head to Pasadena for the first time in school history, was now relegated to the Holiday Bowl and a match-up with Nebraska. Oregon, in turn, which had anticipated a trip to San Diego to face the Cornhuskers, was now in line for a Christmas Day bowl game with Colorado. Oregon’s loss was Colorado’s gain, as the Buffs were now facing a ranked (21st) opponent with an 8-3 record rather than a 6-5 unranked opponent.

There should have been little reason for animosity between the two schools. The teams had only met 13 times, with Colorado maintaining a 7—6 edge. In fact, there had been a bond between the schools since 1984, when tight end Ed Reinhardt nearly lost his life playing against the Ducks in Eugene. Reinhardt suffered a near fatal head injury during the game, but was saved with the quick aide of Oregon doctors. Head coach Bill McCartney made a special point after Reinhardt’s recovery to thank the people of Eugene and the University of Oregon.

That was in 1984; this was 1998. The teams’ most recent meeting, in the 1996 Cotton Bowl, had left the Oregon coaching staff and some players with a bad taste in their mouths. Colorado won the game, 38—6, but it was the final touchdown which irked head coach Mike Bellotti. The score, a five—yard run by Ayyub Abdul-Rahmaan, came as a direct result of a fake punt run by the Buffs with only a few minutes left on the clock and the game well in hand. Bellotti had first stated “no comment” after the game when asked about the play, later sarcastically calling the play “good coaching”.

Neuheisal, for his part, apologized after the Cotton Bowl about the play, explaining that he was simply trying to avoid Colorado’s sixth blocked punt of the season. The animus was hard to miss though, as many pre—game stories in the media centered on the controversial call. Neuheisal continued to apologize, but acknowledged that the play, along with the final score, would probably be used as a motivational tool by the Oregon coaching staff.

At the conclusion of the Aloha Bowl, though, the coaches for both teams were not in need of motivational tools—they needed oxygen.

The Buffs would go on to defeat the Oregon Ducks, 51-43, in the Aloha Bowl. The Christmas Day game would prove to be the last game for CU head coach Rick Neuheisal, who left for the Washington Huskies just a few weeks after the win over the Ducks.

Best Games in College Football History November 27th

1976 —#3 USC 17, #13 Notre Dame 13 —The 50th game in the rivalry went to USC, as running back Ricky Bell, hobbled by an ankle injury, still posted 75 yards in his final regular season game to lead the Trojans to victory. Bell went on to finish second in the Heisman balloting to running back Tony Dorsett of Pittsburgh. Both USC and Notre Dame won their bowl games, with USC taking care of Michigan, 14—6, in the Rose Bowl to finish second in the polls, while Notre Dame handled Penn State, 20—9, in the Gator Bowl to bring the 1976 season to a 9—3, 12th—ranked conclusion.

1982 — Auburn 23, Alabama 22 —For a change, neither team was ranked coming into the Iron Bowl, but that did not mean that the game lacked drama. Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant lost his final regular season game as Alabama head coach. The 23-22 setback was the Crimson Tide’s first loss after nine straight wins in the series. Auburn was led by freshman halfback Bo Jackson (who would go on to win the Heisman trophy as a senior in 1985), who had 114 yards and two touchdowns. The win was the first for Auburn head coach Pat Dye over Alabama, and represented the first time in 30 tries since 1970 that a Bear Bryant disciple had defeated his mentor. Alabama recovered to defeat Illinois, 21—15, in the Liberty Bowl, to sent Bryant out a winner in his final game as head coach. Auburn also won its bowl game, defeating Boston College, 33—26, in the Tangerine Bowl. The Tigers, who finished 9—3, were rewarded with a #14 final ranking, while Alabama, at 8—4, ended the 1982 season unranked.

1993 —#1 Florida State 33, #7 Florida 21 —Hated rival Florida was 9—2 on the 1993 season, and had won 23 straight games in the Swamp, but the #1 Seminoles were not intimidated. Quarterback Charlie Ward, who would be awarded the Heisman trophy a few weeks later, passed for 446 yards and four touchdowns in the FSU win. Ward’s counterpart, freshman Danny Wuerffel (who would win the Heisman trophy himself in 1996), was ineffective, and was yanked by Florida head coach Steve Spurrier in favor of backup Terry Dean. #1 Florida State went on to defeat #2 Nebraska, 18-16, in the Orange Bowl, to claim the national championship. Florida, for its part, recovered to dominate #3 West Virginia, 41—7, in the Sugar Bowl. The big win boosted Florida to #5 in the final poll.

1998 — Texas 26, #6 Texas A&M 24 —Texas came into the game 7—3 and unranked; Texas A&M 10—1 and ranked 6th . Of course, the Longhorns prevailed, and did so in record—setting fashion. With NCAA career rushing record holder Tony Dorsett looking on, Texas running back Ricky Williams became the all-time rushing leader, doing so on a 60—yard run in the first quarter. On the day, Williams ran for 259 yards, giving him 2,124 for the 1998 season and 6,279 for his career. Still, Texas A&M was 10—1 for a reason, and rallied from a 16—7 deficit to take a 24—23 lead late, but a Kris Stockon 24—yard field goal with four seconds remaining gave the Longhorns the upset. Texas A&M rebounded from the disappointing loss to their chief rival to upset Kansas State in the Big 12 title game, but could not sustain the success, falling to Ohio State, 24—14, in the Sugar Bowl to finish 11—3 and ranked 11^th . Texas, meanwhile finished 9—3 after a 38-11 win over Mississippi State in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns, unranked for much of the season, finished with a #15 final ranking.

2004 — Missouri 17, Iowa State 14 (OT) —Missouri was 4—6, and had lost five games in a row. Iowa State was 6—5, but controlled its own fate in the race for the Big 12 North title. In a season tainted by mediocrity in the Big 12 North, the Cyclones, on the heels of a four-game winning streak, were poised to win their first football title since 1912. Iowa State tied the game at 14 midway through the fourth quarter, and was in position to win the game late, but Cyclone kicker Bret Culbertson shanked a 24—yard field goal attempt with 1:05 to go in the game (Missouri quarterback Brad Smith saved the day for the Tigers—after he threw an interception near midfield, he ran down Iowa State safety Steve Paris at the Missouri 15—yard line, preventing a game—winning touchdown). In overtime, Missouri kicked a short field goal to take the lead, and the game ended when Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer threw an interception in the endzone. The loss by Iowa State allowed Colorado to claim the 2004 Big 12 North title. Iowa State did gain some measure of consolation in defeating Miami (Ohio), 17—13, in the Independence Bowl to conclude the 2004 season with a 7—5 record.

Nebraska Trivia

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:14:11 -0500

Nebraska Trivia

-Barring a win over Texas in the Big 12 title game, and depending on the opponent and outcome of the Cornhuskers’ bowl, Nebraska is in danger of going eight full seasons without defeating a team ranked in the Top 20—a streak which reached 25 games when Nebraska lost to No. 12 Virginia Tech earlier this season. What was the first game in the ignoble series of setbacks? The 62-36 loss to No. 14 Colorado in 2001, of course.

-National Championships —five—1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, and 1997 (the ‘97 title being shared with Michigan)

-Heisman trophy winners —three—Johnny Rodgers (1972); Mike Rozier (1983); and Eric Crouch (2001).

-Despite being in the top five in all-time wins, Nebraska has only three entries into the NFL Hall-of-Fame (offensive tackle Bob Brown, 1964-73; end Guy Chamberlain, 1919-28; and tackle William Roy (Link) Lyman, 1922-34)

-Hard to believe, but there was a time when the Cornhuskers were amongst the mortals in college football. In the 1940’s, Nebraska went through six coaches and an overall .374 winning percentage.

-When Nebraska fell to a 7-7 record in 2002, a number of NCAA record streaks came to an end. Put to an end (but still records) were streaks of winning seasons, ended at 40, nine-win seasons (33), and consecutive weeks in the Associates Press poll (348).

-In 2007, Nebraska finished tied for last in the Big 12 Conference North Division, tying Iowa State with a 2-6 conference record. The last time the Cornhuskers finished in the basement? Try 1957, when Nebraska finished alone in the cellar with a 1-5 conference record (1-9 overall). In the history of the Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12, only two teams which have played in those leagues have avoided sole possession of the conference basement—Oklahoma and Colorado.

-Nebraska holds the second and fourth longest win streaks over an opponent in NCAA history. The 36 straight wins over Kansas (1969-2004) ranks as the second longest winning streak of all-time (behind only Notre Dame over Navy, which ended at 43 games in 2007). The fourth longest streak ever is Nebraska over Kansas State, with 29 consecutive wins (1969-1997). Nebraska’s longest win streak over Colorado was 18 games (1968-1985).

-The most famous (or infamous) nickname for the Cornhuskers, before their current name was adopted in 1900, is the “Bugeaters”. There were others, though, which are equally forgettable, including the Treeplanters, Rattlesnake Boys, Antelopes, and the Old Gold Knights.

-For all of Nebraska’s success on the field, and the large number of award winners who have played for the scarlet and cream, you would think that the Cornhuskers would have a large lead on the Buffs for first round NFL draft picks. Comparably, though, the 30 picked in the first round out of Lincoln is not a great deal higher than the 22 picked in the first round out of Boulder.

-The “Blackshirts” tradition started humbly enough, when, in the 1960’s, head coach Bob Devaney began assigning black practice jerseys to the defensive starters. The tradition, though, has grown into one of great pride and tradition in Huskerland.

-Herbie, the Cornhusker mascot, was not seen on the Nebraska sidelines for a number of years, as the inflatable rubber character was the butt of many jokes. Then, in 2003, the university announced that after “a rigorous exercise routine, resulting in the loss of 70 pounds of fat and an increase in 50 pounds of muscle mass”, Herbie was prepared to make a comeback. The new “Herbie” began patrolling the sidelines in 2003.

-Famous alumni —football —In addition to the three Heisman trophy winners noted above, there have been numerous national award winners and consensus All-Americans who have played for Nebraska, including Irving Fryar, Broderick Thomas, Will Shields, Tommie Frazier, and Grant Wistrom. At the head of this list, though, may be Dave Rimington, two-time All-American center. In 2000, the Rimington Award was created, given each year to the nation’s top center (in 2003, the award was expanded to give out awards in Division 1-AA and Division II). Other Cornhusker greats include guard Will Shields, running back Roger Craig, cornerback Pat Fischer and center Mick Tingelhoff.

-Famous alumni —other —Johnny Carson (entertainer), Warren Buffet (financier), and Gen. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing (general).

The Colorado Daily - "Misery Loves Company"

Stuart Whitehair — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:03:53 -0500

Misery Loves Company

It’s a familiar saying. Those who are suffering find solace in knowing that they are not alone.

In college football, every weekend half of the fans are unhappy with the results—it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s just that some fans are left to go home unhappy more often than others. Colorado fans, over the past four or five seasons (counting the embarrassing end to the 2004 season), have had more than their share of unhappiness of late.

There are other teams’ fans in 2009 whose seasons, though, have also not turned out as planned. It just so happens that five of them are on the Buffs’ 2010 schedule …

Oklahoma

No team has fallen further—with regard to expectations—than have the Sooners, who were the No. 3 team in the nation in the preseason polls. Oklahoma suffered a 41-13 beat down by Texas Tech this past weekend, leaving the unranked Sooners at 6-5.

How bad was the loss? The Red Raiders have only beaten the Sooners five times in school history, and never before by more than 10 points, but won Saturday by four touchdowns. Texas Tech put up 549 yards against Oklahoma, which has a five loss season for the first time in 10 years.

Up next for Oklahoma? No. 12 Oklahoma State. The Cowboys will be smelling blood, and the Sooners are facing the reality of a 6-6 record and a lower tier bowl game. Yes, Sam Bradford—and other Sooners—have been injured, but if Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State, and then loses its bowl game, the Sooners will finish with a losing season. Such a thought was unimaginable three months ago.

Colorado State

The Rams in 2009 were coming off a 7-6 season and a bowl victory. Expectations were not great, but a repeat winning season, and an outside shot at the elite in the Mountain West Conference, was not out of the question. This was especially true after the Rams opened the season 3-0, with wins over Colorado, Weber State, and Nevada.

Halfway to bowl eligibility in September, the Rams have yet to post another win. Colorado State has lost eight games in a row, including a disappointing 29-27 loss to previously winless New Mexico this past weekend. If the Rams hope to head to Invesco Field to face the Buffs with something other than a nine-game losing streak, they will have to defeat Wyoming at home next Friday.

Kansas

No head coach in Kansas history has taken the Jayhawks to the heights reached by Mark Mangino. His overall record is only 50-47, but in 2007, the Jayhawks went 12-1, including an Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech.

An 8-5 record in 2008 was a step back, but the Jayhawks had established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12 North.

The 2009 Kansas season opened with the Jayhawks posting a 5-0 record and a No. 16 national ranking. Then...the wheels fell off. Starting with a 34-30 loss to Colorado, Kansas has now lost six games in a row, including a methodical 51-20 thumping by Texas this past Saturday. Unless the Jayhawks can handle Missouri in the finale next weekend, the Jayhawks will be home for the holidays in 2009.

If things weren’t bad enough, head coach Mark Mangino finds himself embroiled in controversy, as allegations of verbal abuse and inappropriate physical contact have been levied by former players. Mangino has denied the allegations, but the Jayhawks’ six game losing streak has not helped the chances that Mangino will be on the sidelines in Lawrence in 2010.

Baylor

How valuable can one player be to a team? Certainly the loss of Sam Bradford derailed the plans of the Oklahoma Sooners, but the argument can be made that the injury to Baylor’s quarterback, Robert Griffin, was an even more serious blow. The Bears were looking for bowl eligibility back in September, when Baylor opened 3-1.

After the injury to their starting quarterback, though, the Bears have gone 1-6, with consecutive beat downs by Texas (47-14) and Texas A&M (38-3). Barring an upset of Texas Tech in the finale, Baylor will finish with a league-worst 1-7 Big 12 conference record.

It’s true that Baylor is used to finishing at the bottom of the Big 12 South standings, but in 2009—for the first time since the conference was formed—the Bears were not picked to finish last. The predictions were that Baylor would finish in front of Texas A&M, the team that beat them 38-3 this past weekend.

Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs were ranked 13th in the nation at the beginning of the 2009 season. An opening day game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater was billed as a marquee match-up between two contenders in the two toughest conferences. Oklahoma State won the opener, 24-10, and Georgia never quite got the ship righted after that loss.

The Bulldogs did win their next three games, climbing back to No. 18 in the polls, but have won only three games since. A dis-heartening home 34-27 loss to Kentucky on senior night (and only two days after mascot UGA VII unexpectedly died at the age of four) leaves Georgia at 6-5.

Not only must Georgia get over the first home loss to Kentucky since 1977, the Bulldogs must re-group quickly, as the season finale is an away game against No. 7 Georgia Tech. A loss to the Yellow Jackets would give Georgia its first six loss season since the 1996 team went 5-6.

So, there you have it. Fans from almost half of Colorado’s 2010 opponents are just as unhappy about their 2009 seasons as you are about what the Buffs have produced. Some fans are even more melancholy, as two months ago, there was still hope aplenty for those fans, while Buff fans had already resigned themselves to a long fall.

A brief recap:

Georgia - preseason No. 13. End of September: 3-1 (No. 18). Now: 6-5.

Baylor - Opened: 3-1. Now 4-7.

Kansas - preseason No. 25. Opened: 5-0 (No. 16). Now: 5-6.

Colorado State – Opened: 3-0. Now: 3-8.

Oklahoma - preseason No. 3. End of September: 2-1. Now: 6-5.

Throw in 2010 games against Iowa State and Kansas State (both teams have finished the regular season with 6-6 records, and must sweat out bowl-bids) and Hawaii (5-6, with games remaining against Navy and Wisconsin—yes, Hawaii has 13 regular season games this year), and 2010 doesn’t have the scary look to it that it had back in September.

In fact, Nebraska and California (with eight wins apiece), along with Missouri and Texas Tech (with seven wins each), are the only teams on the schedule which we can say with certainly will finish with a winning 2009 season, and all four of those teams have had periods of poor play.

There. Feel better?

Not yet?

Then here is a bonus …

Notre Dame

Another team ranked this preseason which is now 6-5 is Notre Dame. For the second year in a row, the Irish lost their senior day home game to a Big East underdog. Last season, winless Syracuse was the conqueror; this season it was Connecticut, which defeated Notre Dame, 33-30, in double overtime.

The Irish were ranked 23rd coming into the season, and some (okay, Lou Holtz) picked Notre Dame to play for the national championship. A soft schedule seemed to put Notre Dame in great position for at least a BCS bid, but the Irish have lost three straight (to Navy, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut).

The worst kept secret in college football is that Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis will likely be looking for work after this season. With a road game against Stanford still to be played, Notre Dame under Charlie Weis is 35-26. His .536 winning percentage is lower than the .583 winning percentage of Weis’ predecessors, Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie—and we know what happened to those coaches.

I knew that would make you feel better!

Go Buffs!

No. 12 Oklahoma State 31, Colorado 28: Buffaloes Can't Hold on in Stillwater

Stuart Whitehair — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:13:46 -0500

November 19th - @ Oklahoma State #12 Oklahoma State 31, Colorado 28

For the second time in 2009, Colorado held a 14-10 halftime lead, on the road, against a ranked conference opponent. As with the Texas game in October, however, the Buffs could not hold the lead, falling 31-28 to #12 Oklahoma State. The Buffs turned four Cowboy turnovers and the poor play of backup quarterbacks into a 21-10 lead, but were unable to come away with their first road victory since 2007.

Four 15-yard penalties, missed opportunities, and a complete lack of a running game dropped the Buffs to a 3-8 season record. Oklahoma State did not complete a pass in the first half, as backup quarterback Alan Cote, substituting for the injured Zac Robinson, started 0-for-9 with an interception. Turning to third-string quarterback Brandon Weeden, the Cowboys found the spark they were looking for. Weeden went 10-for-15 for 168 yards and two touchdowns in leading the second half comeback. Colorado also played two quarterbacks, with starter Tyler Hansen missing much of the second quarter with a hand injury. Cody Hawkins was mostly effective in relief, going 7-for-11 for 69 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass to Riar Geer just before halftime.

Even with the announcement that starting quarterback Zac Robinson would not be playing, the Thursday night nationally televised game had the look of a rout early on. Colorado opened in typically frustrating fashion, as, after a first down and a seven yard completion from Tyler Hansen to Markques Simas, the Buffs went from second-and-three to second-and-eight when freshman right tackle Bryce Givens was called for a false start. Two plays later, a four yard completion to Simas, which, but for the penalty, would have resulted in a first down, instead resulted in a fourth-and-four at the CU 32-yard line. Matt DiLallo's 35-yard punt was low, giving Oklahoma State cornerback Perrish Cox the opportunity to set up a return. Cox juked his way through several attempts at tackles, winding his way to a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Oklahoma State was without its starting quarterback, but it didn't matter. Without an offensive play from scrimmage, the Cowboys were already up, 7-0, less than three minutes into the game. Buff fans throughout the nation anxiously eyed their remote controls, as memories of the 58-0 loss to Missouri in 2008 seeped back into their collective consciousness.

When the Buffs' ensuing drive resulted in not one, but two sacks of Tyler Hansen, the rout appeared to be on. On Oklahoma State's first offensive play, though, running back Keith Toston fumbled, giving the ball back to Colorado at the OSU 47-yard line. The forced fumble by senior linebacker Marcus Burton gave the Buffs new life, and the offense responded. An eight-play drive, which included an eight yard completion from Hansen to fullback Jake Behrens on fourth-and-two at the Cowboy 39, tied the score. A 26-yard completion to Markques Simas gave the Buffs a first-and-goal at the five, where on third down Hansen hit Scotty McKnight in the back of the end zone. Midway through the first, the Buffs had forged a tie with the No. 12 team in the nation.

Oklahoma State looked to restore order before a Senior Day crowd of 50,080, quickly driving into Colorado territory. On fourth-and-one at the Buffs' 40, though, running back Keith Toston was stopped for no gain by senior linebacker Shaun Mohler. The Buffs went backward in their next drive, though, including another sack of Tyler Hansen, and the game settled down into one of field position. Over the remainder of the first quarter and deep into the second, the teams traded punts, with Oklahoma State slowly improving its position in the process. With 8:24 left before halftime, the Cowboys took over at the Buffs' 41 yard line. Three runs by Keith Toston pushed the ball into the Colorado red zone, but there the Buffs held, forcing Oklahoma State into settling for a 30-yard field goal by Dan Bailey. 10-7, Oklahoma State.

Cody Hawkins made a surprise appearance at quarterback after the Oklahoma State kickoff. Tyler Hansen had bruised his thumb on the previous series, forcing the former Buff starter back into action. The immediate results were not promising, as two incompletions and a sack forced a quick punt back to the Cowboys. Taking over at the CU 48-yard line, it appeared that Oklahoma State was poised to turn the close game into a rout. However, backup quarterback Alex Cote, who had yet to complete a pass in the first half, finally had a ball caught. Unfortunately for Cote and the Cowboys, the player who came down with the ball was Colorado safety Anthony Perkins.

Another three-and-out by the Buffs' offense gave the Cowboys another chance to up their lead before halftime. Assisted by a roughing the passer penalty on linebacker Michael Sipili, Oklahoma State found itself back in Colorado territory. A 53-yard field goal attempt by Dan Bailey, though, was blocked by sophomore defensive end Conrad Obi, giving the Buffs one more offensive opportunity before halftime.

