1989 Season Archive

#4 Notre Dame – Orange Bowl – “Opportunity Lost”

//posted 1.1.1990

Travel Plans

When I was an undergrad at Colorado, a number of my friends and I made a pact:

If Colorado ever made it to the Orange Bowl as Big Eight Champions, we would go to the game.

No matter when, no matter our circumstances, we would find a way to get there. At the time, with the Buffs posting a series of records like 1-10, 2-8-1, and 3-8, there seemed to be little substance to the pledge.

A few short years later, though, the Buffs were going. I envisioned a class reunion of sorts in Miami, catching up with friends not seen for several years. Not only were the Buffs Big Eight champs, they were playing for the national championship. Surely all of my football buddies of the early 1980′s, who had endured the carnage of the early years, would not miss the Orange Bowl.

Reality check.

Many of my friends from the early 80′s had, much to my chagrin, gotten a life. I was still single, while many of my classmates had settled down with wives and children. An excursion to Miami for them was just not in the cards.

Pact or no pact, few were planning on …

1989 Video highlights

//posted 12.11.1989

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Here’s a YouTube video with highlights of the 1989 season … it’s worth 18 minutes of your time to relive some of these highlights!

…

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Kansas State – Six weeks to History, the Buffs move up to No. 1

//posted 11.18.1989

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November 18th – @ Kansas State No. 2 Colorado 59, Kansas State 11

Having learned their lesson against Oklahoma State, the Colorado Buffaloes did not allow Kansas State to open up strong. Instead, the Buffs dominated from beginning to end, rolling up the most points by a Colorado team in 20 years, mauling Kansas State, 59-11. J.J. Flannigan rushed for a career-high 246 yards and four touchdowns as Colorado rushed for 518 yards. The defense also contributed, holding Kansas State without a first down and only eight (eight!) yards of total offense in the first half.

Flannigan opened up the contest with a 57-yard run on Colorado’s first play from scrimmage. On the next play, Flannigan scored from two yards out as Colorado posted a 7-0 lead in the first minute of play. A few minutes later, quarterback Darian Hagan scored from a yard out, and the outcome was no longer in doubt. On the day, Hagan rushed for 156 yards while passing for 69 more. The numbers allowed Hagan to become only the fifth player in NCAA history to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in the same season. Hagan’s totals for 1989: 1,002 yards passing; 1,004 yards …

Oklahoma State – Buffs rally from 10-0 deficit to rout Cowboys

//posted 11.11.1989

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November 11th – @ Oklahoma State #2 Colorado 41, Oklahoma State 17

What was supposed to be a coronation of the new Big Eight champions appeared to be anything but as the Oklahoma State Cowboys came to play against the emotionally drained Buffaloes. With a 53-yard scoring strike from quarterback Mike Gundy to wide receiver Curtis Mayfield to open the second quarter, Oklahoma State opened up a 10-0 lead against the lethargic Buffs. This team was not to be denied, however, as Colorado stormed back with 41 unanswered points on their way to a 41-17 victory over the Cowboys.

The Oklahoma State touchdown put the Buffs down two scores for the first time all season. Two drives and only six minutes of game clock later, though, Colorado was on top to stay, 14-10. J.J. Flannigan and Darian Hagan each contributed two short runs for scores (one yard and five yards, respectively) to restore order midway through the second quarter. By halftime, Colorado was up 24-10 thanks to a 26-yard pass from Hagan to M.J. Nelson and a 40-yard Ken Culbertson field goal. After the touchdown pass from Gundy to Mayfield, the Colorado defense held Oklahoma State to just 11 yards …

No. 3 Nebraska – “This is the greatest win I’ve been a part of”

//posted 11.4.1989

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November 4th – Boulder No. 2 Colorado 27, No. 3 Nebraska 21

Jim Nantz, the play-by-play announcer for CBS, introduced the Colorado/Nebraska game to the nation as follows: “Quite simply, there has never been a bigger game in Colorado’s 100-year history than this game today.” After falling behind early, the Colorado Buffaloes played like champions, prevailing over Nebraska, 27-21, taking control of the Big Eight race to the Orange Bowl, and taking dead aim at a national championship.

