Posts Tagged ‘Koy Detmer’

#10 Oklahoma – John Hessler’s record-setting starting debut

//posted 9.30.1995

Detmer Under the Microscope

Everyone knew shortly after the Texas A&M game was over that quarterback Koy Detmer, whose efforts over the first three games of the season had merited a “Colorado’s Detmer throws his hat into ring” Heisman-watch headline from USA Today (9/18/95), was seriously injured. What happened? Detmer: “It was weird the way it happened. I went to spin out of the pocket and take off running, but my foot was hung up in the turf and when I pushed, my knee kind of dug way in and just kind of twisted it and shifted the bones a little bit.”

A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury can be career threatening. But how serious was Detmer’s injury? Speculation in the media ran from the positive: “Detmer could return in two weeks” (Buffalo Sporting News, 9/25/95), to the hopeful: “Detmer optimistic despite knee injury” (Denver Post, 9/24/95), to the negative: “Detmer may be out for the season” (Rocky Mountain News, 9/24/95).

What was the truth? “It looks as though if they can brace him and stabilize the knee, he might be able to play”, reported head coach Rick Neuheisel. “Koy is of the mind that he wants to play…

#3 Texas A&M – “Fightin’ Words” / Detmer Injured

//posted 9.23.1995

(Post your own memories)

“Fightin’ Words”

The lopsided win over Northeast Louisiana raised the 3-0 Buffs to No. 7 in the nation. The next two opponents, though, would show if Colorado’s rise in the polls was merited.

The Aggies of Texas A&M were coming to Boulder for a top ten showdown, the first of Neuheisel’s coaching career. Undefeated on the young season, A&M featured Heisman-trophy candidates Leeland McElroy at halfback and Corey Pullig at quarterback. In dominating Tulsa, 52-9, the week before the Colorado game, McElroy accounted for 285 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, while Pullig threw three passes for scores.

Rick Neuheisel was not intimidated. “We (the Colorado coaching staff and players) all have a great deal of respect for (Texas A&M)”, said the Buffs’ head coach. “But we feel like we’re right with ‘em and we’re not going to back down to anybody. And if those are fightin’ words, so be it. We’re ready to play Texas A&M.”

September 23rd – Boulder #7 Colorado 29, #3 Texas A&M 21

A Folsom Field record crowd of 53,849 and a national ABC television audience looked on as the Colorado Buffaloes lost their leader in the first quarter, only to have a local boy…

Northeast Louisiana – Records fall like rain

//posted 9.16.1995

(Post your own memories)

September 16th – Boulder No.9 Colorado 66, Northeast Louisiana 14

Class: Get out a fresh piece of paper.

It’s time to start noting all of the new school records set by the Buffs in mauling the Indians of Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe), 66-14. The point total for the game set a modern record, besting by one the 65 points put up against Arizona back in 1958. Prior to the Northeast Louisiana “contest”, the highest total offensive output ever by a Buff team in CU football history was 676 yards (v. Oklahoma State, 1971). The 1995 Buffs obliterated that record, posting 758 yards of total offense. The 35 points scored in the first quarter tied a school record; the 49 points on the scoreboard at half set a new one.

Get the picture? Perhaps NLU head coach Ed Zaunbrecher summed it up properly when interviewed the week leading up to the game. “I’ve been sleeping like a baby all week”, said the Indians’ coach. “Sleeping for four hours and then waking up and crying the rest of the night.”

Individually, quarterback Koy Detmer quite literally had a field day. Before leaving the game early in the third quarter, Detmer had tied…

Colorado State – Walter Mitty and Me

//posted 9.9.1995

(Post your own memories)

1995 – Game Two – #10 Colorado v. Colorado State – September 9, 1995

Walter Mitty and Me

In the Buffalo Sporting News the week after the Wisconsin game, there was a photo of Rick Neuheisel being carried off of the field by his players after the opening game rout of Wisconsin. The scoreboard, with the final of 43-7 well-illuminated, is in the background. In the photo, Neuheisel eyeing someone in the stands with his arm and index finger raised – No. 1. Perhaps it was for the first win of his coaching career, or where the brash young coach felt the Buffs should be ranked. In any event, no one could argue with the coach being on a natural high that evening.

If only it were me.

Okay. It was time for a reality check. I had no delusions about being the head football coach at Colorado. Still, there are some parallels to myself and Rick Neuheisel that occasionally make me wonder – “What if”? Neuheisel and I were both born in 1961, he in February; I in October. He graduated high school in 1979; I in 1980. While Neuheisel was an undergrad at UCLA, I was beginning my…

Preseason – 1993 – Buffs take on the most difficult schedule in the nation

//posted 8.17.1993

(Post your own memories)

Scouting the Nation

As the summer of 1993 wound down, (a great summer for me and my lady, thank you very much) the pre-season magazines appeared. There was little or no consensus as to which team would emerge from the upcoming season ranked No. 1 on January 1, 1994. Florida State received much of the ink, but Alabama was also getting support for a repeat of its 1992 National Championship.