On his third drive at the helm of the Colorado offense, Cody Hawkins delivered. Hawkins completed a 25-yard pass to Scotty McKnight, immediately followed by a 19-yard completion to senior tight end Riar Geer. After a ten-yard completion to Will Jefferson on third-and-five gave the Buffs a first-and-goal at the OSU five yard line, the Buffs silenced the Boone Pickens Stadium crowd when Hawkins hit Riar Geer for a touchdown with 22 seconds to play before halftime.

Halftime score: Colorado 14, #12 Oklahoma State 10

Six weeks earlier, Colorado had held a 14-10 lead at halftime as well. The site: Texas Stadium. The opponent: the No. 2 Texas Longhorns. The second half result: Texas 38, Colorado 14, as the Buffs gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown, a 92-yard interception for a touchdown, and a punt return for a touchdown.

How would the Buffs fare on the road, against another ranked opponent, with the same halftime score? ...

Oklahoma State took the second half kickoff and set off on a ten-play drive. The Buffs assisted the Cowboys when, on third-and-one, cornerback Jalil Brown was called for a personal foul away from the ball. Unable to capitalize, the Cowboys turned the ball over on downs when running back Keith Toston was stopped for a loss at the CU 32 on fourth down. Defensive end Marquez Herrod and linebacker Marcus Burton teamed up on stopping Toston for a two yard loss to give the Buffs the ball with the lead.

The Colorado offense was not able to take advantage, however, as the Buffs' first drive of the second half netted 11 yards (even with a 15-yard facemask penalty). Once again, though, the Cowboys were generous, as a short Matt DiLallo punt was fumbled by the Cowboys, recovered by Anthony Perkins at the OSU 28-yard line. The Cowboys' third turnover of the night resulted in the Buffs' third touchdown, as Tyler Hansen, back in for the Buffs, hit Marques Simas for a 28-yard score. Simas made a great adjustment on the ball, with his over-the-shoulder catch giving Colorado a 21-10 lead with 8:41 left in the third quarter.

There was a distinct nervousness in the home crowd after third-string OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden, in for the ineffective Alex Cote, threw three straight incompletions. The Buffs were now, after the Oklahoma State punt, in unfamiliar territory. Colorado had the ball, at their own 41, up two scores, midway through the third quarter.

How would the Buffs respond?

With a three-and-out. Three plays netted nine yards, and the Buffs, rather than risk a momentum shift which could come after a turnover at mid-field, punted the ball away.

The strategy was sound - but the momentum shifted anyway. Brandon Weeden, one-for-four to start the half, found his rhythm. Weeden completed three straight passes, pushing the ball into Colorado territory. There, running back Keith Toston took over. Toston, who would go over 1,000 yards on the season with his 172-yard effort on the night, scored on a 45-yard run to pull the Cowboys back to within one score. Colorado 21, Oklahoma State 17, late in the third quarter.

The Buffs did find some offensive success on their next drive, and the fourth quarter opened with Colorado facing a second-and-seven at the Oklahoma State 32-yard line. Two incompletions later, Aric Goodman was sent in to give the Buffs a seven point lead. Goodman's 49-yard attempt, though, hit the right upright (if there is a record for this category, Goodman almost certainly must own it). Once again, it appeared that the momentum shift had gone away from the Buffs, but on the very next play, OSU running back Kendall Hunter fumbled. The fourth Cowboy turnover of the night, forced by Michael Sipili and recovered by Will Pericak, set up the Buffs at the Oklahoma State 36 yard line.

Colorado, as had been the case during the frustration which was the 2009 season, was not able to take advantage. A false start by Bryce Givens turned a third-and-five into a third-and-ten, with an eight yard completion from Hansen to McKnight leaving the Buffs with a fourth-and-two at the Oklahoma State 28. Eschewing a 45-yard field goal attempt moments after Goodman's 49-yard effort had failed, the Buffs went for the first down. The Buffs tried a short pass, but the Cowboys were sitting on the short routes, and Hansen's toss to tight end Riar Geer was batted away by linebacker Daniel Booker.

Oklahoma State quickly responded to regain the lead. Aided by a personal foul penalty on senior safety Benjamin Burney, the Cowboys found themselves with a third-and-one at the CU 47. With the short distance running game not working, the Cowboys spread out to pass. The Buffs blitzed, with no one taking running back Keith Toston. An easy toss from Weeden to Toston resulted in a 47-yard score. Order had been restored: Oklahoma State 24, Colorado 21.

Then a funny thing happened.

The Buffs responded.

Brian Lockridge, who had been stopped at the Colorado 15, 21, and 18 on his previous return attempts, returned the Oklahoma State kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to give the Buffs back the lead, 28-24. There was plenty of football yet to be played, but, with 11:11 left, Colorado had the lead.

With a possible bid to a BCS bowl in the balance, Oklahoma State set out to re-take control of the game. Converting a third-and-11 and a third-and-nine along the way, the Cowboys set off on a seven-play, 73-yard drive which consumed only three minutes of playing time. Brandon Weeden, who went 4-for-5 on the drive, hit wide receiver Justin Blackmon for a 28-yard score to give the Cowboys back the lead. With 8:11 left in the game, the scoreboard read: Oklahoma State 31, Colorado 28.

The Buffs did put togther a drive after the Blackmon score, but, on first down at the CU 49 yard line, the Buffs turned the ball over for the first time all night. A Demetrius Sumler fumble was recovered at the CU 48, and the "black out" crowd at OSU (the Cowboys wore all black uniforms for the first time since 1994) breathed a sigh of relief. Three runs, though, netted nine yards. On fourth-and-one at the Colorado 39, quarterback Brandon Weeden was stopped for a three yard loss by sophomore linebacker Tyler Ahles - the third time in the game the Colorado defense had stuffed the Cowboys on fourth down.

One last chance for the Buffs. Colorado took over at its own 42, with 3:14 left to play and all three time outs.

Three incompletions later, the Buffs punted.

Hoping to stop an Oklahoma State rushing attack which would post 232 yards in the game, the Colorado offense never saw the field again. The Cowboys never even saw a third down until the final play of the game, running up the middle to preserve the win.

Final score: #12 Oklahoma State 31, Colorado 28.

"Those guys shouldn't hang there heads," said Dan Hawkins of his 3-8 Buffs. "They battled, and they brought it like a good football team's supposed to, and they did everything they're supposed to do ... They did everything right. They've got nothing to hang their head about that way." Hawkins also talked about how much he loved the players, their intensity, and how they competed. He said everything ... except that coaching, a lack of discipline (four 15-yard penalties, 80 yards in penalties overall), and poor playing calling may have played a role.

The rushing game for Colorado was all but abandoned against Oklahoma State. The Buffs first 13 play calls were all passes. With five sacks counting against the rushing totals, Colorado was not into positive numbers in rushing until Brian Lockridge took off on a ten-yard run on the second-to-last play of the third quarter. For the game, Colorado netted 13 yards rushing on 22 attempts. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, did not complete a pass in the first half, but did, behind third-string quarterback Brandon Weeden, end the night with 168 yards passing to complement their 232 yards rushing.

Tyler Hansen and Cody Hawkins both had their moments. Hansen finished with 169 yards passing on 23-of-36 attempts, with two touchdowns. Cody Hawkins, in relief, hit on 7-of-11 for 69 yards and one score. Neither Colorado quarterback threw an interception. "It's real frustrating," said Hansen of the Buffs' near miss in Stillwater. "Some of it's experience, some of it's people doubting themselves because of what has happened in the past."

And what of the main topic of conversation revolving around the Colorado football program - the future of head coach Dan Hawkins? "We always hear that Coach Hawkins is solid right now and his job is pretty certain, and he's going to be here", said Tyler Hansen. "We're playing for ourselves and for the team and for some pride right now." Pride was also the word of choice for running back Brian Lockridge, whose 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the first for Colorado since Josh Smith scored in a similar fashion in the 2008 opener against Colorado State. "Even though we're not getting the wins, we still have plenty of pride," said Lockridge. "We still want to go out there and perform at a high level. We want to do our best and play to win."

At 3-8, with a chance at a bowl bid - a source of conversation just a week ago - now long gone, all the Buffs have left in the 2009 season is the rivalry game against Nebraska. Colorado will have two extra days to prepare for the Cornhuskers, who face Kansas State in a de facto Big 12 North title game on Saturday. The Buffs will finish the year at either 3-9 or 4-8. Not much difference to those outside of Boulder. The nation's attention hasn't focused on Colorado in over four years. Colorado - another losing season. One game won't make that much difference.

When there is nothing else left to play for, pride has to take the leading role ...

Game Notes -

- Junior college transfer wide receiver Andre Simmons started his first game at Colorado.

- The linebacking crew had a new look. Out were usual starters Jeff Smart (pinched nerve) and B.J. Beatty (concussion), replaced by Shaun Mohler and Tyler Ahles. Both Mohler and Ahles contributed fourth down stops during the game.

- Senior punter Matt DiLallo had ten punts on the night, the most for Colorado since punting 11 times in the 55-10 loss to Missouri in 2007.

- Wide receiver Markques Simas tied two school records on the night, and came up just short of a third. The sophomore wide receiver had 11 catches against Oklahoma State, tying a school record held by three others (including Scotty McKnight, who had 11 catches earlier in 2009, against Toledo). Simas also collected at least seven catches for the third straight game, only the fourth Buff to pull off that feat - latest: D.J. Hackett in 2003). The record almost had was a third consecutive game with over 100 yards - Simas fell just short, gaining 90 yards in the game.

- Scotty McKnight, who had seven catches for 71 yards, moved into second place on the all-time receptions list, with his 158 career catches passing the 152 catches by Phil Savoy (1994-97). Only Michael Westbrook, with 167, had more. With 69 catches on the season, McKnight has the opportunity, with one game to play, to set the all-time single season record. Only Michael Westbrook's 76, in 1992, and D.J. Hackett's 78, in 2003, are ahead of McKnight's 69.

- Think the Colorado defense wore down in the second half? The numbers bear that out. Oklahoma State's total yardage increased each quarter, going from 48 to 78 to 111 to 163. Time of possession also shifted throughout the game. Colorado's time of possession, by quarter: 9:44; 8:11; 7:09; and, in the decisive fourth quarter, 5:19. Oklahoma State started the game 0-for-8 on third down conversion attempts, but finished 5-of-15, meaning the Cowboys were successful on five of their last seven third down attempts.

- Running back Rodney Stewart had only 21 yards rushing against Oklahoma State, but his new career total of 1,316 moves him up two spots on the career chart, to No. 32, passing Erich Kissick, 1,297, 1986-89) and John Tarver (1,300, 1970-71).

- Quarterback Tyler Hansen had 169 yards passing against the Cowboys, moving the sophomore into the top 20 in career passing yards. Hansen now has 1,640 career yards, passing Sal Aunese (1,526, 1987-88) and Robert Hodge (1,554, 2001-02).

If you are going to win only one game ...

Bill McCartney and I have at least one thing in common.

Both of us came to Boulder in the early 1980's wondering, "Who is Colorado's rival?".

McCartney came to Colorado from Michigan, where the Wolverines had multiple rivals, including Michigan State, Notre Dame, and, of course, Ohio State. The Buffs, when McCartney came to Boulder in 1982, were lacking in that department. Colorado had not played Colorado State since 1958, and was still a year removed from the state legislature mandated renewal of the rivalry. Colorado had beaten Nebraska only once in 20 years, and was on a 14-game losing streak to the Cornhuskers (with exactly zero of those games being within two scores at the final gun). The Buffs final game of the season was usually against hapless Kansas State. Colorado had a successful college football history - but no rival.

I was in a similar quandry when I arrived in Boulder. Growing up in Bozeman, Montana, home of Montana State, there was no question who was the rival - Montana. The Bobcat/Grizzly game was always a war, and for the better part of my formative years, the Bobcats were on the winning side. MSU won seven of ten games in the 1970's, and the most successful decade in school history included a Division II national champioship in 1976. To the winner of the "Brawl of the Wild" (a more recent moniker which has yet to really catch on) got the spoils. Some of my favorite early sports memories involve calling out "Pooooooor Griz-zlies! Poooooooor Griz-zlies!" at football and basketball games when the results were no longer in doubt.

So it was surprising to me that Colorado did not really have a rival.

Of course, Bill McCartney changed all that, nominating Nebraska as Colorado's rival, and spending the better part of his 13-year stint as the Buffs' head coach trying to raise the bar in Boulder to the level seen for decades in Lincoln. It is safe to say that, if it were not for McCartney's challenge, Colorado would not be playing Nebraska the last regular game of every season, which has been the case since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.

Which brings us back to 2009. Nebraska and its fans, taking the lead of former head coach Tom Osborne, refuse to acknowledge Colorado as its rival. Still, the Buffs have won four games against the Cornhuskers this decade, the best ten year span for the program since the Buffs went 6-3-1 against the Cornhuskers in the 1950's. Colorado fans see red when Nebraska comes to Boulder, and the Buffs would like nothing more than to derail the Cornhuskers' season with a victory next week.

Would a win over hated Nebraska be enough to save Dan Hawkins' job. Now 16-32, Hawkins is setting all kinds of records at Colorado - all bad. Over the past two seasons, Colorado has lost more consecutive road games - and more consecutive conference road games - than any other team in Colorado history. The Buffs are awful against teams in the Big 12 North (1-2 against Kansas; 1-2 against Kansas State; 0-3 against Missouri; 1-2 against Iowa State; 1-1 against Nebraska) - in an era when the Big 12 North is down. (Anyone want to pit the Buff teams from the late 80's to mid-90's against the North teams of today? No question: Colorado would be a regular in the title game).

When Colorado was ahead of Oklahoma State - a ranked team, on the road - there were signs of what could be. The defense (granted, it was against backup quarterbacks) was playing well, while the offense showed glimmers of possibility. Then penalties, missed opportunities, and poor play calling shook us back into reality.

Another loss. 3-8.

Would a win over Nebraska mean that all is forgiven? ESPN's Chris Fowler, a CU alumnus who was calling the Oklahoma State game said, both at the beginning and at the end of the game, that "the money is there" for a Dan Hawkins' buyout. With the loss to the Cowboys, even the defenders of the program are growing silent.

But ....

Never underestimate the power of a win over a hated rival.

Back to Montana State/Montana. By the time Sonny Lubick left (yes, that Sonny Lubick) after the 1981 season, the Bobcats had fallen on hard times. Doug Graber lasted a year as head coach, with assistant Dave Arnold taking over in 1983.

Dave Arnold went 1-10 as Montana State's head coach in 1983, the worst record for the Bobcats since the 1969 team went 1-8.

But Arnold kept his job.

His one win? You guessed it. Over Montana. The Bobcats, who were held under 20 points by every other team on the 1983 schedule (and who didn't score a touchdown in five of those games, averaging less than ten points per game on the season), beat the Grizzlies, 28-8.

Dave Arnold kept his job.

And, for you Dan Hawkins' loyalists still out there, I give you this happy ending ...

In 1984, a year after going 1-10, head coach Dave Arnold led the Bobcats to a 12-2 record - and the Division 1-AA national championship.

So, coach Hawkins, if you are going to win only one game ...

“T.I.P.S.” For Colorado Against Oklahoma State

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:57:30 -0500

This season was supposed to be the Cowboys’ year. The stars were aligned in Stillwater for Oklahoma State to break the stranglehold of Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 South and be a serious contender for the national championship.

Oklahoma State had a great quarterback in Zac Robinson, a great running back in Kendall Hunter, and a great wide receiver in Dez Bryant. The season opened with Oklahoma State ranked No. 9 in the nation—the highest pre-season ranking ever for the Cowboys—and, after a 24-10 opening day victory over Georgia, the sky was the limit.

Then, a week later, reality crept back onto the Oklahoma State campus. The Cowboys were upset by Houston, 45-35, to recede back into the backwater of the nation’s consciousness.

A five-game winning streak brought back new hope, but a 41-14 home loss to Texas ended any national title aspirations, along with the hopes for the the first football championship in Stillwater since the 1976 team finished in a three-way tie with Colorado and Oklahoma atop the Big Eight (Colorado earned the Orange Bowl berth. Oklahoma State went to the Tangerine Bowl—since Oklahoma State joined the Big Seven to form the Big Eight in 1960, the Cowboys have never won an outright title).

Still, there is no pity party going on for the Cowboys in Boulder. Oklahoma State is still 8-2, 5-1, and ranked No. 12 in the nation. The Cowboys will be prohibitive favorites to defeat Colorado on national television Thursday night.

Let’s see if there are any reasons to believe the experts will not be proven correct. Here are this week’s “T.I.P.S.”

T —Talent

You don’t get to be the No. 12 team in the nation without putting a great deal of talent on the field. Still, the 2009 season has not worked out the way Cowboys’ fans envisioned for quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter, and wide receiver Dez Bryant.

Let’s start with the player who won’t be on the field Thursday. Wide receiver/kick returner/future NFL star Dez Bryant was ruled ineligible to play until September, 2010, as a result of his lying to NCAA investigators about his off-season contact with former NFL player Deion Sanders. Upon hearing of the one-year suspension, Bryant opted to declare himself eligible for the 2010 NFL draft, where he is expected to be a first round draft choice.

Another future NFL draft choice who has not had the 2009 season he planned on is running back Kendall Hunter . The junior tailback has been injured for much of the season, missing five games after playing in the first two.

Hunter is slowly returning to form, however, which is bad news for Colorado. Hunter had only one carry against Texas, then had nine carries for 47 yards against Iowa State, then 17 carries for 68 yards last weekend against Texas Tech. Look for Hunter to increase his carries against the Buffs, going out in search of his first 100-yard game of the season.

Oklahoma State might rely on Hunter more than it had anticipated due to an injury sustained by the third member of the OSU trio of offensive stars. Late in the Texas Tech game last weekend, quarterback Zac Robinson was hit hard by Red Raider Jamal Wall, and it was feared that Robinson had sustained a concussion.

“As of now, we expect him to play,” said Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy on Monday, indicating that Robinson had been “very responsive” to tests administered to him Sunday.

Gundy also said (and, Buff fans, you can read into the statement what you will about what Gundy was saying—between the lines—about how happy he is that Colorado is his opponent this weekend, and not Oklahoma), “If he’s not ready to play, then we’re not going to play him. Just sitting him because of the opponent we are playing, we’re not in a position to do that, especially with a guy that means as much as he does to our football team.” Ouch.

This is not to say that Oklahoma State has to rely on out-scoring opponents to win. Far from it. Oklahoma State has a veteran defense, often lining up with as many as nine seniors on the field. The Cowboys are seventh in the nation in rushing defense; 25th in scoring defense.

Oklahoma State may start Robinson, but the guess here is that the Cowboys will look to put away the Buffs quickly, so that their star quarterback can be fully healed for the Bedlam Series showdown with Oklahoma next weekend.

I —Intangibles

What does Colorado have going for it this weekend in this category? Well, not much. Gone with the loss to Iowa State are any remnants of hope for a winning season, a bowl bid, and a Big 12 North title.

What is there left to play for?

The coaches’ jobs? If that were the case, the Buffs would have been in hyper drive since the Toledo loss.

For the seniors? There is a very small class of seniors this year, with only tight ends and linebackers seeing much playing time amongst those playing their last two games. Anyone think the Buffs can put together two games of “Win one for ….”?

To avoid new negative records? The Buffs tied a school record with their 10th consecutive road loss last weekend (actually 12, if you count the neutral site games against Alabama and Florida State), and set a new school record with their eighth consecutive road loss in conference games (funny, Dave Plati forgot to mention these new records in his “Game Notes” for the press this weekend—perhaps because both records date back to the “blue” period in Colorado history).

How about this: The Buffs will play well because they have everything to play for and have nothing to lose, while the Cowboys will not play well because they have nothing to play for Thusday and everything to lose?

It would not be hard to speculate that the players at Oklahoma State are looking past Colorado. Up next is their grudge game against Oklahoma. The Sooners are wounded, suffering through a 6-4 season in which Oklahoma started the season ranked No. 3 in the nation.

A win over Oklahoma gives the Cowboys a second place finish in the Big 12 South and likely a New Year’s Day bowl. Not a national championship game, but still, if Oklahoma State can finish above Oklahoma in the standings, it will be a good season.

The Buffs need the Cowboys to be looking at the CU game as a mere warmup, and wanting to keep it vanilla in order to better prepare for the Sooners.

It’s a long shot. For the Buffs to be successful in this gambit, it will require not only Oklahoma State to be indifferent, but for Colorado to come out with success from the opening gun.

To date, the Buffs have not yet proven they have the ability to do that—the Buffs have been out-scored 78-27 in the first quarter this season.

P —Preparation / Schedule

As noted, the biggest game of the season lies ahead for Oklahoma State. That is about the only scheduling factor that works in favor of the Buffs.

It’s a five-day week for both teams, but Colorado played on the road last weekend; Oklahoma State played at home.

Colorado, you may have heard, lost last weekend; Oklahoma State won.

It’s senior day for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have 23 seniors on their roster—it’ll take awhile for the cheering to subside during introductions. The Buffs will be able to stand around and watch, listening as the Cowboy crowd goes nuts for its seniors.

The game will be on ESPN. Think the Cowboys and their fans will want to make an impressive showing to the nation’s poll voters and bowl representatives?

Yuck. Yuck. And Yuck.

S —Statistics

First of all, if you have gotten this far, I would like to thank you. You are truly a Buff fan.

But if you are a regular in reading the “T.I.P.S.”, you know that this section is not for the weak willed.

Colorado remains mired in the 100’s in six statistical categories, including vital categories of rushing offense (112th), total offense (105th), and sacks allowed (117th—actually one spot higher than last week, after the Buffs gave up only two sacks to Iowa State).

