1982 Season Archive

National and Big Eight recap – 1982 Season (Cal/Stanford band game)

//posted 1.1.1983

National and Big Eight recap – 1982

Penn State, which had failed to win titles in undefeated seasons in prior years, won its first national championship in 1982 with an 11-1 campaign.

Under long time head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions fell only once during the regular season, losing to No. 4 Alabama 42-21 in September. Recovering from the early stinging defeat, Penn State could not be bested the rest of the season, defeating previously unbeaten Georgia and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl. The Nittany Lions were led by running back Curt Warner and quarterback Todd Blackledge, and emerged from an indepedent schedule with victories over No. 2 Nebraska, No. 13 West Virginia, No. 13 Notre Dame, and No. 5 (and preseason No. 1) Pittsburgh.

While Herchel Walker won the Heisman trophy, the list of players Walker defeated may have been one of the most decorated in college football history. Stanford quarterback John Elway, victimized by a last second touchdown by Cal in one of the most infamous plays in college football history (see below), finished second in the Heisman balloting. Also finishing in the top ten were SMU running back Eric Dickerson, Michigan …

Kansas State – Wildcats earn first-ever bowl bid

//posted 11.20.1982

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November 20 – @Kansas State Kansas State 33, Colorado 10

Fresh from its largest margin of victory since 1978, the Buffs had a small degree of momentum going into the season finale against Kansas State in Manhattan. The Wildcats, for their part, despite a 5-4-1 overall record, were on a two-game losing streak. Kansas State needed a win over Colorado to finish with a winning season, and, with a little help, earn the first bowl bid in the school’s history.

The game was never really in doubt after the first half of the first quarter. Trailing 7-0, the Buffs faced a fourth down from their own 22 yard line. Colorado attempted a fake punt, but Tony Rettig tripped and fell, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Buff 22 yard line. Six plays later, it was 14-0 Kansas State, and the Buffs were never closer than seven points the remainder of the game. The Wildcats rolled to a 33-10 win, and, as had been the case in Boulder the weekend before, the goalposts came down. “It was our old nemisis,” said Bill McCartney. “We had our opportunities, and we squandered most of them.”

Steve Vogel played the entire game, passing …

Kansas – The goalposts come down at Folsom

//posted 11.13.1982

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November 13th - Boulder Colorado 28, Kansas 3

In Colorado’s seventh home game of the year, the Buffs finally put things together. On the game’s second play from scrimmage, Colorado quarterback Steve Vogel, having earned the start based on his second half efforts against Missouri, tossed a short screen pass to halfback Richard Johnson. 77 yards later, the Buffs had a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game. “It’s fair to say that play set the tone for the rest of the game,” said Bill McCartney after the game.

The remainder of the contest was the Richard Johnson show. The senior, playing in his final game at Folsom Field, scored all of the Buffs’ touchdowns in the 28-3 win. In addition to the 77-yard touchdown catch and run, Johnson scored on a 13-yard pass from Vogel late in the first quarter; on a five yard pass in the third quarter; and on a two yard run with 4:49 left in the game. Johnson finished with 102 yards rushing on 21 carries, and 95 yards receiving on just three (all for touchdowns) catches. With another five yards in receptions, Johnson would have become the first Buff in Colorado history …

Missouri – Homecoming for Coach Mac not pretty

//posted 11.6.1982

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November 6 – @Missouri Missouri 35, Colorado 14

Colorado head coach Bill McCartney marked his own homecoming of sorts in traveling to Columbia to face the Tigers for the first time as the Buffs head coach. Missouri did not exactly make Coach Mac feel welcome, however, running over the Buffs in a 35-14 rout that was worse than the final score indicated. The defense that had kept Colorado in earlier contests did not come to play against a Missouri squad that had won only one of its previous six contests.

The Tigers scored on six of its seven first half possessions in posting a 35-0 halftime lead. Total offense in the first half: Missouri, 299; Colorado 41.

In the second half, Colorado made the statistics a little less lopsided, with Steve Vogel replacing Randy Essington and passing for 200 yards in leading the Buffs to two second half consolation scores. “This is the first time all year that we didn’t come to play. I don’t know why.” was all that Bill McCartney could come up with after the game. “We weren’t ready to play. By breakfast time, I knew the team wasn’t mentally ready … It’s really hard to figure …

#17 Oklahoma – Progress in small doses

//posted 10.30.1982

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October 30 – Boulder #17 Oklahoma 45, Colorado 10

At 1-5-1, the Buffs were not likely to pose much of a threat to the 5-2 Sooners. As the game unfolded, the Oklahoma game became a representation of the 1982 season in a nutshell: a great deal of heart; a stubborn defense; and an eventual submission to a more talented foe.