The game began ominously for the Buffs. In each of Colorado’s five previous games at Folsom Field in 1989, the Buffs had scored on the first drive of the game. In the opening series against the Cornhuskers, though, quarterback Darian Hagan threw an interception, only his fourth of the season. Nebraska took over at the its own 49-yard line, and quickly took the lead. On the Cornhuskers’ first play from scrimmage, quarterback Gerry Gdowski, taking advantage of the over pursuit of a pumped-up Colorado defense, threw a screen pass to Bryan Carpenter, who raced 51 yards for a score.

7-0, Nebraska, just 1:30 into the contest.

Folsom Tomb

A few minutes earlier, 52,877 fans were making as much noise as twice their …

Oklahoma – High Five in the Produce Aisle

//posted 10.28.1989

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October 28th – @ Oklahoma #3 Colorado 20, Oklahoma 3

Colorado used a stifling defense and just enough offense to take a 20-3 decision over Oklahoma in one of the biggest wins in Colorado football history. Raising its season record to 8-0 for the first time in sixty-two years, the Buffs gave notice to future opponents that its defense was just as good as its offense. Colorado held the Sooners to only 248 yards of total offense, including completions on only three-of-22 passes in the stiff afternoon breeze at Memorial Stadium.

For much of the first half, it appeared the game might end in a scoreless tie. Each team gained only 43 yards of total offense in the first stanza. Midway through the second quarter, though, the Buffs put together a drive of 50 yards in 11 plays, with Ken Culbertson connecting from 30 yards out to give the Buffs a 3-0 lead, their first lead over Oklahoma in 13 years.

(I’ll pause for a moment to let you read that again. You read it right – it was the Buffs first lead over Oklahoma in 13 years).

After the field goal, the Buff defense forced a three-and-out possession …

CU takes down Kansas – “Things Have Changed”

//posted 10.21.1989

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October 21, 1989 – Boulder #3 Colorado 49, Kansas 17

The largest Homecoming crowd in the Bill McCartney era, 50,057, witnessed the methodical dismantling of the Jayhawks as the Buffs rolled to a 49-17 win. Starting for the injured Eric Bieniemy, senior tailback J.J. Flannigan ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the second quarter as Colorado built a 21-3 halftime advantage. Before Kansas was allowed to score its two consolation touchdowns in the fourth, Colorado had built the lead to 42-3.

The 482 yards of total offense was becoming expected of the Colorado offense. After scoring once in the first quarter, on a 13-yard run by Darian Hagan midway through the quarter, Colorado proceeded to score 14 points in each of the remaining three quarters. While not treated to an exciting finish, Buff fans were at least entertained by Flannigan, who put an end to any lingering doubts about the Colorado running game without Bieniemy. Flannigan had touchdown runs of four and 41 yards in the second quarter, then a 64-yard score in the third quarter before taking his 178-effort to the bench in the fourth quarter. Senior fullback Erich Kissick scored his first touchdown of …

Iowa State – Buffs roll to 662 yards of total offense

//posted 10.14.1989

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October 14th – @ Iowa State #3 Colorado 52, Iowa State 17

The 100th edition of the Colorado Buffaloes continued their assault on the record books as Colorado scored on all seven first half possessions en route to crushing Iowa State, 52-17. The Cyclones stayed even with the Buffs through the first quarter, forging a 10-10 score with a 50-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter. Thereafter, though, it was all Buffs. Colorado scored 35 points in the second quarter, setting a school record for points in that particular stanza. The halftime total of 45 points was also a new school standard for one half, besting 41 points laid on Northwestern in 1978.

In all, Colorado posted 662 yards of total offense, the third highest total ever. The 9.19 yards/play average bettered the school mark by almost a full yard. Leading the slaughter was Darian Hagan, who ran for two scores and connected with Mike Pritchard through the air for two more. For his 269 yards of total offense, which included a career-high 187 yards passing, Hagan was named the Big Eight Offensive Player-of-the-Week.

Still, the Buffs took a hit in the first quarter as Eric …

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1989 Season Archive

#4 Notre Dame – Orange Bowl – “Opportunity Lost”

1989 Video highlights

Kansas State – Six weeks to History, the Buffs move up to No. 1

Oklahoma State – Buffs rally from 10-0 deficit to rout Cowboys

No. 3 Nebraska – “This is the greatest win I’ve been a part of”

Oklahoma – High Five in the Produce Aisle

CU takes down Kansas – “Things Have Changed”

Iowa State – Buffs roll to 662 yards of total offense

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