Colorado is near the bottom in the nation in the most important numbers, scoring offense (94th, with 21.9 ppg.) and scoring defense (86th, 28.7 ppg.). There are only a handful of categories in which Colorado is even in the top half, with only passing offense (at 59th) being a statistic of significance.

Oklahoma State, though, suffers no such maladies. The Cowboys are in the top 25 in the nation in eight categories, including rushing offense and scoring offense; as well as rushing and scoring defense.

The Cowboys are weak in passing defense (92nd, giving up 244.3 ypg.), but that is more than offset by OSU’s 7th-ranked rushing defense.

For Colorado to win, the Buffs must control the ball, keeping it away from the Cowboys’ explosive offense. When on offense, the Buffs must have their most productive passing game of the season.

(Not giving up three turnovers and 110 yards in penalties would probably help as well).

The Colorado Daily

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:24:06 -0500

November 16

Dateline Boulder – Hawkins still coach

There are volumes of speculation about who could replace Dan Hawkins as head coach at the University of Colorado. If and when there is a need for a new coach, this site will spend a great deal of time sifting through the options. Until that time, however, we have to deal with what is …

CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn : “There is no timeline” for making a decision about the Buffs’ head coach for 2010. “Our efforts are in creating an environment for him to be successful,” said Bohn. “We are putting every ounce of energy, support and effort into creating an environment for us to be successful. That’s where our energy is.” As to the possibility of former Denver Bronco head coach Mike Shanahan being in the mix: “The position is not open.”

CU head coach Dan Hawkins : Worried about his immediate future? “No, Mike has been great. No, not at all,” said Hawkins. “You keep plugging along. And you do what you can do. I think Mike has an appreciation for that … You can only live by virtue and virtue alone. So you stick with that and keep plugging along.”

Any chance of defeating No. 12 Oklahoma State , on the road, five days after setting a school record for consecutive road conference losses? “Our staff has been very positive throughout the whole year and are doing things right along side our kids, so I think they know we are here with them, and I’ve told them that I love them, I do,” said Hawkins. “And I think as we grow up a little bit and clean some things up – whether it’s penalties or turnovers, or those types of things, we will find ourselves able to win a few more ballgames.”

Okay, coach. 3 & 5/6 seasons – let us know when you plan on having those “types of things” cleaned up.

Until then, there are only two numbers which really count: 16 and 31.

This Day in History: Nov. 19th

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:53:52 -0500

This Day in History: November 19^th

Colorado record on November 19^th : 8-3

- 1892 – Denver Athletic Club – L 42-6;

- 1921 – Colorado State – W 10-0;

- 1927 – Colorado State – L 39-7;

- 1949 – Nebraska – L 25-14;

- 1955 – Iowa State – W 40-0;

- 1960 – Oklahoma State – W 13-6;

- 1966 – Air Force – W 10-9;

- 1977 – Kansas State – W 23-0;

- 1983 – Kansas State – W 38-21;

- 1988 – Kansas State – W 56-14;

- 1994 – Iowa State – W 41-20.

November 19^th : Colorado: best game on this date

#7 Colorado v Iowa State: November 19, 1994

A game between a 9-1 team and an 0-9-1 to finish off the regular season would normally not merit much attention nationally. The 41-20 final score, after the 7^th -ranked Buffs nursed a 20-13 lead into the fourth quarter, would not have merited much notice on ESPN. For local writers, though, the game presented a year’s worth of headlines. “Christian Fauria snares six catches; becomes Big Eight all-time tight end reception leader” would have been apropos. As would have been “CU posts 576 yards of offense, sets team record for season average: 495.3,″ or perhaps “Kordell Stewart becomes Big Eight all-time leader for total offense." All worthy events, but not on this day. These headlines were overshadowed, first by Rashaan Salaam, then by the team’s head coach for the past thirteen seasons.

Salaam was effective against Iowa State, rushing for almost 200 yards and a touchdown in the game’s first three quarters. The Buffs, though, could not put away the winless Cyclones, leading only 20-13 at the start of the fourth quarter. Salaam was still 13 yards shy of the 2000-yard mark as the Buffs, leading 27-13 after a 23-yard run by Kordell Stewart to open the quarter, faced a first-and-ten at the CU 33-yard line. Salaam took the handoff from Stewart, cut to his right, and raced down the sideline in front of his teammates for a 67-yard touchdown and into front-runner status for the Heisman trophy. Salaam’s run gave him 2,055 yards on the season, and also gave him the titles of the nation’s leading rusher, scorer, and all-purpose runner. Salaam’s final run of the day also gave CU its first real lead of the day, 34-13.

The remainder of the game was a celebration. The 10-1 Buffs were heading for the Fiesta Bowl and a yet-to-be-named opponent. Salaam was given a ride off of the field by his teammates, as 46,113 frigid fans (37 degrees at kickoff) kept themselves warm by cheering the third 10-win team in school history. All in all, the fourth quarter heroics concluded a successful game and magical regular season. Fans piled out of the stadium and into the late-afternoon sunshine, cold but content with the day.

But it wasn’t over yet.

Back from the store

In Bozeman, I received updates from ABC and ESPN throughout the afternoon on the win over Iowa State. Frustration with the Buffs inability to put away ISU was quickly forgotten when the highlight of Salaam’s touchdown run flashed across the screen. The play made for perfect theater. Salaam reached the 2,000 mark in just the right fashion—at home, running right in front of the CU bench, on a long touchdown run to clinch the win. If Salaam had not already clinched the Heisman, that highlight alone may have sealed the deal. It would be replayed numerous times in subsequent weeks as college football analysts debated the issue.

Content with the afternoon’s events, I went to the store with my wife, Lee. Some time later, we returned to find the answering machine blinking. It was Charlie, a roommate from our CU days, calling from Tennessee. “What is McCartney thinking?” Charlie asked me by way of tape. “What is going on?”

Not understanding the message, and assuming Charlie was merely upset about McCartney’s play-calling on the day, I returned Charlie’s call. It was then that I learned the reason for Charlie’s consternation. I quickly clicked on the television, turned to ESPN, and quickly had confirmed for me what Charlie was telling me.

Colorado head football coach Bill McCartney had announced his resignation.

Press Conference

Shortly after the Iowa State game had come to an end Bill McCartney came to the post-game press conference, something he had done 162 times before. His opening remarks were standard fare: “I want to celebrate all of these things that happened out there today …. Rashaan’s tremendous abilities and the support he had was just extraordinary …. And I felt really good about Kordell getting that record in the Big Eight because he hasn’t really received his due in my opinion.”

Then Coach Mac dropped his bombshell.

“I have an announcement to make. Lindi (McCartney’s wife), would you come up here? I have a lot of family here, and I’m resigning effective this year. I’m going to see us through the bowl game, if I’m permitted, and through the school year. But, we really need to get a new coach named prior to going out and recruiting.”

The questions from the astounded and unprepared press were predictable:

Why? “It’s time. I’ve been here 13 years and I just feel it’s time.”

Going to another school? The NFL? “There’s going to be rumors, or whatever. I’m not going anywhere.”

When did you decide? “Recently. Recently. I didn’t know how it would work out today, but I knew that today was the day to announce this.”

Colorado fans and players were shell-shocked. McCartney had been given a “lifetime” 15-year contract after the 1989 season. As it turned out, though, the contract was for five years with extensions. The first term of the contract expired January 1, 1995, and that was when Bill McCartney was to step down.

In his book, “From Ashes to Glory ," McCartney explained his decision:

“On the field I had succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. But on the home front, as a husband and father, I often felt like a failure. I was so busy pursuing my career goals that I was missing out on the Spirit-filled life that God wanted me have.”

McCartney caught a great deal of flak from the media because of the timing of the announcement. Rashaan Salaam had just a few minutes earlier capped perhaps the greatest single season in Buff history, Kordell Stewart had just concluded perhaps the best-ever CU career. But the headlines the morning after the Iowa State game were all about McCartney and his announcement. McCartney’s explanation: “I’d already told so many people that I knew the news would get out soon, and I wanted to be the one to tell the players.”

Marolt’s Bold Move

Colorado Athletic Director Bill Marolt was now faced with a difficult decision. Replacing a head coach is always difficult, but in most instances the team needing new leadership is one in disarray, suffering from a string of losing seasons. McCartney was going out on top, ten wins already posted with a bowl game still to play. Marolt received letters and faxes from “too many applicants to count,” and while several former CU assistants who were now head coaches (Illinois’ Lou Tepper, Northwestern’s Gary Barnett, and Vanderbilt’s Gerry DiNardo included) were considered, there were only four official candidates for the job. All four were in-house.

Four existing CU assistants were considered, each bringing different assets to the table. Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz had seniority, with ten seasons in Boulder. Offensive coordinator and guards and centers coach Elliot Uzelac had the distinction of being the only candidate with head coaching experience (Western Michigan, 1975-80 and Navy, 1987-89). Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Bob Simmons already had the title of assistant head coach on his resume. Only Rick Neuheisal, the 33-year old quarterback and receivers coach, did not possess at least the title of coordinator.

Marolt chose Neuheisal.

"The thing I like about him is that he’s got a tremendous competitive background,” said Marolt of the 21st head coach in Colorado football history. “He’s been very successful at every level, but the thing that impressed me is that he didn’t accomplish those things as a celebrated athlete coming out of high school. He was somebody that walked on, somebody that took the challenge.” Marolt’s reference to Neuheisal’s upbringing would become a familiar story to Buff fans.

After leading his Tempe, Arizona, high school team to the state championship, Neuheisal walked on at UCLA, only to lead the Bruins to a Rose Bowl win his senior year (with Neuheisal being named MVP of the game). Brief stints in the USFL and NFL led to a job as an assistant at UCLA before being named to the CU staff February 28, 1994.

Nine months later, Neuheisal was the Buffs’ head coach.

Head coach Bill McCartney, who had endorsed Bob Simmons for the post, was nonetheless supportive of the choice: “He’s a very gifted young man who is equipped to do what is necessary.” All that was left was for Neuheisal to head out on the recruiting trail, convincing 18-year-olds that the winning tradition established by Bill McCartney would continue.

No small task.

Picking up the Hardware

Oh, by the way…

After the nine-day whirlwind which struck Boulder on November 19th with McCartney’s announcement and Neuheisal’s hiring, CU players and fans had the opportunity to turn their attention to matters more immediate, like the awarding of the Heisman and other year-end awards.

Salaam’s 2,055 yards rushing seemingly guaranteed the Heisman, but there were other candidates. Penn State’s tailback Ki-Jana Carter and quarterback Kerry Collins led the undefeated and second-ranked Nittany Lions, while quarterback Steve McNair was putting up gaudy numbers for Division 1-AA Alcorn State. In the week leading up to the presentation, the media was convinced the race would be close.

When the announcement was made, however, it was a landslide. Salaam tallied 400 of 792 first-place votes, totaling 1,743 points. Carter was a distant second with 115 first-place votes, 901 points overall. Salaam, media-shy from his first days at CU, tried to downplay the honor. “Everybody is always singling me out. I don’t like that. I just want to be part of the group.”

Salaam, though, was no longer part of a group. In addition to becoming the first-ever Buff to be awarded the Doak Walker Award (to the nation’s top running back) and the Walter Camp Award (to the national player of the year), Salaam was now to be forever linked to the Heisman. From his performance in the Fiesta Bowl to his position in the NFL draft, he would forevermore be referred to as: “Rashaan Salaam, Heisman Trophy Winner.”

Speaking of the NFL draft, speculation immediately began as to whether Salaam would return for his senior year. Only Archie Griffin of Ohio State had ever won two Heismans. Would Salaam attempt to become the second? Fans would have to wait, as all Salaam would say was that he would announce his intentions on January 6th, after CU’s battle with Notre Dame in the Feista Bowl.

Meanwhile, as Salaam was recording frequent-flyer miles receiving numerous national awards, the Buffs were again honored when senior defensive back Chris Hudson was presented with the Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. Winning out over Auburn’s Chris Shelling and Colorado State’s Greg Myers, Hudson followed former teammate Deon Figures as the second Buff to win the Thorpe in three years.

“He’s the best I’ve ever coached,” said secondary coach Chuck Heater. “He’s the best production guy, the best overall player, one with real smarts for the game.” Still, Hudson could not believe he had won. “I really couldn’t believe I won it,” said a choked up Hudson. “But it’s a dream come true.”

The Buffs would go on to thump Notre Dame, 41-24, in the Fiesta Bowl, to conclude the 1994 season with an 11-1 record, ranked 3^rd in the polls. The win was the 93^rd of Bill McCartney's career.

Best Games in College Football History - November 19th

1966 - No. 1 Notre Dame 10, No. 2 Michigan State 10 : Five years before Nebraska and Oklahoma squared off in the “Game of the Century,” the label belonged to the game played on November 19, 1966, between #1 Notre Dame and #2 Michigan State. The field was littered with future NFL stars. Michigan State featured wide receiver Gene Washington and defensive end Bubba Smith, while Notre Dame fielded linebacker Jim Lynch and quarterback Terry Hanratty. On the grey afternoon in East Lansing, neither team was able to muster much offense, and both teams played conservatively towards the end.

While Michigan State did little with the ball after taking over at their 20-yard line after a missed field goal by Notre Dame with 4:39 to play, most fans remember Notre Dame running out the clock with conservative play calling at the end. Irish head coach Ara Parseghian was forced to defend the tie the remainder of his career, but the move was effective, as Notre Dame finished first in the final polls a few weeks later, with Michigan State relegated to a second-place role.

1977 - Colorado State 25, No. 12 Arizona State 14 : One of the biggest wins in the history of the CSU program witnessed the Rams' upset of 12^th ranked Arizona State. Defeating the Sun Devils for the first time in 16 tries in the series, the Rams rallied from a 14-3 second quarter deficit for the win. Led by all-American defensive end Mike Bell (17 tackles, six for losses), the Rams shut out the Sun Devils in the second half to run their record to 8-2-1. While both teams won their final games, 9-2-1 CSU stayed home, while 9-2 Arizona State was rewarded with a home game in the Fiesta Bowl. The Sun Devils could not take advantage of the home field, however, falling to Penn State, 42-30, finishing the season ranked 18^th .

1983 - UCLA 27, USC 17 : Washington had the Rose Bowl in its sights. A win over Washington State would give the Huskies the Pac-10 title and a ticket to Pasadena. Apple Cup rival Washington State, though, had different ideas, taking down the Huskies, 17-6. Buoyed by news that Washington was losing, UCLA, down 10-6 to rival USC, took the second half kickoff down for a touchdown and a lead they would not relinquish. Led by names familiar to Buff fans, quarterback Rick Neuheisal hit wide receiver Karl Dorrell on a seven-yard score, and the Bruins never looked back. UCLA was awarded the Rose Bowl bid based upon its 6-1-1 Pac-10 record, not upon its 7-4-1 overall record, the worst-ever for a Rose Bowl participant. Undaunted, UCLA took down heavily-favored 4^th -ranked Illinois, 45-9, with Rick Neuheisal named the game’s MVP.

1 988 – No. 7 Nebraska 7, No. 9 Oklahoma 3 : The game was not an offensive showcase, but a touchdown on the game’s opening drive proved sufficient for the Cornhuskers, as No. 7 Nebraska defeated No. 9 Oklahoma, 7-3. The Cornhuskers won the 1988 Big Eight title with defense, holding Oklahoma without a touchdown for the first time in 62 games. The Sooners mustered only 137 yards of total offense, and, in the fourth quarter, with the game in the balance, OU netted zero first downs and minus 11 yards of offense in four fourth quarter possessions. Both teams earned January 2^nd bowl bids, but neither was successful, as both teams continued to struggle on offense.

Oklahoma fell to Clemson in the Citrus Bowl, 13-6, finishing a 9-3 season ranked 14^th (and behind 11^th ranked Oklahoma State), while Nebraska was thumped, 23-3, by Miami in the Orange Bowl to conclude the 1988 campaign 11-2, ranked 10^th .

1994 – No. 22 Ohio State 22, No. 15 Michigan 6 : Ohio State head coach John Cooper, who had been 0-5-1 against Michigan since taking over for Earle Bruce, finally beat the Wolverines. Buckeye running back Eddie George was largely held in check, but his 71 yards and a score was good enough to take down Michigan. The Wolverine offense, which had its chances to score behind quarterback Todd Collins, was held without a touchdown for the first time since 1985.

Both schools finished behind Penn State in the conference, but both earned bowl bids. Ohio State went to the Citrus Bowl, but ended the season on a sour note, falling to Alabama, 24-17, to finish 9-4, 14^th in the nation. Michigan traveled to San Diego, where the Wolverines took out Colorado State in the Holiday Bowl, 24-14. Michigan, which had suffered through the “Miracle in Michigan” loss to Colorado earlier in the season, concluded the 1994 campaign with a 9-3 record, finishing 12^th in the nation.

Oklahoma State Trivia

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:41:21 -0500

Oklahoma State Trivia

- Oklahoma State opened the 2009 season tied with Penn State for ninth in the preseason poll. The top ten preseason ranking was the first in school history, with the best previous preseason ranking coming in 1985, when the Cowboys started the season 16^th (that season, OSU finished 8-4 and unranked).

- Oklahoma State rose as high as sixth in the polls in 2008, the highest ranking for the Cowboys since 1985. After opening 7-0, though, OSU lost to Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma to finish fourth in the Big 12 South. The Cowboys did finish off a 9-4 season with top 10 rankings in scoring offense, total offense, and rushing offense.

- Living in the shadow of their more famous and successful rivals from Norman has to be tough on the proud Cowboy fans. While Oklahoma has won seven national championships, Oklahoma State has never finished higher than fifth in the nation, and that was in 1945. As then head coach Jimmy Johnson lamented in 1981, “When you’re at Notre Dame or Alabama, as soon as you win one game, people say you’re great. At Oklahoma State, it takes six wins before anyone notices.”

- Oklahoma State was a charter member of the Southwest Conference in 1915. OSU left, however, in 1925, to join the Missouri Valley Conference, where the Cowboys remained until 1957. After a few seasons as an independent, Oklahoma State joined the Big Seven to form the Big Eight in 1960. The Cowboys were not met with kindness, though, as OSU failed to post a winning record in any of its first 12 seasons in the Big Eight. In 1996, Oklahoma State became a member of the newly formed Big 12 Conference.

- Oklahoma State was originally Oklahoma A&M, so, not surprisingly, the first nickname for OSU teams was the Aggies (or, more precisely, the “Agriculturalists”). For a brief period in the 1920’s, the Aggies were renamed the Tigers, with the school nickname (and school colors) taken from Princeton. The team kept the Princeton colors, but adopted the Cowboy nickname in 1924.

- The Bedlam series with Oklahoma has been dominated by the Sooners, with Oklahoma carrying a series “edge” of 78-17-7. The Cowboys have made the best of some of their wins, however. In 1976, 2001, and 2002, Oklahoma came into the rivalry game with a top five ranking. On each of those occasions, the Sooners were upset by unranked Cowboy squads. (The CU/OSU series record: 26-17-1, CU. In six Big 12 games, CU is 4-2 against OSU, with 2-1 records in both Boulder and Stillwater).

- Thurman Thomas paved the way, but it was Barry Sanders who won the one and only major college football award for OSU, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1988. In ‘88, Sanders rushed for 2,628 yards and 39 touchdowns, both NCAA records. The Cowboys wrapped up a 10-2 season in 1988 with a 62-14 rout of the Wyoming Cowboys in the Holiday Bowl (Brad and I were there, taking the trip down to San Diego after attending the CU/BYU Freedom Bowl in Anaheim). That season, OSU finished with a No. 11 ranking in the AP poll.

- Famous alumni – football – Thurman Thomas (NFL Hall-of-Fame), Barry Sanders (Heisman trophy winner, NFL Hall-of-Fame), Leslie O’Neal, Hart Lee Dykes, Dexter Manley.

- Famous alumni – other - Garth Brooks, T. Boone Pickens, Chester Gould (creator of “Dick Tracy”).

Iowa State-Colorado: Buffaloes Squander Opportunities in 17-10 Loss to Cyclones

Stuart Whitehair — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:23:27 -0500

November 14th - @ Iowa State Iowa State 17, Colorado 10

Colorado had it's opportunities, but four trips inside the Iowa State red zone netted three points, as the Buffs fell in Ames, 17-10. Falling to 3-7 on the season, the Buffs guaranteed themselves a fourth straight losing season for only the second time in school history. Colorado out-gained Iowa State, 390 yards to 310, but three turnovers, 110 yards in penalties, and missed opportunities doomed the Buffs to a third straight loss in Ames for - you guessed it - only the second time in school history (1979, 1981, 1983).

A low scoring game was certainly in the offing early, as both teams generated negative yardage in their opening drives. On Iowa State's second drive, the Buffs had the Cyclones backed up, facing a third-and-15 at the ISU 12-yard line. A face mask penalty on the Buffs, though, kept the drive alive - and set the tone for the day. Iowa State took advantage, piecing together a nine-play, 83-yard drive to take a lead the Cyclones would not surrender. Quarterback Austen Arnaud hit Marquis Hamilton from seven yards out as Iowa State scored in the first quarter for the first time in five games (take a second to re-read that - the Buffs allowed Iowa State to gain momentum by allowing the Cyclones to score a first quarter touchdown for the first time in five games!).

A 55-yard punt by Matt DiLallo on the Buffs' next drive pinned the Cyclones back inside their five yard line, and the Colorado defense gave the Buffs' offense a golden opportunity. Jimmy Smith intercepted an Arnaud pass at the Iowa State 15-yard line, returning the pick to the Cyclone five. The Buffs, though, could not take advantage, as, on fourth-and-goal at the one yard line, Demetrius Sumler was stopped for no gain.