Considering that the last two games with Oklahoma had left Colorado on the short end of 82-42 and 49-0 scores, the fact that the score at halftime was 10-10 was just this side of remarkable. Add to this the tidbit that the Oklahoma touchdown came on a 77-yard punt return, and it is clear how well the defense of Colorado was playing. Turnovers in the second half led to quick Sooner scores, leaving the final score of 45-10 much more to the Sooner faithful’s liking. “I thought it was another game where we blew opportunities,” said Bill McCartney. “We fought for awhile, and then we just broke down and hurt ourselves.” On the day, Oklahoma passed only eight times, but ran the ball 76 times (for 368 yards) to wear down the Buffs.

Still, progress was being noted. A column …

Iowa State – Zero conversions on third down …

//posted 10.23.1982

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October 23 – Boulder Iowa State 31, Colorado 14

The Iowa State Cyclones came to Boulder with a better overall record than the Buffs (3-2-1 to Colorado’s 1-4-1), but both teams sported identical 0-1-1 conference records. In fact, the Big Eight Conference standings heading into the third weekend of the season were somewhat bizarre. Nebraska and Oklahoma were both 2-0, and this was to be expected. After that, third place in the league was shared by Oklahoma State and Missouri, with 0-0-2 marks. The remaining four teams in the conference were tied for fifth with 0-1-1. Take a look. It would be the first and last time the standings would ever look this way:

Big Eight Overall

Team W-L-T W- L-T

Nebraska 2 0 0 5 1 0

Oklahoma 2 0 0 4 2 0

Missouri 0 0 2 3 1 2

Okla. State 0 0 2 1 2 2

Iowa State 0 1 1 3 1 2

Kansas State 0 1 1 3 1 2

Kanasas 0 1 1 1 3 2

COLORADO 0 1 1 1 4 1

Against Iowa State, the Buffs again were defeated by their toughest opponent – their own offense. The Colorado defense played …

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Oklahoma State – It Must have been the Tie

//posted 10.16.1982

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October 16 – @Oklahoma State Colorado 25, Oklahoma State 25

It is hard to imagine that anyone would have a revenge factor in playing the Buffs in the early 1980′s, but that is what the Cowboys were playing for in 1982. Colorado had come from behind for an improbable, last second 11-10 win in 1981 in Boulder. Now it was Oklahoma State’s turn to right the wrong. Everyone else was getting healthy playing the powder blue Buffs, and the homecoming crowd of 47,250 expected nothing less from their squad.

Fans of both teams were to be treated to another last second game, but it was the Cowboy fans who were again left with a bad taste in their mouths.

Colorado seemed to have matters well in hand with only 4:39 left in the game, when Colorado’s sensational cornerback Victor Scott had just scored his second touchdown of the game, returning a pass interception for a 22-10 Colorado lead. Oklahoma State, though, promptly marched down the field, scoring a touchdown with still over two minutes left to play. 22-17.

Colorado went three and out on its next possession, punting the ball back to the Cowboys at their 22-yard line. The Colorado …

#7 Nebraska – In Search of a Rival – Meeting CU head coach Bill McCartney

//posted 10.9.1982

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October 9th – Boulder #7 Nebraska 40, Colorado 14

Many times, the numbers say it all.

1980: Nebraska 45; Colorado 7.

1981: Nebraska 59; Colorado 0.

The last two lopsided losses to the Cornhuskers were only the most recent. In the series, the totals were intimidating. Fourteen straight Nebraska wins overall vs. Colorado. No wins for the Buffs against the Cornhuskers in Boulder since 1960.

Nebraska’s record coming into the 1982 game: 3-1, ranked seventh in the nation. Colorado’s record: 1-3 and going nowhere.

With this background, and a final score of 40-14, it would be easy to dismiss this game as another Husker rout in a long string of mismatches.

Such a conclusion would be wrong.

Yes, the Buffs did lose that day. Yes, it was the 15th straight loss to Nebraska. But, no, it was not the typical yawner for the Cornhuskers. Colorado quarterback Randy Essington passed for 361 yards, the most-ever by a Nebraska opponent. Two Colorado receivers, Donnie Holmes and Dave Hestera, each had over 100 yards receiving. Before Nebraska scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, the score was an unnerving – at least to the Husker Nation – 20-14 at the start of …

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1982 Season Archive

National and Big Eight recap – 1982 Season (Cal/Stanford band game)

Kansas State – Wildcats earn first-ever bowl bid

Kansas – The goalposts come down at Folsom

Missouri – Homecoming for Coach Mac not pretty

#17 Oklahoma – Progress in small doses

Iowa State – Zero conversions on third down …

Oklahoma State – It Must have been the Tie

#7 Nebraska – In Search of a Rival – Meeting CU head coach Bill McCartney

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