Buffs' first trip inside the Iows State red zone - turnover on downs.

Things looked bleak for Colorado and their fans as Iowa State took off on what had the makings of a 99-yard drive. Assisted by the Colorado defense, which was guilty of defensive holding on third-and-five at the ISU six and a pass interference penalty on third-and-eight at the ISU 41 (not to mention giving up an 18-yard completion on third-and17), Iowa State looked to take control of the game. The Buffs' defense, though, made one more stand, as Anthony Perkins forced a fumble by Cyclone receiver Darius Darks, with the ball recovered by freshman defensive lineman Nate Bonsu at the Colorado 30-yard line. The Colorado offense responded with its only productive drive of the first half, covering 65 yards in 12 plays. A 12-yard completion from Tyler Hansen to Markques Simas on third-and-seven at the ISU 21-yard line set up the Buffs with a first-and-goal at the ISU nine. Three plays, though, netted four yards, and the Buffs settled for a 22-yard field goal by Aric Goodman with 5:34 left to play in the first half. Iowa State 7, Colorado 3.

Buffs' second trip inside the Iowa State red zone - field goal.

Defenses took over the rest of the second quarter, as four combined drives between the teams netted 19 yards. Two punts by Colorado's Matt DiLallo (34 and 32 yards), though, gave Iowa State field position, and the Cyclones took advantage. Taking over at the Colorado 48-yard line with 1:17 to play, Austen Arnaud maneuvered the Cyclones into field goal range, with Grant Mahoney connecting from 25 yards out on the last play of the quarter.

Halftime score: Iowa State 10, Colorado 3.

With the chances of a winning season, a bowl game, and the Big 12 North title on the line, the Buffs came out fired up, and, with the first drive of the second half - turned the ball over. On the second play of the third quarter, Tyler Hansen was intercepted by Cyclone Nate Frere, who gave the ball to the Iowa State offense at the CU 43. The Colorado defense, though, held, forcing a three-and-out. The Buffs' offense, given new life, responded by - turning the ball over. This time it was Rodney Stewart, who fumbled, with Iowa State recovering at the CU 33 yard line.

This time, the Cyclones took advantage of the Buffs' largess, taking only six plays to score. On third-and-nine at the Colorado 20 yard line, Austen Arnaud hit Alexander Robinson for a touchdown to give Iowa State a 17-3 advantage. As there was still 9:09 left to be played in the third quarter, the 43,208 on hand had no way of knowing that they had just witnessed the winning points being scored.

The Buffs' ensuing drive stalled at the Iowa State 46, but, after an exchange of punts, the Buffs took over at the Iowa State 36 yard line. Colorado was down, 17-3, but there was still over 20 minutes of football to be played. A 16-yard pass from Hansen to Markques Simas got the ball to the 20, and, on fourth-and-one at the Cyclones' 11, Rodney Stewart ran for two yards.

First-and-goal, Colorado, at the Iowa State nine yard line.

A moment later, it was first-and-goal at the Iowa State 39-yard line.

A personal foul call on red-shirt freshman offensive tackle Bryce Givens was doubled after Givens was given a second penalty, this time for unsportsmanlike conduct. "Obviously, Bryce freaked out on us a little bit. That killed us," said Tyler Hansen after the game. "We all know that he's an emotional guy and his emotions got the best of him." A 20-yard pass from Hansen to Simas got some of the yardage back, but on fourth-and-goal from the 24, Aric Goodman missed from 42 yards out, his first missed field goal since the West Virginia game.

Buffs' third trip inside the Iowa State red zone - missed field goal.

The Colorado defense once again held, forcing a punt on the first play of the fourth quarter. And, once again, the Colorado offense launched an impressive drive, only to come up empty. A Tyler Hansen 14-yard run was quickly followed by 12- and 15-yard completions to Scotty McKnight. A personal foul on Iowa State was offset a few plays later by a personal foul on sophomore right guard Ryan Miller, giving the Buffs a 2nd-and-22 at the ISU 38. A 23 yard Hansen-to-McKnight completion, though, gave the Buffs new life, with a first-and-ten at the Cyclones' 15-yard line.

There was still 12 minutes to be played when Rodney Stewart gained seven yards on first down. Instead of second-and-three at the ISU eight yard line, though, it was first-and-ten, Iowa State, as Stewart, who had only one fumble all season coming into the game, fumbled for the second time on the afternoon.

Buffs' fourth trip inside the Iowa State red zone - turnover.

After the Stewart fumble, the Colorado defense, for the seventh time on the afternoon, forced a three-and-out (Colorado came into the game tied for 14th nationally in that obscure category, forcing 4.11 "three-and-outs" per game). The Colorado offense responded with three incompletions and a punt of their own. Still, after another ISU punt, the Buffs took the field at their own 20-yard line, putting together their only touchdown drive of the game. A total of 69 yards of the 80 were in completions from Tyler Hansen to Markques Simas, including a 36-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-three.

With 3:17 to play, the score was now Iowa State 17, Colorado 10.

A comeback was still possible.

And then it wasn't.

Taking over at their 40 yard line after Aric Goodman's kickoff went out of bounds, Iowa State demonstrated why it had the 29th-ranked rushing offense in the nation entering the contest. On-third-and-three at the ISU 47 (and with 3:01 still to play), Alexander Robinson gained 16 yards and a first down. By the time Colorado got the ball back, only 23 seconds remained. One completion to Simas for 11 yards was all the Buffs could muster before time on the clock - and the hopes of a winning season - expired.

Final score: Iowa State 17, Colorado 10.

Tyler Hansen hit on 18-of-38 passes for 258 yards, but his 36-yard touchdown pass to Markques Simas to pull the Buffs within a touchdown was too little, too late, coming with only 3:17 left to play. Markques Simas, with 128 receiving yards, became the first Buff to have back-to-back 100-yard receiving games in a decade (Javon Green was the last, gaining 133 against Oklahoma and 139 against Kansas in 1999). Joining Simas in the century club against Iowa State was Scotty McKnight, who had eight catches for 107 yards. The Colorado rushing game was led by Rodney Stewart, who had 85 yards on 19 carries - but two costly fumbles by Speedy contributed to the loss.

Overall, the Buffs had more total yards (390-310) and more first downs (21-19), but did not have the final score in their favor. Iowa State was perfect in red zone offense on the day, while Colorado went one-for-four. As to the first failed effort, a fourth-and-goal at the one in the first quarter, when Demetrius Sumler was stopped for no gain, Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins said, "It's a statement play for your offense and your offensive line. Nine times out of ten if you don't get it, it will help you in the field position game, and we didn't get either one of those (Iowa State took the ball from its own one yard line to the Colorado 30-yard line before fumbling)".

As to the Buffs' failure in the red zone against Iowa State, Hawkins had no answers. "It was a little bit of both (lack of execution and good defense)," said Hawkins. "One score in four trips combined with turnovers is what kills you."

Now 3-7, 2-4 on the season, all of the talk about a winning season, a bowl bid, and a Big 12 North title has officially come to an end. What is left for the Buffs is two games, on the road in five days against a ranked Oklahoma State team, and a finale at home against a Nebraska team which is a win over Kansas State (next Saturday) from winning the Big 12 North. Iowa State, on the other hand, is now 6-5, bowl-eligible for the first time since 2005. The six wins under Paul Rhoads are the best for a first year head coach in Ames since Charles Mayser went 6-2 in 1915, besting teams from Ellsworth, Simpson, Morningside, and (damn those "blue" references!) Drake. It took Paul Rhoads, who took over a 2-10 team (with a ten-game losing streak), 11 games to get to six wins. It took Dan Hawkins, taking over a team with four Big 12 North titles in five seasons, 18 games to get to the six win mark.

Is there anything standing in the way of a 3-9 finish?

Just pride.

"Football is similar to life. You need to battle back and finish strong," said Scotty McKnight. " We need to bounce back and win the next two games. You have to have pride." Senior linebacker Marcus Burton, who now has two games left in his Colorado career, agreed. "Basically we came in with a lot of heart and we can't look forward to a bowl game anymore," said Burton, who had eight tackles against Iowa State, "but hopefully we can finish the season with a good record."

- Game Notes -

- Three players got their first career starts against Iowa State. On the Buffs' first offensive play, junior Corey Nabors lined up in the backfield, with senior running back Kevin Moyd lining up at wide receiver (The Buffs' first play was a Kevin Moyd run, which lost two yards). On defense, linebacker Tyler Ahles was in for his first career start (the usual starter, B.J. Beatty, did not see action as he recovers from a concussion).

- Markques Simas has had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games (135 v. Texas A&M; 128 v. Iowa State). Only two Buffs have had three such games - Charles E. Johnson (who did it twice, in 1992 and 1993), and Michael Westbrook (in 1992).

- Scotty McKnight, with eight catches and 107 yards, continues to make inroads on the Colorado record books. His 1,715 receiving yards ranks him 7th all time in that category; his 151 catches is 3rd all-time (just one behind Phil Savoy's 152). McKnight has 62 catches on the season, only the fourth Buff to have that many catches in a single year.

- Rodney Stewart, who had two costly fumbles against Iowa State (one lead to a Cyclone score; the other was on the ISU eight yard line), but his 85 rushing yards moved him up to 34th on the all time list, with 1,295. The former #34 on the list was Kordell Stewart, who had 1,289 rushing yards in his career as a Buff.

- In just eight starts, quarterback Tyler Hansen has made great strides in making a name for himself in the Colorado career passing charts. With 258 yards against the Cyclones, Hansen now has 1,471 career yards, good enough to move from 25th to 22nd on the list. Hansen will likely finish the season in the top 20, with Sal Aunese (1,526) and Bobby Pesavento (1,554) just in front of him.

Reality Check

No sense beating a dead horse here.

I have been in the disillusioned, disenfranchised, disappointed, and disgusted camp since being a first-hand witness to the meltdown in Toledo.

I'm ready to get past the "how the Buffs can still win the North" scenarios. I'm over the "the Buffs can win out and go bowling" dreams.

It's time for the Buffs and their fans to face reality. Colorado is one of the worst programs in Division 1-A football, certainly one of the worst in the six BCS conferences. What teams are worse? Perhaps Virginia (3-7) or Maryland (2-8) from the ACC? Syracuse (3-7) from the Big East? Illinois (3-7) or Indiana (4-7) from the Big Ten? Vanderbilt (2-9) from the SEC? Washington State (1-9) from the Pac-10? Certainly, Colorado is better than some, if not all, of these teams - but them's slim pickin's, folks. There are 65 teams in BCS conferences. It would be tough to make an argument that Colorado is in the top 55.

How can the Buffs recover? How does the University of Colorado rebound from four straight losing seasons?

Let's look for a bright side ...

How's this? Colorado does not have a large senior class. Almost all of the offense generated this year, save the catches by tight ends Riar Geer and Patrick Devenny, has been by from underclassmen. Quarterback Tyler Hansen is a true sophomore, and, over the past few weeks, has shown glimmers of what he can bring to the table, not only with his feet, but with his passing arm. The running back and wide receiver corps will return virtually in tact. The offensive line, for all of its penalties and sacks given, remains a unit with potential.

On the defensive side of the ball, there are a few losses, but mostly in the linebacking corps. Senior Jeff Smart leads the team in tackles, with fellow senior Marcus Burton seventh. Still, if there is one unit which the Buffs have had adequate depth in the past, it is the linebackers. In the secondary, cornerback Cha'pelle Brown will be missed, as will Benjamin Burney. The remaining play-makers, though, return (there has been talk about junior cornerbacks Jalil Brown and Jimmy Smith leaving early for the NFL draft, but I don't see their draft stock being high enough to warrant giving up another year of perfecting their craft in the collegiate ranks).

We will go through the depth chart in great detail during the "Doldrums" - the period in December when football teams with winning records are preparing for bowls, while Colorado, for the third time in four years, is putting in that extra time in the weight room, staring at motivational posters about getting ready for CSU next September. For now, Buff fans, it's enough to know that the Buffs are showing marginal signs of improvement (more total yards on offense, fewer points on defense). Colorado has only been blown out of a game twice (Toledo and Missouri), and has hung tough against better opposition.

Let's hope for more of the latter, and less of the former, come Thursday's game against Oklahoma State, and next week's game against Nebraska.

The pressure of trying to win out is gone. The pressure of trying to cling to false hopes has dissipated.

The remaining two games only have relevance to the Buff players - and their coaches.

There is no reason not to try some trick plays, and go for broke. No one would be surprised if Colorado is blown out by Oklahoma State and Nebraska, so there is nothing left to lose.

That's Colorado's 2009 reality.

T.I.P.S. for Iowa State

Stuart Whitehair — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:59:17 -0500

Saturday, Colorado travels to Ames, Iowa, to take on the 5-5 Iowa State Cyclones in hopes of posting back-to-back wins for the first time since opening the 2008 season at 3-0.

Seen as potentially being one of the Buffs’ best chances at a road victory back in August, Colorado needs to win out just to become bowl eligible.

For the Cyclones, the math is much easier—defeat Colorado, and earn a bowl bid for the first time since 2005.

Jack Trice Stadium holds up to 55,000. A crowd of 40,000 to 45,000 is expected.

Can the Buffs pull off their first road win in over two years?

Can Colorado make the trip to Stillwater next Thursday relevant?

Can the Buffs keep the Iowa State offense from regaining its early season form?

Let’s find out with this week’s “T.I.P.S."

T—Talent

For the first time since the Kansas State game, and perhaps for only the second time since the Wyoming game, Colorado will have the more talented squad on the field. Iowa State is 5-5, but has struggled since its non-conference wins over North Dakota State, Kent State, and Army.

One problem for the Buffs—Iowa State, after weeks of playing with walking wounded, is healthy.

Tailback Alexander Robinson had four 100-yard rushing games in the first six games of 2009. He sat out against Nebraska and has been limited since, but is now back.

Starting center Reggie Stephens, who had been participating in one of every three plays, has recovered from a midseason appendectomy and is back to full time.

And then there is QB Austen Arnaud…

The junior quarterback had a bruised hand that kept him out of games against Nebraska and Texas A&M, but Arnaud returned to play in the 34-8 loss to Oklahoma State last weekend.

Arnaud suffered three interceptions against the Cowboys, after throwing only five in the first seven games of the season. Despite the rocky first outing, Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Herman is not concerned: “I feel a lot better about the state of the offense going into this week than last week,” said Herman. “This week, we’ll be the healthiest we’ve been since the Kansas game (Oct. 10th)”.

With Arnaud out, the Iowa State offense suffered. The past three games, Iowa State has scored nine, 10, and eight points.

Originally ranked 36th, their total offense has fallen to 69th in the nation, while scoring has fallen to 99th.

“We’ve got everyone back,” said tight end Derrick Catlett. “Now we have to start playing like we played in the beginning.” Arnaud, who is the top five all-time at Iowa State in passing yards, touchdown passes, completions, and total offense, is the all-time leader in Ames in completion percentage at .594 percent.

Colorado fans have to hope that the Iowa State offense will take at least one more week to gel.

As for the Iowa State defense, the name that you will hear most often on the radio (no television; Buff fans are relegated to KOA and the Internet) may be Jesse Smith.

The senior linebacker is sixth in tackles, averaging 11 per game (Jeff Smart leads the Buffs, averaging just short of eight tackles per game). In addition to his 110 tackles, Smith has two interceptions on the season and leads a defense that forced eight turnovers against Nebraska. They also held the Cornhuskers to seven points, preserving the Cyclones’ first win in Lincoln since 1977 and breaking a 15-game losing streak at Nebraska and a 14-game Big 12 losing streak on the road.

I—Intangibles

Got motivation?

The 35-34 come-from-behind win over Texas A&M kept alive the Buffs’ fleeting chances at a bowl bid and a winning season. The only way to avoid a fourth straight losing season is to win out, and that starts Saturday against Iowa State.

In a sense, Colorado is returning to the scene of the crime.

If 2009 proves to be the final season of the Dan Hawkins’ regime, then there are a number of games that could be considered the turning point. The true cynic would point to game one—a home loss to Division 1-AA Montana State. Others might point to the 59-yard field goal by Nebraska last November that cost Colorado a bowl game and a winning season. Still, others might single out the debacle at Toledo.

I would point to the last time Colorado ventured into Ames.

The scene: 2007, Colorado was 5-5 in Dan Hawkins’ second season in Boulder, and Iowa State was 2-8. The Buffs were a win away from securing a bowl bid the season after a 2-10 nightmare, while the Cyclones were going nowhere under first-year head coach Gene Chizik.

The Buffs, riding the momentum of three second-quarter scores, held a 21-0 halftime lead. On the first series of the third quarter, the Buffs drove into Cyclone territory. A holding penalty on 3rd-and-1 was declined. Iowa State was all but daring Dan Hawkins and the Buffs to go for it on fourth down at the ISU 43-yard line.

The Buffs took the bait and failed.

Before anyone knew it, Iowa State scored 21 third-quarter points to tie the game, then took a 10-point lead late into the game. A touchdown pass by Cody Hawkins to Scotty McKnight pulled the Buffs to 31-28, with 2:40 to play.

Colorado then had not one, but two chances to tie the score late.

A 50-yard field goal by Kevin Eberhart was negated as Colorado long-snapper Justin Drescher was cited for snapping the ball too quickly. The subsequent 55-yard field goal by Eberhart was also good—and also didn’t count. This time, the officials ruled that the snap did not get off in time.

Game over. 31-28, Iowa State.

Now a senior, Justin Drescher has been a successful four-year starter at snapper and refers to the game as “the debacle in Ames.” The loss left Colorado with a 5-6 record on the 2007 season. The Buffs did respond with a win over Nebraska at home, and then fell to Alabama in the Independence Bowl to finish with a 6-7 record.

If Colorado had won the game against Iowa State, the Buffs would have finished the 2007 season with a winning record. The frustration that comes with three straight losing seasons, and a fourth looming, would be lessened if Colorado had finished 7-6.

The “debacle in Ames” may have cost Dan Hawkins a winning season—and more time.

A win in Ames in 2009 may help keep Dan Hawkins in Boulder for 2010.

P—Preparation & Schedule

This is a category that favors the Cyclones on all counts.

First, the game is going to be played in Ames. The Cyclones have won two straight at home in the series. Colorado has dropped three straight in the series only once before—1979, 1981, and 1983 (during the heart of the dreaded “Blue” phase). Overall, the home team has won the last five games in the series.

Second, next week’s schedule leads to another advantage for Iowa State. Colorado has to play next Thursday, again on the road, against No. 19 Oklahoma State. Iowa State will also be on the road, against Missouri.

While it can be argued that the players will not have to focus on next week until Sunday, they know what’s coming. Iowa State has not won at Missouri since 2001, and if the Cyclones fall to the Buffs, they would have to pull off an upset in Columbia just to become bowl eligible. Colorado is Iowa State’s best chance to go bowling.

Colorado, meanwhile, continues to wear the yoke of a road losing streak. With Oklahoma State appearing to be a loss, the Buffs are faced with the proposition of winning in Ames, or hearing all offseason about their ongoing losing streak. It doesn’t look good for 2010.

The Buffs’ next road games are against Cal, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska—all of which have spent time in the nation’s top 25 this season.

The math is simple: win in Ames or Colorado faces the very real possibility of not being favored to win a game on the road until opening the 2011 season...against Hawaii.

S—Statistics

The Buffs put together one of their better offensive efforts of the season last weekend against Texas A&M, with 437 total yards. Did it help move Colorado out from underneath the dreaded 100’s in the national rankings?

Nope.

Nine games into the season and moving up the charts becomes a little like trying to get an oil tanker to pull a 180. Colorado remains mired in the 100’s nationally in seven categories. The Buffs are even getting close to absolute bottom—No. 120—in sacks allowed. The Buffs, having given up 16 sacks in the past two games, are now giving up an average of four per game, good enough for a No. 118 ranking.

The punt return team, at No. 117, isn't much better.

With good numbers against Texas A&M, the Buffs did make marginal improvements in rushing offense (113th, up from 114th), and total offense (111th, up from 113th), but mediocrity is now a hope for next season.

Overall, Colorado is in the top half of the nation in only three categories, and they are marginal ones at that—kickoff returns, sacks, and tackles for loss.

For a change, the Buffs are playing a team that is also struggling to make the grade.

Iowa State is in the 100’s in four categories, with the Cyclones in the 90's in four others. While Iowa State is still ranked high in running the ball (29th overall), the Cyclones are 100th in passing. On the heels of games with nine, 10, and eight points, it is not surprising that Iowa State is down to 99th in scoring offense.

The Iowa State defense is also not faring well, with teams equally successful against the Cyclones in both phases. Iowa State is 81st in pass defense, 93rd in rushing defense, and 94th in total defense.

However, teams haven't been scoring against them. Iowa State is only giving up 22.7 points per game, ranked 48th nationally.

Looking for stats to keep an eye on?

A good barometer of the Colorado offense is how many sacks they allow. As everyone knows, Colorado gave up eight sacks to Missouri, then eight more to Texas A&M.

If the Buffs give up eight against Iowa State, it will likely spell disaster.

On the season, the Cyclones have registered 12 sacks total. This gives them an average of 1.2 sacks/game and as a result they are 107th in the nation.

The reverse is true when it comes to keeping an eye on the Buffs’ punt returns. As noted, Colorado is 117th in the nation in punt returns, netting a paltry 3.04 yards per return.

Iowa State, meanwhile, is leading the nation in punt return defense, giving up only 1.55 yards per return. It would be nice to see some three-and-outs from the Colorado defense, giving the Buffs a chance to improve on their low ranking.

Finally, last weekend against Texas A&M, Colorado held onto the ball for 35:20. Last weekend against Oklahoma State, Iowa State allowed the Cowboys to hold onto the ball for 39:38. Time of possession could play a critical role on Saturday.

The stats don’t lie. Colorado has to hang onto the ball, produce long drives, and thus keep the ball away from a potentially strong Iowa State offense.

A 21-0 halftime lead, as the Buffs had in 2007, would be a nice start.

This Day in College Football History—Nov. 14th

Stuart Whitehair — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:36:36 -0500

This Day in History —November 14^th

Colorado record on November 14^th —6-8

1903—Colorado College—W 31-6;
1908—Utah—L 21-14;
1914—Colorado Mines—L 6-2;
1925—Colorado State—L 12-0;
1931—Utah—L 32-0;
1936—Utah State—L 14-13;
1942—BYU—W 48-0;
1953—Nebraska—W 14-10;
1959—Nebraska—W 14-12;
1964—Kansas—L 10-7;
1970—Oklahoma State—W 30-6;
1981—Kansas—L 27-0;
1992—Kansas—W 25-18;
1998—Iowa State—W 37-8.

November 14^th —Colorado —best game on this date
Colorado v. Iowa State November 14, 1998
[In 1998, the Buffs went into the game against the Cyclones with a 6-3 record, but had lost three out of the previous four games after a 5-0 start. The 5-0 record had earned Colorado a No. 14 ranking, but losses to No. 5 Kansas State, as well as unranked Kansas and Missouri, had dropped the Buffs out of the polls. What had started as a magical season was quickly fading away]

November 14th – Boulder Colorado 37, Iowa State 8
At least some things could be depended on.

Nursing losing streaks against four of the five members of the Big 12 Northern division, Colorado could at least depend on Iowa State. The Cyclones came to Boulder for the 1998 home finale winless in Big 12 action. The Buffs desperately needed a win to keep their bowl hopes alive, and ISU was the perfect opponent.

Oft-injured senior tailback Marlon Barnes rushed for a career-high 237 yards and two touchdowns as CU rolled to a 37-8 win. The Colorado victory, marking the 15th consecutive win over Iowa State, was the 600th in school history.

The easy victory, the most complete effort of the Buffs’ season since the season opener against Colorado state (a 42-14 CU victory), was especially sweet for Barnes. Barnes, who was to have been the featured back for CU in 1998, had seen limited action, carrying the ball only 57 times for 247 yards before nearly doubling his season total against the Cyclones.

“I’ve been banged up a whole lot,” said Barnes of his effort, the eighth-highest single game rushing effort in school history. “Just having the opportunity to get out there and play excited me a lot. I just wanted to get out there and play as hard as I could.”

Barnes contributed the Buffs’ first score, a nine-yard run in the first quarter to put Colorado up 9-0. A 64-yard touchdown scamper early in the fourth quarter sealed the deal, making the score 30-8. In all, Colorado amassed a season-high 463 yards of total offense, while the defense held Iowa State to 182 total yards.

The special teams also chipped in, as Ben Kelly returned a punt 76 yards for a score in the second quarter. With the effort, Kelly a sophomore defensive back, became the first Buff to return two punts for touchdowns in a season since 1990 (Dave McCloughan).

”Well, it was more of the kind of performance that we all know and love,” gushed head coach Rick Neuheisal. “We hung together, put together an effort that now gives us our seventh win, gives us a chance to go to the post-season and gives us a chance to keep climbing back to where we all would like to be.”

The 7-3 Buffs were now seemingly assured of a bowl bid, with the Holiday (with a win over Nebraska), Independence, Aloha, and Las Vegas bowls all possibilities.

Numbers
600, 29, and 1.

Colorado’s win over Iowa State was the 600th in team history, giving Colorado an overall mark of 600-362-36 (a .619 winning percentage). As the 1998 season wore down, the Buffs were also closing in on another milestone. Game 999 in school history would take place against Nebraska, with game 1000 coming in a hoped-for bowl game.

The numbers 29 and 1 belonged to Kansas State.

While Cololrado was beating up on Iowa State, 9-0 Kansas State was playing the most important game in its school history. The second-ranked Wildcats (tied for No. 1 with Tennessee in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll) hosted the 8-2 and 11th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Kansas State had not defeated Nebraska since 1968, a 29-game losing streak.

The run of futility was the third worst in NCAA history, bettered (worsened?) only by a 34-game losing streak by Navy to Notre Dame (made 35 with a 30-0 loss to the Irish the same day as the KSU/Nebraska game—a streak which would reach 43 before it was broken) and a 32-game losing streak K-State endured against Oklahoma from 1937-1968.

The stars were aligned correctly for Kansas State in 1998, as the Wildcats scored on a defensive touchdown on the game’s final play to enhance a 40-30 final. With the ESPN Gameday crew on hand, the Wildcat faithful stormed the field and tore down the goalposts. With Missouri having lost earlier that afternoon to Texas A&M, K-State wrapped up the Big 12 Northern Division title.

The championship was KSU’s first league title of any kind since 1934, when the Conference was known as the Big 6 (Colorado joined in 1948 to create the Big 7; Oklahoma State in 1958 to form the Big Eight). The Wildcats now were poised, if they could win out against Missouri and Texas A&M (in the Big 12 Championship game), to have a chance at a national title.

Meanwhile Colorado, whose 600 all-time wins were a far sight ahead of K-State’s 375 wins (in 963 games), was 7-3 overall, 4-3 in Conference play. A date with 8-3 Nebraska did not have the meaning envisioned when the game was moved to Thanksgiving weekend, but it carried plenty of meaning for the participants.

The winner would finish tied for second (with Missouri) in the Big 12 Northern Division, and likely be invited to the Holiday Bowl. The loser would finish fourth in the six team division, and would have to be satisfied with a minor bowl bid. Nebraska had not lost four games in a season since 1968. But then again, Nebraska hadn’t lost to Kansas State since 1968...

[The Buffs would go on to lose to 14th ranked Nebraska, 16-14, in the regular season finale. Relegated to the Aloha Bowl, Colorado did put on a show for the Christmas Day crowd, besting Oregon, 51-43, to finish the 1998 campaign with an 8-4 record—the final game for head coach Rick Neuheisal.]

Best Games in College Football History —November 14th

1970 —No. 4 Nebraska 51, No. 20 Kansas State 13—1970 was an odd year, as a number of teams had a chance at the national championship. The second week of November, there were still five different teams receiving first place votes in the polls. One of them was Nebraska, ranked fourth. The Cornhuskers made a statement in handling 20th ranked Kansas State. Nebraska intercepted KSU star quarterback Lynn Dickey seven times, allowing Nebraska running backs Joe Orduna and Johnny Rodgers to steal the show.

The win moved Nebraska up to number three in the polls, and positioned the Cornhuskers to claim the national championship with an Orange Bowl win over LSU. Kansas State, meanwhile, would not win again in 1970, finishing 6-5 and out of the polls.

1981 —No. 6 Alabama 31, No. 5 Penn State 16 —The 1981 match-up between Alabama and Penn State in 1981 was more than just an interesting clash of top ten teams. It proved to be historic, as with the win, Alabama head coach Bear Bryant tied Amos Alonzo Stagg's career win record (314).

Losing coach Joe Paterno, falling to 0-3 all-time against Bryant, said, “It’s a historic moment in football and I’m glad for him.”

Ironically enough, it would be Joe Paterno (along with Florida State’s Bobby Bowden), who would go on to surpass Bear Bryant on the all-time wins list. In 1981, though, Alabama won the game, going on to finish seventh in the polls after a Cotton Bowl loss to Texas. Penn State would not lose again in 1981, and, after defeating No. 1 Pittsburgh in the regular season finale, and USC in the Fiesta Bowl, would conclude the season with a No. 3 final ranking.

1987 —No. 13 Michigan State 27, No. 16 Indiana 3 —The Michigan State coaching staff apparently had a simple game plan against the Hoosiers—run Lorenzo White. The Spartans’ senior tailback (who would go on to finish fourth in the Heisman balloting) rushed 56 times for 292 yards in leading Michigan State to the Rose Bowl. White’s efforts were just short of the 58 rushes Tony Sands had for Kansas against Missouri in 1991, but were more than enough to take out the 16th ranked Hoosiers. Michigan State would conclude 1987 with a 20-17 win over USC in the Rose Bowl, 9-2-1, and ranked eighth . Indiana finished 8-4 and out of the polls after a 27-22 loss to Tennessee in the Peach Bowl.

1998 —No. 2 Kansas State 40, No. 11 Nebraska 30 —Nebraska lost three games in a season for the first time since 1977, but the Cornhuskers’ loss was not the story. The win for Kansas State, the first for the Wildcats over Nebraska since 1968, continued the fairy tale ride to the national championship game. Quarterback Michael Bishop passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns, as the 10-0 Wildcats advanced to No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Just a few points behind Tennessee in the AP poll, Kansas State just needed to win out to claim an unlikely national title.

The Wildcats did beat Missouri to cap a perfect regular season, but then fell to Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship game, 36-33. Relegated to the Alamo Bowl, the snubbed Wildcats lost to Purdue to fall to No. 10 in the final poll. Nebraska, meanwhile, finished 9-4 in Frank Solich’s first campaign as head coach, winding up 19th in the final poll.

Iowa State Trivia

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:45:06 -0500

Iowa State won its first two games of 2008, then proceeded to lose its last 10.

The 2008 team joined those from 1994 and 2003 as the only squads in school history to have a 10-game losing streak in a single season.

With a 5-5 record to date in 2009, Iowa State has accumulated seven wins since the start of the 2008 season. They are the only school in the Big 12 with fewer victories than Colorado (eight) over the past two seasons.

Despite the fact that Iowa State has a long history of coaches leaving with losing records, Gene Chizik gets the “Bottom of the Barrel” award, departing for Auburn with a .208 winning percentage (5-19).

Chizik was also the first coach in 50 years to not last at least four seasons in Ames.

As hard as it may be to believe, Iowa State has won seven of the past 12 games in the Cy-Hawk Trophy rivalry game against Iowa.

The Colorado Buffs have dominated their rivalry with the Cyclones more than they have against any other Big 12 rival. CU leads the all-time series, 48-14-1, including a run of 16 consecutive wins between 1985 and 2000, which ranks 21st on the all-time list of consecutive wins over an opponent.

However, the Buffs have lost in their last two trips to Ames for the first time in the series since losing three in a row in 1979, ‘81, and ‘83.

Like Miami (Ohio), the Cyclones are not known as the “cradle of coaches," but more like the “weigh station." A number of famous names have spent a short time in Ames before moving on, starting with Glenn “Pop” Warner, who came to Iowa State in 1895, until Georgia offered more money.

Other head coaches who went on to bigger and better results include Johnny Majors (four years at Ames) and Earle Bruce (six seasons). Assistants with ties to the Cyclones include Mack Brown, Pete Carroll, Jimmy Johnson, and Jackie Sherill.

In his 12 years at Ames (1995-2006), Dan McCarney's success hinged on his taking Iowa State to five of the nine bowl games the Cyclones have ever played.

Still, McCarney’s overall record of 56-85 is indicative of how hard it is to win in Ames.

Earl Bruce, with a 36-32 record (1973-78), is the only coach to leave ISU with a winning record since World War II.

How to dress up a Cyclone mascot: that was the Iowa State dilemma. Unable to come up with a suitable mascot, ISU reverted to the original team nickname in 1954 and dressed a Cardinal on the sidelines, nicknaming the bird “Cy.”

The only conference championships won by Iowa State came in 1911 and 1912, when the Cyclones won the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles.

In those seasons, ISU posted wins over such luminaries as Coe, Grinnell, Simpson, and Cornell College.

To be fair, the Cyclones were a decent kicker away from winning the Big 12 North in 2004 and 2005, when they lost both of their final regular season games in overtime because of missed field goals. The benefactor of the Cyclones’ dismay on both occasions: Colorado.

With a lack of success in its history, it is not surprising that there are few famous former players. Iowa State has produced only three consensus All-Americans (CU has had 25), and only one first-round NFL draft pick (CU has had 22).

On both short lists for ISU is running back Troy Davis, who is the only player in Division I-A to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season twice (1995 and 1996).

Others: Matt Blair, Keith Sims, and Mike Stensrud.

Other famous alumni outside of football: George Washington Carver (inventor), Henry A. Wallace (U.S. Vice-President).

Colorado Buffs Pick Up Two New Recruits

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:00:10 -0500

Colorado picked up more than a victory this past weekend; they picked two new recruits for the incoming 2010 class.

The Colorado Daily reports that quarterback Munchie Legaux, a three-star player out of Edna Karr Magnet School in New Orleans, and wide receiver teammate Keenan Canty were in Boulder this past weekend for the Texas A&M game. They committed on Sunday.

Legaux has led his team to a 9-1 regular season record, and is excited that the Buffs recruited him to be a QB. “It was a place that needed me, not wanted me,” Legaux told Rivals.com.

“I want to be at a place that needs me and not a school that just wants to add me to a spot on the roster.” Legaux, who has not ruled out taking other official visits, is rated as the No. 38 quarterback in the nation by Scout.com, and the No. 12 dual-threat quarterback in the country by Rivals.com.

The 6"4", 185-pound prospect chose Colorado over Michigan, Oregon, and Baylor (three schools that have young quarterbacks in place).

Not as highly recruited is Legaux’s teammate, wide receiver Keenan Canty.

The 5"9", 150-pound wideout is obviously smaller than has come to be the norm in college football, but Canty is undaunted. “I just see myself going there and performing,” Canty told BuffaloSportsNews.

“They were telling me that they also need some help at returns.” Canty has 34 catches for about 350 yards and seven touchdowns for Edna Karr Magnet School, but is unranked by either Scout or Rivals.

Canty’s only other scholarship offer to date was from Hampton University, though Canty did indicate he had received interest from Tulane and Mississippi.

While it is a bit unusual to obtain two commitments from the same school on the same weekend, there was, in fact, a third teammate from New Orleans in Boulder for the CU-A&M game.

Three-star defensive tackle prospect Harold Legania is also from Edna Karr Magnet School, but he did not commit to the Buffs.

Legania, who has already taken an official visit to Minnesota, has an offer from the Gophers, as well as offers from Mississippi, Virginia, Mississippi State, and North Carolina.

The New Orleans trio were amongst the 10 recruits who took official visits this past weekend. Of the remaining seven, one of the best options for the Buffs is offensive tackle Kaiwi Crabb, a three-star prospect from Honolulu.

Crabb is the No. 38 offensive tackle in the eyes of Rivals, but also ranks the Buffs “high” on his list of schools. Crabb also has offers from Hawaii and Washington, and has interest from Stanford and Oregon.

Colorado now has nine recruits for its 2010 class, is ranked 64th in the nation by Scout.com (10th in the Big 12), and 50th in the nation by Rivals.com (11th in the Big 12).

Colorado-Texas A&M: “T.I.P.S.” for the Texas A&M Game

Stuart Whitehair — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:03:25 -0500

“Games that matter are played in November."

Remember when that was true in Boulder?

Wasn’t it just two weeks ago, on the heels of an upset win over Kansas, that the Buffs, with a 1-1 Big 12 record, were seen as a player in the Big 12 North race?

A winnable road game against a “pretender” Kansas State team, followed by home games against a Missouri team on a three-game conference losing streak and a Texas A&M team picked to finish last in the Big 12 Sout....

Remember?

Yeah, so do I.

Now, we are two games later, and the Buffs have had two offensive touchdown drives in two games. Colorado has held the lead for all of seven minutes of game time, while trailing for over seven full quarters of play. The Buffs have turned the ball over eight times the past two weeks, and Tyler Hansen has been sacked 12 times. Etc., etc., etc.

You don’t need me to remind you.

So, other than going out to enjoy a perfect fall afternoon in Boulder, and checking out how many “blue” fans are in the stands, is there any reason to anticipate this weekend’s game against Texas A&M?

You bet.

It’s the last best chance for a victory in 2009.

Let’s see why:

T —Talent

There are two names on the Texas A&M roster which, if you haven’t heard them yet, you will by Saturday. The first is Von Miller. Miller, a junior defensive lineman, just happens to be leading the nation in sacks.

Buff fans know about sacks. Colorado is giving up an average of three per game, 115th in the nation in that category. Miller has 15 sacks all by himself, with the Aggies as a team ranking 14th nationally.

Real simple equation for Saturday: If Colorado can’t stop Miller, Colorado can’t win.

The second name Colorado fans may tire of hearing Saturday is that of Jerrod Johnson. The Texas A&M junior quarterback is second in the nation in total offense, generating over 325 yards per game (Cody Hawkins was generating around 180 yards per game; Tyler Hansen is posting even less).

Johnson has already generated over 2,500 yards in total offense, with 20 passing touchdowns and only three interceptions (Let’s try that one again—20 touchdowns, three interceptions!).

Oddly enough, all three of Johnson’s interceptions were in the same game, a 62-14 thumping by Kansas State.

Second key to success against Texas A&M—get the ball away from Jerrod Johnson.

Overall, Texas A&M is third in the nation in total offense, averaging almost 500 yards per game, and eighth in scoring, coming in at 35.75 ppg.

For Colorado to win, the Buffs will have to out-score the potent Aggie offense.

(As soon as you stop laughing, we’ll move on...)

I —Intangibles

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose,”—perhaps Janis Joplin has given the Buffs a formula for victory. The 2009 season is over. The talk of controlling their own destiny is forgotten; reality has set in.

And just when it appeared as if the clouds hanging over the Dal Ward Center could not get any darker, Darrell Scott announces he is leaving. The No. 1 running back recruit of the 2008 high school class is leaving Colorado.

Adding insult to injury, Scott might head to UCLA, to join center Kai Maiava and wide receiver/uncle Josh Smith, previous defections from the Hawkins’ locker room, though an article in the L.A. Times discounts the idea. (The Bruins have plenty of depth at tailback)

The rumblings about firing the coaching staff have become a full-fledged roar.

What’s left for the Buffs to do?

How’s about having some fun, and letting it all hang out?

“Now, our backs are against the wall,” said defensive back Benjamin Burney. “That’s what happens when you put a buffalo against the wall. It’s got to charge out.”

Players know that they may be putting together auditioning tapes for their new coaches. Coaches know that their ability to get production out of their units will factor into their future employment.

When the offense can’t make consistent plays, and the defense gets worn down playing conservatively, why not take chances? Why not give your playmakers the opportunity to make plays? Why not blitz the quarterback?

What’s the worst that can happen? The Buffs get blown out? Been there, done that.

Go out and have some fun. You never know what might happen.

P —Preparation/Schedule

Colorado is going to win—the schedule says so.

Colorado opened up with two losses, followed by a win. Colorado then lost its next two games, followed by a win. Colorado then lost its next two games....

The pattern is even more consistent than that.

Colorado, in each of the first games of their three-game series, played poorly against a team which a victory was a realistic opportunity (Colorado State, West Virginia, Kansas State), followed by a loss in which one half of play doomed the Buffs’ chances (Toledo, Texas, Missouri), followed by a win (Wyoming, Kansas,...Texas A&M?).

Okay, other than by way of a Ouija board, what does the schedule show us? Well, Texas A&M is 5-3 on the season, 2-2 in Big 12 play. While catching Texas may not be a reasonable prospect in 2009, the Aggies are certainly in a position to re-establish themselves in the pecking order in the conference.

No Big 12 North team has reached bowl-eligibility, and the champion of the North may well have four or five losses. This leaves some good bowl games out there for the second and third place teams in the South. Considering the Aggies sat home last season after a disastrous 4-8 season, and having been picked to finish behind Baylor in the South’s basement, going to a premiere bowl in 2009 must sound pretty good.

There is a chance, a small one, but a chance, that the Texas A&M players may be looking past the Buffs.

The Aggies read the internet. They know what has been going on in Boulder.

Up next for Texas A&M on the schedule is the final road game of the season—a trip to Norman to face Oklahoma.

A win over the Sooners would mean much more to the Aggies than a win over the Buffs.

It’s not much, but it’s all Colorado fans have left...

S —Statistics

...And you thought the Halloween statistics were scary.

Well, it’s another week into the season, and another loss put the Buffs all the further down the statistical charts. Colorado is now 100th or worse in no fewer than seven statistical categories, including rushing offense (114th), total offense (113th), turnover margin (102nd), sacks allowed (115th), and passing efficiency (115th).

Amongst BCS schools, only 1-7 Washington State and 3-5 Virginia are ranked lower in total offense than Colorado. In rushing offense, only Washington State, Texas Tech, and Duke are ranked lower.

So, are there any statistics which favor the Buffs this Saturday? Only in the match-up of the Buffs’ passing offense (such as it is) against the Aggies’ pass defense. Texas A&M is ranked 98th in the nation in pass defense, and is ranked 91st in total defense and 96th in scoring defense.

Until Texas A&M held Iowa State to ten points last weekend, the Aggies were giving up an average of 43 points/game in the month of October. Texas A&M has not ridden its defense to a 5-3 record—the Aggies have been out-scoring their opponents.

Two weeks ago, as the Buffs and their fans were basking in the glow of the upset win over Kansas, Texas A&M fans were preparing to burn Mike Sherman in effigy. The Aggies had just been torched by Kansas State, 62-14, and were on a three-game losing streak. Texas A&M had three wins, but all were against lesser opponents (New Mexico, UAB, and Utah State). A repeat of the 4-8 record from 2008 seemed likely.

Now, two weeks later, Dan Hawkins is on the roaster, and things are looking up in College Station. Texas A&M shocked rival Texas Tech—in Lubbock—52-30, and followed up that win with a solid effort against Iowa State. The 5-3 Aggies are in good position to go bowling, and the future again looks bright.

Colorado didn’t get that much worse in the past two weeks, and Texas A&M didn’t get that much better in the past two weeks.

Two months ago, this was a game which Colorado fans circled as a “W” on the schedule. That can still happen.

If the Buff players and coaches can get past the distractions of the past week and play the way they did against Kansas.

Unfortunately, Colorado fans know that at this point of the season, that is a very big if.

This Day in History: Nov. 7

Stuart Whitehair — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:52:56 -0500

This Day in History: Nov. 7

Colorado record on Nov. 7: 10-7

1891 - Colorado Mines – L 6-0;

1893 – Colorado Mines – L 24-10;

1899 – Colorado College – L 17-5;

1903 – Denver – W 10-0;

1914 – Utah – W 33-0;

1925 – Colorado College – W 23-6;

1931 – Denver – W 25-6;

1936 – Utah – W 31-7;

1942 – Utah – L 13-0;

1953 – Utah – W 21-0;

1959 – Kansas – W 27-14;

1964 – Missouri – L 16-7;

1970 – Kansas – W 45-29;

1981 – Missouri – L 30-14;

1987 – Missouri – W 27-10;

1992 – Oklahoma State – W 28-0;

1998 – Missouri – L 38-14.

Nov. 7: Colorado—best game on this date

Colorado vs Oklahoma State: Nov. 7, 1992

Pac-12?

The week after the Nebraska game was hard on Buffs’ fans. Nebraska had beaten Colorado for the first time in four years, and had beaten CU badly, 52-7. Even with the Buffs’ recent success, the series record stood at 35-14-2, Nebraska. Perhaps the prospect of leaving the Big Red Menace off of future schedules was the reason why an article in the Dallas Morning News the day after the Colorado/Nebraska game received the attention it did.

In a copyrighted story, the Dallas Morning News quoted two officials from the Pac-10 Conference as saying that league officers had met to discuss expanding the 10-team league to 12 teams, with Colorado and Texas to be the targets of the expansion. “No comment” was the order of the day for athletic directors when questioned, but no one denied that the discussions were taking place.

I thought it was a great idea. The idea of competing in the “Pac-12″ to me meant more opportunities to see the Buffs. A weekend in Seattle had already been done (for the CU/Washington game in 1989), and potential trips to Los Angeles and the San Francisco area had much more appeal to them than trips to Stillwater, Oklahoma, or Manhattan, Kansas. CU recruited heavily in California, and the Buffs’ new offense was more suited for the balanced attacks found on the west coast. It seemed a perfect fit.

It was just a fit, which never quite seemed to work out.

Nov. 7: Boulder—No. 16 Colorado 28, Oklahoma State 0

Oklahoma State was a much improved team in 1992. Rebounding from a disastrous 0-10-1 1991 campaign, the Cowboys were a respectable 4-4 coming into Boulder, including conference wins over Missouri, and Iowa State. But the Cowboys were the Buffs’ Homecoming opponent for a reason. OSU played its role of sacrificial lamb well, succumbing to the Buffs, 28-0.

Colorado posted a touchdown in each quarter, the first coming on a Lamont Warren two-yard run to cap a 12-play drive on the Buffs’ first possession. Warren scored again in the second stanza, as the Buffs provided the Homecoming crowd of 51,559 a 14-0 halftime cushion. With a two score lead, CU was never again threatened. The dominating Buff defense posted its second shutout of the season, forcing a school-record eight turnovers.

In the third quarter, quarterback Kordell Stewart, returning to the starting lineup after sitting out with a broken wrist, connected with Michael Westbrook on a record-setting score. Westbrook’s 12th career touchdown catch surpassed the record of 11 set by Gary Knafelc in 1952-53. The fact that the new record was established by a sophomore was testament in itself of the new direction of the Colorado offense.

“Overall, it was a good, sound victory after a humiliating defeat”, said head coach Bill McCartney. “We did a better job of taking care of the football (in committing a season-low one turnover). I think we made some progress and I think we showed some grit.”

The Buffs were now back on track, if not for the Orange Bowl, at least for a New Year's Day bowl game. CU was ranked 13th in the nation, 7-1-1 overall, 3-1-1 in Big Eight play. Standing in the way of the Buffs’ bowl aspirations now, were the Kansas Jayhawks.

Surprisingly Kansas was 7-2 on the season, and, more importantly, 4-1 in the conference. A loss to the 20th ranked Jayhawks would relegate the Buffs to no better than a third place finish in the Big Eight.

[The Buffs would go on to defeat the Jayhawks, and would finish the 1992 regular season with a 9-1-1 record. The 10th-ranked Buffs earned a spot in the Fiesta Bowl against sixth-ranked Syracuse. A bitter 26-22 loss to the Orangemen on New Year's Day relegated the Buffs to a 13th-place final ranking.]

Best Games in College Football History : Nov. 7

1964 : Penn State 27, Ohio State 0

In one of the worst efforts ever by a second-ranked team, the Buckeyes were shut out at home by the Nittany Lions. In suffering through its first shut out loss in 46 games, Ohio State had negative yardage, and no first downs in the first half against Penn State. “That was the soundest trouncing we’ve ever had,” said OSU head coach Woody Hayes. It wouldn’t get much better for Ohio State a few weeks later, as Michigan also shut out the Buckeyes, 10-0, leaving OSU at 7-2, and home for the holidays.

1970: Oregon 46, No. 9 Air Force 35

Though only a sophomore, Oregon quarterback Dan Fouts gave the Falcons—and the rest of the nation—a glimpse of what was to come. Fouts passed for 396 yards and four touchdowns as Oregon knocked off an Air Force team led by the nation’s leading scorer, tailback Brian Bream. The win moved Oregon, now 6-3, into the national rankings, dropping Air Force out of the Top 10. Air Force did earn its first, and only, Sugar Bowl invitation, falling to Tennessee, 34-13, to finish 16th. Oregon, meanwhile, could not sustain the magic, tying Army, and falling to rival Oregon State to finish the 1970 season with a 6-4-1 record.

1981: No. 4 Georgia 26, Florida 21 (Jacksonville)

Georgia tailback Herschel Walker would not win his Heisman trophy for another year (Marcus Allen won it in 1981, with Walker finishing second), but Walker did take care of business in the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”. The sophomore scored all four of Georgia’s touchdowns, and, with Georgia trailing 21-20 in the fourth quarter, took over the game. Walker ran 11 times (out of his SEC-record 47 carries) as the Bulldogs embarked on a 17-play, 95-yard drive to win the game. Georgia would go on to a No. 2 ranking before a Sugar Bowl loss relegated the Bulldogs to a No. 6 ranking. Florida limped home to a 7-5 record after a Peach Bowl loss to West Virginia.

1987 : Colorado 27, Missouri 10

J.J. Flannigan only carried the ball once, but it went for 53 yards late in the first quarter, setting up the Buffs’ first score. Up 17-3 just before halftime, Colorado used some trickery to put the game away. Lance Carl, who was on the receiving end of halfback pass for a score in the 1986 Nebraska game, threw a halfback pass to Eric Bieniemy for a 34-yard touchdown, and an insurmountable 24-3 halftime lead. The second half produced little fireworks. “I felt when we were ahead 24-3,” said Bill McCartney, “if we didn’t do anything foolish, we wouldn’t lose.” While the win over Missouri all-but secured a fourth place Big Eight finish for Colorado, it didn’t impress the bowl scouts. A win over Kansas State and a season-ending loss to Nebraska left the Buffs with a 7-4 record—and uninvited to the bowl party.

1998 : Michigan State 28, No. 1 Ohio State 24

Ohio State had it all going for it—8-0, No. 1 in the polls, a 4-4 Michigan State opponent, and a 17-3 first quarter lead at home. Down 24-9 in the third quarter, the Spartans scored the final 19 points of the contest, The loss denied Ohio State the national championship, as the Buckeyes capped an 11-1 season with a 24-14 win over Texas A&M, to finish second to Tennessee in the final poll. Michigan State, meanwhile, would lose two of its final three to finish 6-6 and out of the bowls. 1998 would be the only season in five in East Lansing that head coach Nick Saban did not lead the Spartans to a bowl (Saban would leave for LSU after the 1999 season).

The Colorado Daily: Darrell Scott to Transfer

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:27:02 -0500

November 3rd

Darrell Scott to transfer

In a move which is hardly surprising—yet still hard to take—it was announced Tuesday that Darrell Scott will transfer. Scott, one of the most highly touted recruits in Colorado Buffaloes history, is leaving for “personal reasons”, and may transfer to UCLA, where his uncle, Josh Smith, transferred to this past spring.

Scott had only 95 yards rushing on the season, including 85 against Toledo. In the game against the Rockets, Scott set a school record for the most kickoff return yards in a game, posting 204 yards on eight returns.

Last season, Scott played in 11 games, totaling 343 yards. His career total of 438 yards puts him only up to 96th on the Colorado career charts—and less than half the yards of his fellow 2008 recruit, Rodney Stewart.

While no one can be completely surprised by the announcement. The rumor of Scott’s transfer has been commonplace on the Internet since his uncle, Josh Smith, announced his intention to leave Colorado this past spring. It is a disappointment.

I had held out hope that Scott would hang around until the end of the 2008 season, if for no other reason than to see who the new head coach was going to be. It would have been a boost for the new staff, and would have given Scott a fresh start.

Of course, the move also does not bode well for the future of Dan Hawkins. Scott was the only “trophy signing” for the program over the past four seasons. No other recruit has come close to the national prominence which Scott brought to the program on signing day, 2007.

If there is any consolation in Darrell Scott becoming the “Marcus Houston” of the Dan Hawkins’ era, it’s that it should assist Athletic Director Mike Bohn in his decision as to whether the present coaching staff should be retained.

Blue Out

There is a move about to wear blue to this weekend’s game against Texas A&M. The idea is to show support for the players and the team, but to indicate a lack of support for the present coaching staff. The Blue Out harkens back to the early 1980’s, when the Buffs, for three seasons, shifted to “Colorado sky blue” instead of the traditional black and gold.

The message; Colorado has sunk to a low not seen since the dark days of the Fairbanks’ era (which is actually true. Colorado, barring a five game winning streak—including a bowl win—will have a fourth straight losing season for only the second time in school history. The only other similar drought—six straight losing seasons between 1979-84).

I’ll be there this weekend. I dug out an old blue windbreaker from the hall closet—and it actually fits! I also have a blue CU hat, which has not survived the past quarter century as well, but I’ll have it on anyway!

CU this Saturday!

Texas A&M Trivia

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:26:46 -0500

Texas A&M

• Texas A&M lost to Texas, 49-9, last season. The 40-point loss was the second worst defeat in the series for the Aggies, second only to a 48-0 loss to the Longhorns in 1898.

• Texas A&M renews a series against old Southwest Conference rival Arkansas in 2009. It will be the first time that the old SWC opponents have met since 1991. The two teams are scheduled to meet each year through 2018. Give the Aggies credit for upping the ante in their non-conference schedule.

• Few schools are as steeped in tradition as Texas A&M. From the 12th man to Reveille to Midnight Yell practice, the Aggies of College Station have tradition down to a science.

The 12th Man

The tradition of the 12th Man was born in 1922, when Texas A&M was playing Centre College, then the nation’s top ranked team.

As the hard fought game wore on, and the Aggie bench became depleted, Coach Dana X. Bible remembered a squad man who was not in uniform. He had been up in the press box helping reporters identify players. His name was E. King Gill, and was a former football player who was only playing basketball.

Gill was called from the stands, suited up, and stood ready throughout the rest of the game, which A&M finally won 22-14. When the game ended, E. King Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies.

Gill later said, “I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me.”

The tradition of “Standing by” was born, and to this day the entire student body stands throughout the game, ready to go in if called.

Reveille

In 1931, some Aggie students accidentally struck a dog with their Model T. They took the injured collie back to their dorms. When the bugler sounded Reveille the next morning, the dog began barking loudly, and the dog had its name.

After Reveille accompanied the band onto the field for the first home game that fall, the Corps adopted her as their mascot. Thirteen years later, when Reveille died, she was given a full military funeral at Kyle Field.

The latest Reveille, Reveille VII, has been on campus since 2001. All the Reveilles have been commissioned as five star generals, making the mascot the highest ranking member of the Corps.

Yell Practice

Dating back as far as 1913, the first actual Yell Practice began in 1931. Some freshman cadets suggested falling out and meeting at the steps of the YMCA at midnight. Senior Yell Leaders caught wind of the event, but instead of stopping it, joined in, and the tradition was born.

Today, Yell Practice is conducted at midnight on Fridays before every home game, and on Thursday nights before road games (plus some Yell Practices are held close to stadium of the opposition on Friday nights of road trips).

The Yell Leaders lead the band and the 12th man into the stadium, with practices for cheers (along with stories about how the team is going to beat up on the opposition) the main order of the evening.

The Yell Leaders are five students chosen by the student body. They are not cheerleaders in the traditional sense. Instead, they use a series of hand signals, or “pass backs”, to spur on the faithful.

• A charter member of the Southwest Conference, Texas A&M played in the SWC from 1915 to 1995, joining the Big 12 Conference in 1996.

• Texas A&M won the national championship in 1939. Little was known about the Aggies nationally, despite an undefeated regular season (part of the reason may have been some of the opponents in ‘39: Centenary, Santa Clara, and Villanova). That changed when Texas A&M defeated Tulane on the home field of the Green Wave, 14-13, in the 1940 Sugar Bowl.

• The Aggies Big 12 title came in 1998, when A&M upset Kansas State, 36-33, in the Big 12 Championship. A 24-14 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl left Texas A&M with an 11-3 final record, and a No. 11 final ranking.

• Colorado leads the all-time series against Texas A&M, 5-2, with all seven games played since 1995. CU is 2-1 at College Station, with the only loss a 29-26 overtime setback in 2004.

• Famous alumni—football: John David Crow (Heisman trophy winner, 1957), John Kimbrough (fullback, 1939-40), Lester Hayes, Dat Nguyen, Mark Moseley, Tony Franklin

• Famous alumni—other: Lyle Lovett (singer), Jeff Maggert (golfer)

Missouri-Colorado: Buffs Drop Homecoming Game 36-17

Stuart Whitehair — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:21:08 -0400

Oct. 31 – Boulder Missouri 36, Colorado 17

Missouri sacked Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen eight times and forced four turnovers, racing out to a 33-0 lead en route to a 36-17 victory.

The Buffs outscored the Tigers 14-0 in the third quarter to make it interesting, but four possessions with the score 33-17 netted two turnovers on downs, an interception, and a punt, as Colorado fell to 2-6, 1-3 on the season.

A Homecoming crowd of 45,634, the smallest crowd of the season, was on hand to witness a fourth straight win for Missouri in the series.

Still to come (tonight and tomorrow) – a full game recap; locker room notes and quotes; and my essay “One Last Record” …

Here's Some “T.I.P.S.” for Colorado Taking on Missouri

Stuart Whitehair — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:32:35 -0400

News - Colorado hasn’t played on Halloween since 1992, and hasn’t played at home on Halloween since 1970.

Not News – Colorado has stunk it up against Missouri the last two seasons.

Colorado is hosting Missouri this Saturday morning, with kickoff at 11:30 MT. The Homecoming game represents the first time that Colorado has played on Halloween since 1992.

[The last game Colorado played on October 31st was a true nightmare. No.8 Colorado played in Lincoln against No. 8 Nebraska (no, that's not a typo - the teams were tied in the polls). Both teams had aspirations of a Big Eight title and national recognition. The Buffs were mauled that night, 52-7, the first conference loss for Colorado since 1988 (a run of 23-0-2). Nebraska went to win its first Big Eight title in four years. The Buffs finished the 1992 season with a 9-2-1 record after falling to Syracuse, 26-22, in the Fiesta Bowl]

Colorado’s play against Missouri the past two seasons has been ghoulish, falling to Missouri by scores of 55-10 and 58-0 in the last two meetings. The latter loss snapped the Buffs’ 242-game scoring streak, the 9th-longest in NCAA history. This week, the Buffs have been talking about focusing on playing their best game of the season against the Tigers, and held a players’ only meeting on Monday to clear the air after the Buffs’ poor play against Kansas State.

Will revenge be a factor? Will the Buffs play better now that they are back home? Will Missouri play like a team with a three-game losing streak, or a team which was ranked 24th in the nation earlier this season?

We will find out Saturday … Here are this week’s “T.I.P.S.” …

T – Talent

You know the story. Gone to the NFL are Missouri’s quarterback Chase Daniel, tight end Chase Coffman, and all-everything wide receiver/running back/kick returner Jeremy Maclin. While it is true that sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert is no Chase Daniel, and while it is also true that Gabbert has been slowed recently by a sprained ankle, his statistics show why he was the No. 1 rated quarterback recruit in the country in 2008. Gabbert has already passed for 1,704 yards, and has 13 touchdown passes with only five interceptions. Gabbert did practice this week without a boot around his ankle, which will give new optimism to Tiger fans that his play will return to the level seen earlier this season, when Missouri opened 4-0.

Gabbert’s favorite target is senior wide receiver Danario Alexander, who has 50 catches for 701 yards – 14 yards/catch – and five touchdowns (the Buffs’ leading receiver, Scotty McKnight, has 41 catches for 431 yards – ten yards/catch- and three scores). Alexander has already had three 100-yard receiving games this season, including 180 yards against Oklahoma State.

The Missouri rushing game, ranked 52nd in the nation last season, has fallen off to 100th this year. Junior Derrick Washington leads the team with 441 yards (Rodney Stewart has 467 for the Buffs). Washington had success earlier in the season, but was held to 35 yards by both Oklahoma State and Texas in Missouri’s last two games.

Missouri’s defense, as the second half of the season gets underway, is settling in around the mid-point nationally in most defensive rankings. In the important categories – rushing defense; passing defense; total defense; and scoring defense – the Tigers come in between 52nd and 65th nationally. In three Big 12 games, all losses, Missouri is giving up an average of 33 points per game, while scoring only 12 (the Tigers have been held under 20 points in each game).

The Tigers are not as explosive as the team which routed the Buffs the last two seasons, but they are indeed capable of scoring points in bunches.

I – Intangibles

Pick your poison here. Both teams have been talking a good game this week. Missouri is 0-3 in Big 12 play; Colorado is 1-2. Still, both team’s players talk about winning the Big 12 North – and it’s hard to fault the logic. Missouri can point to its difficult opening Big 12 games (Nebraska, at Oklahoma State, Texas), which will be followed by relatively easier games (at Colorado, Baylor, at Kansas State, Iowa State), while the Buffs, at 1-2, are a Halloween win away (assuming a Kansas State loss to Oklahoma in Norman Saturday) from being tied in the loss column with every other contender in the North.

One team will be exposed – once and for all – Saturday. It is true that a team can win the Big 12 North with a 4-4 conference record (witness Colorado in 2004), but if Missouri digs itself into an 0-4 hole, even the most ardent Tiger fan will have to start looking at the Alamo Bowl as a best-case scenario. Meanwhile, the Buffs, who would have been alone in first place in the division with a win in Manhattan, are hanging by a thread, credibility-wise. Colorado would not be mathematically eliminated with a loss to Missouri Saturday, but a 2-6, 1-3 team would be, as they say, whistling in the graveyard with a loss this weekend. (Imagine, just for fun, a 6-6, 5-3 Buff team in the Big 12 title game. Colorado would have to defeat the Big 12 South champion – likely Texas – just to be bowl eligible!)

P – Preparation / Schedule

Colorado played a morning game on the road last Saturday, and were home in time to watch Missouri get blasted by Texas, 41-7, on Saturday night. A slight advantage for the Buffs, who actually got to finish their game before their next week’s opponent for the first time in a month - but this is not enough to make a substantial difference in Saturday’s game.

Any advantage to playing a second consecutive morning game (and second of three – the Texas A&M game next weekend will also be an 11:30 kickoff), is tempered by the game the lost advantage which would have come had the game been played at night. A Halloween night “Black out” game against Missouri might have given the Buffs a substantial lift in volume. While the game will likely have around 50,000 in attendance (around 45,000 seats had been sold as of Tuesday), and while the Homecoming atmosphere will aide the home team, it would likely have been louder and more rowdy (imagine the creative costumes in the student section) had the game been played at night.

There is also a slight advantage to the Buffs in the schedule for next week. Both teams play at home against Big 12 South opponents. Missouri will play Baylor, while Colorado hosts Texas A&M. I give Colorado the edge here only because the Buffs are so atrocious on the road, that knowing that their next game is also at home gives some hope for an actual winning streak for the first time since last September. Also – and granted this is a reach – Colorado’s game against Texas A&M will be televised; Missouri’s game against Baylor will not.

S – Statistics

The weekly roundup of frustrating statistics … Colorado is ranked 100th or worse in six statistical categories, including rushing offense (110th); total offense (107th); and turnovers (107th) – and it gets worse. There are a number of categories in which the Buffs are not quite in the triple digit category, but are perilously close, including scoring offense (96th, at 22.4 points per game); scoring defense (91st, at 28.6 points per game); sacks allowed (91st) and turnover margin (96th).

Want something a little less scary to look forward to on Halloween? Here is something you might try and hang your hat on – Colorado is 21st in the nation in kick returns; Missouri is 103rd in the nation in kick return yardage defense. While it would not be in the Buffs’ best interest to have too many opportunties at kick returns, for those times when Colorado has the chance at a kickoff return, the numbers say that Brian Lockridge has a chance to make a big play.

There is another match-up which favors Colorado: The Buffs are 19th in the nation in 3rd-down conversion defense (at 32.7%, with Colorado even better, at 24.5%, in games played at Folsom Field). Meanwhile, Missouri is 80th in the nation in 3rd-down conversion offense. Look for how the Colorado defense is faring on third downs – it may be a good barometer on how the afternoon will unfold.

If you look at only Big 12 conference play, Missouri’s numbers come down considerably from their full season rankings (4-0 non-conference; 0-3 in conference). It’s no surprise that Colorado is in the bottom third in every offensive category in Big 12 play – but Missouri is right down there with the Buffs. In six combined attempts, only Colorado, with 34 points against Kansas, has broken the 20-point barrier.

With an early start, and with the temperature likely to be still low at game time (It’s been snowing in Boulder this week, and while the clouds should be parting by Saturday, it will take some time to get the temperature up from a projected low Friday night of 22 degrees), it may well be a low scoring game.

The Buffs must hang onto the ball (Colorado is 107th in turnovers), keeping the ball away from Missouri’s offense (the Tigers are 111th in time of possession). Colorado has yet to score on defense or special teams this season.

It may take just such a score for the Buffs to be able to enjoy trick-or-treating Saturday night.

Colorado Football: This Day in History, Oct. 31

Stuart Whitehair — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:04:46 -0400

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.

1970: Kansas State 17, No. 17 Missouri 13

Both teams came into the contest 4-3, but the win was huge for the Wildcats, as Kansas State beat Missouri at home for the first time since 1938.

KSU quarterback Lynn Dickey had 234 yards and two touchdowns passing in the game, but his four interceptions kept the game close.

Neither team went bowling in 1970, as Kansas State finished 6-5, Missouri 5-6.

The losing season, the only sub-.500 campaign in 13 seasons under Dan Devine, did not dissuade the Green Bay Packers from hiring Devine as their head coach for the 1971 season.

1981: Miami 17, No. 1 Penn State 14

It was only late October, but the Nittany Lions became the fifth team in the 1981 season to gain the No. 1 ranking, only to lose it.

Miami, behind quarterback Jim Kelly, sprinted out to a 17-0 lead. With tailback Curt Warner ineffective, it was up to quarterback Todd Blackledge to engineer the comeback.

Two fourth quarter touchdown passes were not enough, though, as Penn State kicker Brian Franco missed four field goals on the day. At season’s end, Penn State was back up to No. 3 in the nation, besting USC 26-10 in the Rose Bowl.

Miami finished at No. 8, 9-2 and banned from postseason play.

1987: No. 18 Penn State 25, West Virginia 21

Running back Blair Thomas rushed for 181 yards, sparking the Nittany Lions in a comeback from a 21-10 deficit.

Before Thomas’ heroics, West Virginia quarterback Major Harris was the hero of the day, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for a third. A bowl loss to Clemson in the Florida Citrus cost the 8-4 Nittany Lions a spot in the final rankings.

West Virginia also lost its bowl game, a Sun Bowl defeat at the hands of Oklahoma State.

The Mountaineers finished 1987 with a 6-6 record, but would not lose again until the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, where a 34-21 loss to Notre Dame cost West Virginia the national championship.

1998: Texas 20, No. 7 Nebraska 16

A 47-game home winning streak came to an end for the Cornhuskers at the hands of the unranked Longhorns.

The game featured two future Heisman trophy winners. 1998 winner Ricky Williams led Texas with 150 yards rushing, while 2001 winner Eric Crouch, substituting in as a freshman, kept Nebraska in the game with a 38-yard touchdown run.

Texas quarterback Major Applewhite hit wide receiver Wane McGarrity on a two-yard pass with 2:47 left for the game winner.

Neither team would win their division of the Big 12 in 1998 (Texas A&M beat Kansas State for the title), but both went bowling.

Nebraska lost to Arizona, 23-20, in the Alamo Bowl to finish 9-4, ranked 19th, while Texas blew by Mississippi State, 38-11, in the Cotton Bowl to conclude a 9-3 season (Mack Brown’s first as Texas head coach) ranked 15th.

Test Your Knowledge With Missouri Football Trivia

Stuart Whitehair — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:51:55 -0400

Missouri – Trivia

- Missouri went 10-4 in 2008, winning ten games or more in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history (and only the fifth time ever). The highlight of the season was a 52-17 stomping of Nebraska in Lincoln, the first win for Missouri on the road in the series since 1976.

- Even with the Tigers’ stellar 2008 record, bear this in mind – Last season, Missouri beat only two FBS teams with winning records, Nebraska and Northwestern (a 30-23 win in the Alamo Bowl).

- In 2008, Missouri had eight players on defense who received all-conference honors, yet against the Big 12 South powers (Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State), the Tigers went 0-3, and gave up 146 points.

- After defeating Kansas, 36-28, on November 24, 2007, Missouri claimed into the #1 ranking in the Associated Press poll for only the second time in school history. Just like the first trip to the summit, the stay was short-lived. The following week the Tigers fell to Oklahoma, 38-17, in the Big 12 championship game, to fall out of the top spot. A 38-7 win over Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl secured for Missouri a 12-2 record and a #4 final ranking. Missouri last finished in the top ten in the Associated Press poll in 1969. Only Iowa State, which has never finished in the top ten in the AP poll, had a longer drought amongst the Big 12 North teams.

- Missouri is the only school besides Colorado and Nebraska to have been ranked #1 amongst North Division teams. The Tigers were ranked #1 for one week in 1960 before falling to Kansas, 23-7. The twist to the story – it was later determined that Kansas used an ineligible player in the game against Missouri, and the game was forfeited to the Tigers. Despite the “win”, the result on the field cost Missouri a chance at the national title. Undefeated in name only, the Tigers finished the season with a 10-1 record and a #5 finish in the polls.

- Legend has it that the tradition of Homecoming began at Missouri. In 1911, the director of athletics Chester L. Brewer reportedly asked alumni and former players to “come home” for the season-ending game against Kansas. (The game ended in a 3-3 tie, and Missouri finished its season with a 2-4-2 record).

- Faurot Field is named after long-time coach Don Faurot, who coached the Tigers from 1935-42 and 1946-56. Faurot won 100 games, and is credited with creating the split-T formation, precursor of the wishbone and veer offenses.

- While the infamous “Fifth down” game against CU still rankles the Missouri faithful, most of their venom is saved for Kansas. The bitter feelings over the 1960 game, above, only added fuel to the fire. The “Border War” as it was long known, is now known as the “Border Showdown”, a nod to the post 9/11 era.

- Missouri leads the all-time series against Colorado, 40-31-3. The series was much more lopsided in the Tigers’ favor, though, until recently. Prior to the 1985 season, Missouri had a dominating 31-13-3 lead. The Buffs then ran off a 12 game win streak, and have won 18 of the last 27 in the series.

- Missouri ties to Boulder include head coaches Bill McCartney, a 1962 MU graduate who played on that 1960 team, and Gary Barnett, a 1969 MU alumnus.

- famous alumni – football – Dan Devine (coach), Kellen Winslow, Henry Marshall, Phil Bradley, Tony Galbreath, Roger Wehrli, Andy Russell, Mel Gray (and now Jeremy Maclin, Chase Daniel, and Chase Coffman from the class of 2008).

- famous alumni – other – George C. Scott (actor), Sheryl Crow (singer), Mort Walker (cartoonist).

Colorado Football 2003: Nov. 8—Colorado 21, No. 22 Missouri 16

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:19:22 -0400

Colorado v. Missouri – 2003

In 2003, the Colorado Buffaloes got off to a fast start, knocking off 23rd-ranked CSU and UCLA to climb to No. 17 in the polls.

After that, the wheels fell off. The Buffs lost six of the next seven games, falling to 3-6 overall. Heading into the Missouri game, CU was coming off a tough 26-21 loss to Texas Tech. For only the 12th time since the start of the 1976 season, a span of 324 games, the Buffs had a two-score lead at some point during the game, and lost. CU had an early 14-0 lead on the Red Raiders but still managed to lose.

Of concern to the Buff faithful was the fact that of those 12 losses after leading by two or more scores, only eight of them occurred in the 25 seasons between 1976 and 2000. Four had now occurred during the Gary Barnett era, including the second time in 2003 (a 23-14 lead against Baylor becoming a 42-30 loss).

Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Numbers can be construed in any number of ways. Fair enough. But for the 2003 Colorado Buffaloes, one statistic could not be misstated or misinterpreted:

3-6.

November 8 Colorado 21, No. 22 Missouri 16

Joel Klatt passed for 187 yards and two touchdowns, leading Colorado to a 21-16 upset of 22nd-ranked Missouri. Brian Calhoun rushed for 65 yards and a score, while D.J. Hackett caught five passes for 84 yards as the Buffs beat the Tigers for the fifth straight season.

The Buffs scored first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 16-yard pass from Klatt to Derek McCoy, culminating an 82-yard drive to open the contest. Missouri responded with a 77-yard drive of its own, but the 18-play, 8:22 marathon netted only a field goal.

Colorado countered with its second long drive, this one covering 80 yards. Klatt hit fullback Lawrence Vickers from three yards out to give Colorado a 14-3 lead.

Missouri cut the lead to 14-9 midway through the second quarter on a 17-yard pass from quarterback Brad Smith to receiver Victor Sesay (the two-point pass attempt failed). The Tigers had the chance to take the halftime lead, but on the 15th play of their next drive, running back Zack Abron fumbled into the CU end zone.

The Buffs opened the second half as strongly as the first half, scoring on their first possession. A 75-yard drive was finished off by a 3-yard scoring run by Brian Calhoun, and the Buffs were up 21-9.

The much-maligned Colorado defense made the lead hold up, but not without drama. One long Missouri drive ended on the Colorado 21-yard-line after a Smith fumble, while another ended at the CU 40 on an incomplete pass on fourth down.

Missouri did score with five minutes to play on a 48-yard screen pass from Smith to running back Damien Nash to make the score 21-16.

The 47,722 CU faithful on hand to witness the event were on the edge of their seats when Missouri took over on their own 20 with 2:39 to play. A sack and an interception by Buff safety Dominique Brooks ended the threat, though, and the Buffs had a 21-16 win.

“I think this was our most complete game of the year,” said Gary Barnett. “It was good to get this win. Missouri is obviously a good football team.”

“It’s a huge tribute (to the defense), because I don’t know how they stayed the course," said defensive coordinator Vince Okruch. "To a man, they bought in and believed, and they deserved this kind of game.”

While the Buffs could rightfully celebrate their second win over a ranked team in 2003, they still needed to win out in order to become bowl eligible. Colorado was now 4-6 (2-4 in Big 12 play), and would need wins over Iowa State and Nebraska to entertain post-season hopes.

The Iowa State game would be in Ames, but was now looking to be a winnable contest. The Cyclones were 2-7, win-less in conference play.

ISU was mired in a seven-game losing streak, having won its first two games against Northern Iowa and Ohio before giving up an average of over 40 points per game in losing its last seven.

The Cyclones had been shut out in their last two games, 28-0 at Nebraska, and 45-0 at home against Kansas State. A win over Iowa State was not outside the realm of the reasonable.

A win over Nebraska Thanksgiving weekend was another story. The 18th-ranked Cornhuskers were 8-2 overall (4-2 in conference), and would be coming to Folsom Field for the first time since being embarrassed by the Buffs in 2001.

The Nebraska game, though, was three weeks away. If the Buffs were to entertain hopes of a December game in a warm climate, they could not look past Iowa State.

Long Drive Contest

Play in any charity golf tournament, and you can expect certain truisms: you will receive a gift bag with small appreciative tokens like gift certificates and golf tees with a corporate sponsor; a sandbagging team of good players claiming high handicaps, just so they can win the tournament; and a tournament-concluding barbeque.

Out on the course, there will be designated holes with prizes like “Closest to the Pin” or “Longest Putt”.

There will also be a “Longest Drive” competition, usually on a par-five, usually won by a participant with a driver with a club head the size of a small dog.

The weekend of the CU/Missouri game, there was an unintended “Long Drive” competition, with three competitors.

First up —Colorado and Missouri

In the 21-16 CU win, the teams combined for six scoring drives. All six drives were of the long variety. The shortest drive of the day covered 79 yards, and that was Missouri’s first scoring drive of the day.

The trip took a gaudy 19 plays, and resulted in a 19-yard field goal late in the first quarter to cut the CU lead to 7-3.

The Buffs were very consistent in their long drives. Three touchdown drives, covering in order: 82 yards in nine plays; 80 yards in 11 plays; and (once again) 80 yards in 11 plays.

On the day, the Buffs managed only 276 yards of total offense (compared to 447 for Missouri), with 242 yards being taken up in the three scoring efforts. Colorado was not only driving long distances, they were successful in the effort.

Second contestant —Head Coach Gary Barnett

A Missouri alumnus, Barnett stretched his winning streak against the Tigers to five games with the win. In fact, through 2003, Missouri remained the only Big 12 conference opponent not to win against a Gary Barnett coached team.

Barnett’s “Long Drive”? It occurred in 1971. The media release prepared for the press each week by Colorado’s Dave Plati (Assistant Athletic Director / Media Relations) told the story of how Barnett first came to Colorado.

Barnett and a friend “road-tripped” to Colorado in the winter of 1971 looking for teaching jobs. When no job offers came, Barnett settled in as an assistant at his alma mater, Missouri.

Barnett was later offered a teaching and an assistant coaching position at the Air Academy high school in Colorado Springs. Named head coach in 1973, Barnett stayed at the Air Academy for nine years before being named the head coach of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Two years later, in 1984, Barnett was hired by CU head coach Bill McCartney to be an assistant for the Buffs, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The third “Long Drive” took place the weekend of the Colorado/Missouri game, and it did not involve either school. It was the my wife, Lee, came home from Edmonton, Alberta, for the long Veterans’ Day weekend (in Canada, it’s Remembrance Day).

Lee had been at her internship since late August, and this was her second trip home. The first had been the weekend of the Kansas game, the last Colorado win before the Missouri game.

In the 21-16 win over Missouri, the Buffs and Tigers utilized “Long Drives” to secure points. Coming from Missouri, Gary Barnett had taken a “Long Drive” (and circuitous one) to get to Boulder.

But the winner of the competition for the “Longest Drive” on the weekend of the CU/MU game was my wife, if for no other reason than the only two weekends in the past eight in which Colorado had won, she had been back in the U.S.A.

Try as I might, I could not persuade Lee to come back to Bozeman for the Iowa State and Nebraska games. The Buffs would have to try and find a way to win those games on their own.

[The Buffs did go on to defeat hapless Iowa State, 44-10, to raise the 2003 record to 5-6. A bowl game was still a possibility, but it would take a win over Nebraska to do it. The Buffs were game, but fell, 31-22, to the 25th-ranked Cornhuskers, to finish 5-7 and out of the bowl picture]

The Colorado Daily

Stuart Whitehair — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:50:26 -0400

October 27th

Buffs not considered a tough opponent

How far have the Buffs fallen? Remember two weeks ago when Texas beat Colorado by three touchdowns, and dropped in the polls?

Now Bill Snyder (Bill Snyder!) has indirectly, but quite certainly, denegrated the Buffs. In his Big 12 weekly press conference, the Kansas State coach was asked about being the surprising leader of the Big 12 North.

Instead of praising his team’s 3-1 conference record, Snyder instead replied that he was disappointed as to how the Wildcats played against the Buffs. Snyder was particularly angry about his team being shut out in the second half by the Buffs, after scoring on three of their first four possessions.

“The name of the game is trying to get better,” said Snyder. “We did not get better on offense…If you finish well, it means you played well and prepared well…Half of our game we did not prepare well or play well. That’s why I’m upset.”

So, there you go. The Buffs lose by 14 points, fall to 2-5, 1-2, and the winning coach, whose team is leading the division, is pissed that his team—Kansas State! —didn’t get the 62 points they got the week before. This is the state of the program at Colorado. There was no rushing the fields by students in Austin or Manhattan when the Buffs were defeated. No were no ”breaking news” stories when Colorado dropped yet another game on the road.

It’s gotten so bad, that just defeating Colorado by double digits is not enough. You drop in the polls and call out your team because you didn’t maul the hapless Buffs worse than you did.

Someone please write Mike Bohn a big check to buyout this coach and stop the bleeding …

For What it’s Worth …

… there was a players’ only meeting held on Monday. It doesn’t take too much effort to come up with some of the topics of discussion. Still, it would have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall during the meeting. It’s hard to not feel for the players. They get the brunt of the abuse, but it’s not the players most fans have issues with …

… The CU/Texas A&M game will be kicking off at 11:30 a.m. on November 7th. The game has been picked up by Fox Sports Central, giving the Buffs their third straight morning kickoff …

… Interesting point made by Tim Griffin on his ESPN Big 12 blog: Nebraska has lost its last two Big 12 games (to Texas Tech and Iowa State), both times to back up quarterbacks. What’s more, Nebraska will be playing backup quarterbacks in its next two games, against Baylor (where third-string quarterback Nick Florence gets the start), and against Oklahoma (Landry Jones in for Sam Bradford). The Big Red offense has posted 17 points total in its last two games, so they might try a backup of their own, freshman Cody Green, this weekend …

Colorado Buffaloes Struggle to Find Offense, Fall 20-6

Stuart Whitehair — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:40:52 -0400

October 24th — @ Kansas State, Kansas State 20, Colorado 6

Colorado drove 71 yards on its first drive of the game against Kansas State, taking a 6-3 first quarter lead. The remainder of the game, however, the Buffaloes' offense generated only 173 yards, turning the ball over four times in falling to the Wildcats, 20-6.

The Buffs wasted an outstanding effort from their defense on the afternoon, as the Kansas State offense was held in check for most of the game.

Mistakes and penalties, however, continued to plague the Buffs, with Colorado falling to 2-5 on the 2009 season.

The morning start (11:30 CT) seemed to favor the home team, as Kansas State took the opening kickoff and moved smartly down the field. After only five plays, the Wildcats had a 1st-and-10 at the Colorado 12-yard line. The Buffs’ defense stiffened, though, and Kansas State was forced to settle for a Josh Cherry 25-yard field goal.

The Buffs responded in kind with their first drive, converting two third downs in pushing the ball to the Kansas State 23-yard line. From there, the drive chart went as follows:

Rodney Stewart, rush for three yards; 2nd-and-7 at the KSU 20-yard line;

Rodney Stewart, rush for nine yards; 1st-and-10 at the KSU 11-yard line;

Rodney Stewart, rush for eight yards; 2nd-and-2 at the KSU three yard line;

Rodney Stewart, rush for one yard; 3rd-and-1 at the KSU two yard line;

Rodney Stewart, rush for two yards— touchdown, Colorado.

It appeared as if the Colorado offense had a great game plan for Kansas State, and that the Buffs’ offense, with a 13 play, 71-yard drive, was ready to build on the momentum of the Kansas game. Even after Aric Goodman missed his first extra point of the season, the Buffs and their fans had to be confident that their first road win in two years was within their grasp.

Then, the next 50 minutes were played.

The teams traded punts, with Kansas State taking over at its 42-yard line near the end of the first quarter. This time, the Colorado defense offered no resistance.

The Wildcats did not face a third down on the drive, with Daniel Thomas taking the ball in from the four-yard line to give Kansas State a lead they would not relinquish. The score was 10-6 in favor of Kansas State with 13:19 to play in the first half.

Little did the 42,019 in attendance for the KSU homecoming realize at the time that the Wildcat defense would not require any further assistance on the day.

Matters went from bad to worse for Colorado a few moments later.

After a holding penalty pushed the Buffs back to their 15-yard line, quarterback Tyler Hansen fumbled and the Wildcats recovering at the Colorado 13-yard line.

An eight yard run gave Kansas State a 2nd-and-2 at the CU five-yard line and a touchdown seemed imminent.

Still, the Buffs held.

Defensive lineman Will Pericak caught KSU quarterback for a five yard loss on the next play, and, after an in-completion on third down, Kansas State was forced to settle for a field goal.

13-6, Kansas State, but the Buffs had remained within a touchdown after giving up a turnover in the red zone. There was still cause for hope in the Buff Nation.

That would last for only a few more minutes.

The Colorado defense forced a three-and-out by the KSU offense the next two possessions, and was not rewarded.

On 4th-and-10 on the second possession, Kansas State punter kicked the ball to the Colorado 23-yard line, where Jason Espinoza fumbled.

Set up at the Colorado 20-yard line, Kansas State needed only four plays to score. Assisted by an offsides penalty by defensive lineman Curtis Cunningham on third-and-two at the Colorado 12 which gave KSU a first down, quarterback Grant Gregory scored on a five yard run with 1:11 left before halftime.

Cody Hawkins, who had been replaced at quarterback by Tyler Hansen, and who did not play against Kansas, came in to run the two minute drill. Hawkins, though, was intercepted at the Kansas State 46 with eight seconds remaining before half.

In the second quarter, Kansas State had three first downs (one by penalty), went zero-for-three on third down attempts, and had one completion (for five yards) on five passing attempts...

…And out-scored Colorado, 17-0.

Halftime score: Kansas State 20, Colorado 6.

The Colorado offense, which spent most of the first half in neutral, went in reverse in the second half. The Buffs punted three times in the third quarter, after drives which culminated in 4th-and-16; 4th-and-11; and 4th-and-19.

Only the play of the Colorado defense kept the game from becoming a rout. Between the two offenses, there were four first downs in the quarter, with 17 rushes netting a total of minus one yard. Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen was sacked four times; Kansas State quarterback was sacked twice.

The fourth quarter saw a little more offense, but still no further points. Kansas State twice drove inside the Colorado 40-yard line, but came away without a score. The Buffs gave the Wildcats a gift opportunity to score midway through the quarter, when punter Matt DiLallo was stopped at the Colorado 17-yard line on a fake punt. Cody Hawkins had three in-completions before DiLallo ran for eight yards on 4th-and-10.

Given the ball inside the Colorado red zone, Kansas State drove to the Colorado four yard line before quarterback Grant Gregory fumbled, with the ball recovered by senior linebacker Jeff Smart.

Down two scores with 6:37 to play, the Buffs took off of their longest drive of the season. Starting at the four, Colorado, with Cody Hawkins in for his third drive of the game, engineered a 16-play, 94-yard drive—and still didn’t score. Converting two 3rd-and-10s along the way, the Buffs got as far as the Kansas State two yard line, where Hawkins, on fourth-and-goal, threw an interception in the end zone.

Final Score: Kansas State 20, Colorado 6.

On the day, the Colorado offense was only able to generate 244 yards of total offense. That number, as bad as it sounds, was actually much worse. Take away the first and last drives of the game, and you have an offensive “attack” which generated, wait for it—79 yards .

Eleven drives totaling 79 yards.

None of the intermediate drives generated as many as 20 yards of offense; four ended with negative yardage. Three ended in turnovers; one on downs. None of the drives lasted more than six plays.

All that kept the loss from being an embarrassing rout was the play of the defense. The Buffs held the Wildcat offense—which scored 62 against Texas A&M the week before—to 284 yards of total offense. None of the Kansas State drives went ten plays. After the two scoring drives which gave Kansas State a 10-6 lead, the Wildcats were shut down. No drive gained even 40 yards; seven of the 11 drives gained 15 yards or less.

Here’s how the second half drive chart went for Kansas State: punt; punt; punt; punt; fumble; end of game.

Had the Buffs shown even a modicum of offense, the 20-6 loss could easily have been a victory.

It seems pretty clear that the Colorado offense, ranked as one of the worst in the nation coming into the game, continues to regress. Ranked 108th in the nation in rushing offense, at 94 yards per game, the Buffs posted 60 yards on 31 carries (including four sacks). Ranked 103rd in the nation in total offense, at 311.5 yards/game, the Buffs totaled 244.

Surely the head coach knows that its time for drastic measures.

Nope.

“Games can come down to four or five plays you have to make,” said Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins. “We never really got into any rhythm until the very last drive (which, in case you forgot, was led by Cody). K-State was very good in special teams and it helps when we turn it over.”

Four or five plays? The Buffs ran 68 plays, and put up 244 yards, less than four yards per play. Colorado ran for less than two yards a carry, and completed less than 50 percent of its passes. Rodney Stewart, the Buffs’ only real play-maker, ran the ball five straight times in the first drive, culminating in a touchdown. The remainder of the game, despite Colorado never being more than two scores down, Stewart had only 11 more touches.

Four or five plays? Maybe twenty-four or twenty-five…

More Game notes and locker room quotes have been posted, along with my essay on the game, “Road, Dreary Road", at www.cuatthegame.com

Colorado-Kansas State: “T.I.P.S.” for taking out K-State

Stuart Whitehair — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:42:24 -0400

It’s been 728 days…

…since the Buffs last won a game on the road. It was Oct. 27, 2007, Lubbock, Texas. Another early morning game. Colorado jumped out to a 14-0 lead against the Red Raiders, using four turnovers to preserve a 31-26 win.

Remember?

Since then—nothing. The next road game after the Texas Tech game was the epic meltdown in Ames. The Buffs turned a 21-0 halftime lead against Iowa State into a 31-28 loss (perhaps the game which will prove to be the defining moment of the Dan Hawkins’ era, as a win against the Cyclones would have given the 2007 Buffs an overall winning record). The Buffs had opportunities to break through on the road last season against Kansas, Texas A&M, and Nebraska, and certainly had their chances against West Virginia and Texas this season.

Still…

Back in August, the game against Kansas State appeared to be one of the best chances for a road win. Two weeks ago, as the Wildcats were being blown out, 66-14, by Texas Tech, the Buffs’ chances for victory appeared good. Then, last weekend, the Wildcats jumped out to a 38-0 halftime lead at home against Texas A&M, not allowing the Aggies to score until the rout was up to 59-0. The final score: Kansas State 62, Texas A&M 14. A 100-point turnaround—in one week.

Which Wildcat team will show up in Manhattan Saturday? Let’s take a look…

T: Talent

A name unfamiliar to most Big 12 fans is third in the conference in rushing. Daniel Thomas, a converted quarterback from Northwest Mississippi Junior College leads the Wildcats with 669 yards and eight touchdowns. Four of those touchdowns came in the first half alone last weekend against Texas A&M. Thomas leads the league with 145 carries, and he has posted 90 or more yards in five of Kansas State’s games this season. Overall, the Wildcats are second in the Big 12 in rushing, at 184.0 yards/game (the Buffs are 11th in the conference, at 94.0 yards/game).

The other main offensive weapon to keep an eye on is wide receiver Brandon Banks. The senior is a major part of the passing game, with 34 catches on the season, but that is not the main reason to be concerned.

Banks has three kickoff returns for touchdowns this season—already a Big 12 season record. True, two of the returns came against Tennessee Tech, but the other came against Texas A&M last weekend. The Buffs are doing well on kickoffs—on 27 kickoffs, the opponent has started inside their own 25 yard line 22 times—so this is a matchup to watch.

One player to watch on defense for the Wildcats is defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald. A transfer from Virginia, Fitzgerald has 4.5 sacks—two against Texas A&M—and has a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown to his credit. (Fitzgerald also forced a fumble and recovered another in the Texas A&M meltdown).

Overall, Kansas State registered six sacks against Texas A&M last Saturday, equaling their total for the entire season prior to the game. (The effort moved the Wildcats from 105th to 70th in the nation in that particular category.)

Overall, the Kansas State defense is fair to middling in most categories. In scoring defense, pass defense, rushing defense, and total defense, the Wildcats are ranked between 50th and 66th nationally. Granted, the Wildcats have played two of their games against FCS competition, but these are numbers the Buffs—at least at this point—can only dream about.

I: Intangibles

Colorado’s win last Saturday over preseason Big 12 North favorite Kansas, coupled by losses by co-favorite Nebraska and two time defending champ Missouri on the same weekend, had to give the Buff coaches and players a lift.

The mantra has been—especially since the 0-2 start—that the Big 12 North was still there for the taking. At 1-1 in Big 12 play—with every other North team having already suffered at least one loss—Colorado is definitely in the mix.

A 1-2 Colorado team would not be.

It’s hard to understate the importance of this game, both for the 2009 Buff players, and, I believe, for the present coaching staff. Colorado has not won back-to-back games since last September.

Both Colorado and Kansas State are on highs after big wins. Both teams held their opponents to negative rushing yards (-13 for Texas A&M; -8 for Kansas). Both teams have spent the week hearing about how their team, written off in the Big 12 North race, are now legitimate contenders.

Only one of the teams, though, is playing at home.

Kansas State is 104-23-1 (.816) at home over the past 20 seasons, including a 50-17-1 (.743) in league games over that span. Colorado is 4-4-1 in Manhattan during those years, faring better than most. However, it is hard to ignore the Buffs’ road record under Dan Hawkins—two wins in three-and-a-half seasons.

What does Colorado have working for it? Well, the news about Darrell Scott’s knee injury can be, in one sense, a blessing. Two of the most controversial storylines this season have been the ineffective play of Cody Hawkins, and the misuse/lack of use/abuse of Darrell Scott.

Neither of those stories are at issue this weekend. Tyler Hansen is the starter; Darrell Scott is out for two to three weeks after undergoing knee surgery Thursday.

There is also the recent play of the Colorado defense. While the scoreboard continues to show opponents’ totals in the 30s, the Buff defense is playing better. Neither Texas nor Kansas could run the ball effectively, and those were ranked opponents.

With the exceptions of a Sipili-in-for-Burton at linebacker against Texas and Mahnke-in-for-Perkins at safety against West Virginia, the Buffs have trotted out the same 11 defenders to start each of the last four games.

The defensive line is young, but has started Herrod, Cunningham, and Pericak every game. At the midway point of the season, the Colorado defense is showing some of the promise expected back in August.

There is also the play of the offense. Despite the inconsistency and personnel issues, the Buffs have scored 24 or more points in four of six games this season. Last year, Colorado surpassed the 24-point mark only four times all season—only twice in the last ten games. There is much, much more room for improvement, but there is—again—the showing of some of the promise expected back in August.

But one game does not a season make. Colorado had two touchdown “drives” of less than five yards against Kansas. Still, in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, and the Buffs down for the first time since the first quarter, the Buffs responded with a game-winning touchdown drive.

Tantalizing, but not yet a proven product…

P: Preparation / Schedule

If you like omens, you have to like the early start of Saturday’s game. The 10:30 start is the same as it was for the Texas Tech game two years ago. The Buffs built a 14-0 lead on its first two possessions and never looked back. Colorado did not turn the ball over, did not allow a sack, and had only three penalties. It may take a similar effort this weekend for the Buffs to pull off the road upset.

Both teams are in the middle of conference play, so there is little advantage/disadvantage to the schedule in October. Until mid-November, when Colorado takes on Oklahoma State on Thursday night, there will be no break in the Saturday game dates. Kansas State has already played seven games, and will not have a break in its season, finishing play on Nov. 21.

Looking ahead, both teams have big games next week. Kansas State goes on the road to play Oklahoma in Norman. That game will be the Fox Sports evening game, and certainly Wildcat players will be looking forward to trying to make a name for themselves with an upset of the Sooners, a preseason national championship pick which has struggled to a 3-3 record.

Colorado, meanwhile, has a revenge game against Missouri at home next weekend. In a number you will hear much of next week, the Tigers have tamed the Buffs by a combined score of 113-10 over the past two seasons. Missouri is also wounded, a 4-2 team which will likely be 4-3 after facing No. 3 Texas this weekend.

Both Colorado and Kansas State have big games to look forward to next weekend.

Neither team will have much reason to be excited about their game, however, if they don’t win this Saturday.

S: Statistics

At the midway point of the season, Colorado is mired in the 100s in eight categories. The Buffs are stuck at 108th in rushing offense; 103rd in total offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Colorado is 100th in scoring defense; 105th in pass defense. I had hopes two months ago that Colorado would be edging toward the top half in a number of categories this season. Instead, I am left where we have been the past few years—hoping to get out of triple digits.

Kansas State, meanwhile, does not face any triple digit rankings. The worst number on the Wildcat board is passing offense, where Kansas State checks in at 95th. This is off-set by the Wildcats’ 184 yards rushing/game, good enough for a No. 33 ranking.

Okay, but there are statistics, and then there are statistics. How’s this—Kansas State is 4-3, and none of its previous seven opponents have a losing record. Sounds good on paper, but then you have to take into consideration that two of those teams are from the FCS (Massachusetts is 4-2, with wins over Albany and Stony Brook; Tennessee Tech is 3-3, with wins over Pikeville and Austin Peay).

Iowa State and Texas A&M are 4-3 and 3-3, respectively, with wins over North Dakota State (ISU) and Utah State (A&M). Kansas State lost to a decent, but certainly not great, UCLA (3-3) team, to a 4-2 Louisiana-Lafayette team which did not beat the other two BCS teams it played this season, and to Texas Tech—by a 66-14 score that wasn’t that close.

Kansas State leads the Big 12 North with a 2-1 record, and its four wins are something for Buff fans to envy, but…

The Wildcats are not that great of a football team. Bill Snyder has won games against mediocre competition, and has lost when facing decent opponents.

It’s time for the Colorado program to step up and put the Wildcats back in their place. Buff fans have waited too long for this team to mature. Losing every game on the road for two full seasons is absurd.

Time for the Colorado football team to step up …

…or step back into the shadows until next August.

This Day in History—Oct. 24

Stuart Whitehair — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:19:00 -0400

This Day in History—Oct. 24

Colorado on Oct. 24—5-10

1891 – Colorado Mines – L 10-6;

1903 – Nebraska L – 31-0;

1908 – Colorado State – W 8-0;

1925 – Utah – L 12-7;

1931 – Colorado State – L 19-6;

1936 – Colorado State – W 9-7;

1942 – Colorado State – W 34-7;

1953 – Oklahoma – L 27-20;

1959 – Arizona – W 18-0;

1964 – Nebraska – L 21-3;

1970 – Missouri – L 30-16;

1981 – Iowa State – L 17-10;

1987 – Oklahoma – L 24-7;

1992 – Kansas State – W 54-7;

1998 – Texas Tech – L 33-17.

Oct. 24th—Colorado—best game on this date

No. 9 Colorado v. Kansas State— Oct. 24, 1992

[The Buffs in 1992 were looking to "four-pete" as Big Eight champions, and were undefeated through the first part of the 1992 season. A 24-24 tie with Oklahoma had dropped the seventh ranked Buffs to ninth, but kept in tact the Buffs' title hopes.]

The 24-24 tie was satisfying only because of the comeback. The Sooners had been struggling in 1992, but the Buffs made Oklahoma look like world-beaters in surrendering seven turnovers. “I feel very fortunate to get out of here with a tie under the circumstances,” said McCartney in his post-game comments. “This keeps us unbeaten (5-0-1, 1-0-1 in Big Eight play) and keeps alive a lot of the things we want to do this season.”

Oct. 24—Boulder No. 9 Colorado 54, Kansas State 7

The ninth-ranked Buffs controlled an entire game for the first time in 1992, dominating Kansas State 54-7. Colorado scored early and often, lighting up the scoreboard on seven of its first 11 possessions in cruising to a 30-0 halftime lead before a sold-out Folsom Field crowd of 52,235. The Wildcats, with a respectable 3-2 record coming into Boulder, left town without an offensive touchdown, scoring only on a an interception return after the game was well in hand.

”It would be an understatement to say that the defense was dominant,” said McCartney. “The fact of the matter is I can’t remember a time our defense was so dominant in a game.” The numbers backed up the Colorado head coach. Kansas State was held to three first downs (zero- for-10 on third down attempts), and 16 total yards. The ineptitude of the Wildcats led to thirteen punts, 10 of which were returned for 167 yards by senior cornerback and kick return specialist Deon Figures. Both of Figures’ numbers set school records, with the yardage record surpassing a mark set by Byron “Whizzer” White against Utah in 1936.

On offense, Kordell Stewart returned to the helm (despite a broken wrist) to lead the way, passing and running for first half touchdowns. Also noteworthy on a day when McCartney could afford to scout out his young talent, two freshmen scored their first career touchdowns for Colorado. Running back Rashaan Salaam scored on a two-yard run in the second quarter, while Duke Tobin connected with wide receiver Rae Carruth on a 20-yard scoring strike to close out the scoring in the fourth.

The Buffs were now 6-0-1, 2-0-1 in conference play. As fate would have it, when the Associated Press poll came out the week after the Kansas State game, Colorado was tied for 8th in the nation with 1,046 total points. The team the Buffs were tied with? It was none other than the opponent up next on the calendar—the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

[The Buffs would fall to Nebraska in Lincoln, 52-7, in the "Halloween massacre" the following week. The Buffs would win their remaining Big Eight games to finish the regular season with a 9-1-1 record, 5-1-1 in Big Eight play. A 26-22 loss to No. 6 Syracuse in the Fiesta Bowl would drop the Buffs to 13th in the final polls.]

Best Games in College Football History— Oct. 24

1964— No. 5 Nebraska 21, Colorado 3

Colorado was only 1-4 on the 1964 season coming into the contest against the undefeated Cornhuskers, but the Buffs hung tough for much of the game. CU was up 3-0 in the second quarter, when Buff defensive back Hale Irwin almost intercepted a pass from Nebraska’s Bob Churchich, but the ball instead fell into the arms of Huskers’ halfback Kent McCloughan, who took it in for a 53 yard touchdown and a change in momentum. Another familiar name, Frank Solich, scored the second touchdown for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers went on to win the Big Eight, but fell to second-ranked Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl to finish with a 9-2 record, sixth in the final poll (taken before the bowl game).

1970 – No. 8 Stanford 9, No. 16 UCLA 7

Before 83,518 fans, the largest crowd to see UCLA play an opponent in the L.A. Coliseum other than USC, the Cardinal held on to beat the Bruins. UCLA did hold Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett without a touchdown pass for the first time in his career, but a 42-yard pass from Plunkett to Randy “The Rabbit” Vataha (later known as Ahmad Rashad). The win gave Stanford its first sweep of USC and UCLA in 13 years. Stanford would go on win the Pac Eight, defeating Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 27-17, to finish 9-3, ranked eighth. Quarterback Jim Plunkett won the Heisman trophy in 1970, besting Joe Theismann from Notre Dame and Archie Manning from Mississippi.

1981—No. 15 Nebraska 6, No. 19 Missouri 0

There had not been a scoreless tie involving a Big Eight team in 14 years, but the Cornhuskers and Tigers came close. Nebraska scored until the last series of the game, with quarterback Turner Gill engineering a drive which was culminated with a three yard score by fullback Phil Bates with 23 seconds left. Nebraska sacked Tiger quarterbacks ten times, and held Missouri to 85 yards rushing. Nebraska would make it to the Orange Bowl, but fell to national champion Clemson, 22-15, finishing the 1981 season 9-3, ranked 11th. Missouri wound up in the Tangerine Bowl, with a 19-17 win over Southern Miss earning the Tigers a final ranking of 19th.

1987— Alabama 41, No. 8 Tennessee 22

If it was the third weekend in October, it was time for the annual blood-feud between Alabama and Tennessee. The game, played in Birmingham, was the first-ever night game in the series, and the Crimson Tide dominated the top ten Volunteers. Running back Bobby Humphrey had 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead Alabama back into the polls. The Crimson Tide would rise as far as 11th , but season-ending losses to Auburn and Michigan (in the Hall of Fame Bowl) left the 8-4 Crimson Tide out of the final rankings. Tennessee, meanwhile, would rebound to finish 14th after taking out Indiana, 27-22, in the Peach Bowl.

1998—No. 8 Texas A&M 17, No. 25 Texas Tech 10

In a battle between tailbacks, Aggie Dante Hall got the best of Red Raider Ricky Williams, as A&M defeated its hated rival. Texas A&M used the win as a springboard for its second consecutive Big 12 South title. In 1998, Texas A&M won its first conference championship, upsetting Kansas State, 36-33, before falling to Ohio State, 24-14, in the Sugar Bowl, to finish 11th. Texas Tech earned an Independence Bowl invitation, finishing 7-5 (and unranked) after a 35-18 loss to Mississippi.

The Colorado Daily

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:08:12 -0400

October 19th

A tip of the hat to two Buffs

As the Buffs and their fans bask in the glow of the win over Kansas (was your work day just a little bit better today?), I’d like to give out a shout to two Buffs who have been maligned this season.

First, let’s hear it for kicker Aric Goodman . I received a text Saturday that Goodman was suffering from an abdominal strain, and might not be able to play against Kansas. Not only did he play, but Goodman was successful on both of his field goal attempts. Okay, the first kick, from 45 yards out, bounced in off right upright, but hey, it went in, tying the score in the second quarter. What’s more, Goodman had seven kickoffs, all of which made it to the endzone. Five went for touchbacks, with only two being returned (one to the 16; one to the 25). For his efforts, Goodman was honored for the second time this season as the national kickoff specialist of the week by the College Football Performance Awards. All in all, for a kicker that none of us had much confidence in at the beginning of the season, a pretty good night! …

Second, a high-five for quarterback Cody Hawkins . If you watched the game, you know that Cody was there for Tyler Hansen all night. He was there to talk strategy; he was there to celebrate Tyler’s successes (which was better—the leap frog or the matador?). The cynic might say that Cody was doing it for show, that he didn’t want the cameras to catch him pouting. Even if that were true, then you would have to give credit to Cody for recognizing that his reactions would be captured on television. Personally, I think Cody’s reactions were genuine. I believe he is the consummate teammate, and was Tyler’s biggest fan on the sidelines …

In other news …

Rodney Stewart became the first Colorado player to be honored as the Big 12 Player of the Week. Speedy, who had 108 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas, shared the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors with Oklahoma State wide receiver Hubert Anyiam. On Saturday, Stewart became the 49th player in Colorado history to post 1,000 career rushing yards … (Last season, cornerback Cha’pelle Brown was the Defensive Player of the week after his interception return for a touchdown beat Eastern Washington, and kicker Aric Goodman was the Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning field goal in overtime against West Virginia) …

The Colorado/Missouri game has been picked up for television, but it is the 11:30 a.m. game on Fox Sports Net. The good news is that the game represents the eighth straight game regionally or nationally televised game (with Oklahoma State and Nebraska already scheduled for national coverage, the Buffs will be on television for at least ten games this season). The bad news is that the game is on Halloween, and would have been a great candidate for this season’s “Blackout” game. The game still might be chosen, but it won’t have the same look in the morning as it would have at night …

Big 12 quarterback shuffle … Nebraska, on the heels of a 31-10 loss to Texas Tech at home, Nebraska may see a change at quarterback. Starter Zac Lee was ineffective against the Red Raiders, so freshman Cody Green was inserted. Head coach Bo Pelini said today that the decision as to which player would start against Iowa State Saturday would be a “game-time” decision. “We’ll see how it goes and how they practice and how they perform,” said Pelini. “There’s a lot of variable. A lot of things could happen.” … Texas quarterback Colt McCoy said he will play against Missouri Saturday, despite a bruised right thumb which will likely lose its nail. “It’s sore, but it’s not going to keep me out,” said McCoy. “It’s football.” … Oklahoma will be without quarterback Sam Bradford this Saturday against Kansas, and perhaps beyond. Saturday against Texas, Bradford re-injured the same shoulder which has kept him out for much of the season. ”I think the fair thing to say is right now, he’s not going to play this week,” said Sooner head coach Bob Stoops. “I just assumed everyone understood that. From there, the path hasn’t been determined yet.”