When the pre-season Associated Press poll came out, five different teams received first-place votes. Included with Florida State, Alabama, Michigan, and Syracuse was Stanford, which was ranked no higher than 15th overall.

There was consensus as to the Colorado Buffaloes and their season, however, at least as to several issues.

First, everyone agreed that the Buffs’ 1993 schedule would be brutal. The non-conference slate included ranked Miami (No. 5 in the pre-season poll) and Stanford (15th), along with the nearly-ranked Texas (30th overall) and Baylor (31st). If Colorado could survive September, conference clashes against Oklahoma, improving Kansas, and, of course, Nebraska, loomed.

“Maximum Challenge” was the motto chosen by the team for the season, and a glance at the schedule explained why.

1993 Outlook – CU Roster

While there was…

Iowa State – School records set by Stewart, Detmer, Westbrook, and Johnson

//posted 11.21.1992

(Post your own memories)

November 21st – Boulder #11 Colorado 31, Iowa State 10

Kordell Stewart threw for three touchdowns and 279 yards as the Buffs raced out to a 28-3 halftime lead before cruising to a 31-10 win over Iowa State.

The Buffs put the Cyclones on notice early that Colorado would not fall victim to the complacency which had cost the Cornhuskers. Linebacker Chad Brown recovered a fumble by Iowa State fullback Chris Ulrich on the Cyclones’ first possession. On the very next play from scrimmage, Stewart connected with fullback James Hill on a 19-yard score, and Colorado was ahead to stay, 7-0.

After Iowa State cut the Buffs’ lead to 7-3, the Buffs scored three touchdowns over a nine-minute span in the second quarter to make the second half irrelevant. First Stewart hit Michael Westbrook for 24 yards and a 14-3 lead. Next, Stewart connected with tight end Christian Fauria from one-yard out and a 21-3 advantage. Finally, Lamont Warren took it in from three yards to finish off a nine-play, 82-yard drive, and the Buffs were dominating, 28-3.

Stewart’s 279 passing yards gave him 2,109 for the year, the first time in Colorado history a Buff quarterback had surpassed the 2,000-yard…

#8 Nebraska – The Halloween Massacre – (First mention of a “Pac-12″)

//posted 10.31.1992

(Post your own memories)

October 31st – @ Nebraska #8 Nebraska 52, #8 Colorado 7

Happy Halloween.

Nebraska had not defeated the Colorado Buffaloes since 1988. Still, Colorado, in step with the times, was not resting on past glories. The Buffs had converted to a more-open, air-it-out attack, giving up on the smash-mouth football which was the traditional path to success in the Big Eight. While Colorado was competing for national championships, Nebraska had gone four years without defeating a top ten team, and had won only two of its last 11 games against ranked opponents.

It was time for the Buffs to demonstrate once and for all to the Cornhuskers that “three yards in a cloud of dust” football was a thing of the past.

Oops.

Nebraska dominated, decimated, and decapitated the Buffaloes on Halloween Day, 1992, by a lopsided score of 52-7.

Just over a minute into the game, the Buffs’ 25-game Big Eight unbeaten streak was in jeopardy. Freshman quarterback Koy Detmer received the starting nod over Kordell Stewart when Stewart was unable to practice the week leading up to the game due to lingering injuries. Detmer was intercepted three times on the day, the first coming on his first…

Oklahoma – Koy Detmer’s first career start a record-setter

//posted 10.17.1992

(Post your own memories)

October 17th – Boulder #7 Colorado 24, Oklahoma 24

In 1952, the Colorado Buffaloes tied mighty Oklahoma 21-21 to mar an otherwise perfect conference run of the Bud Wilkinson Sooners of 1948-57 (a 57-0-1 streak).

Forty years later, the Buffs salvaged a 24-24 tie against a 3-2 Sooner squad led by 4th-year head coach Gary Gibbs. Colorado managed to pull out the tie only by scoring 10 points in the final 4:27 of the game.

Freshman quarterback Koy Detmer, making his debut as a starter, made quite an impression, re-writing several pages of the Colorado record book. Detmer eclipsed the single game record for passing completions and yardage in completing 33-of-50 passes for a school best 418 yards. Included in the 418 yards was a school record 92-yard touchdown pass to Charles E. Johnson.

But not all of the records were positive. Included in Detmer’s efforts were five interceptions (tying a record set by Jeff Austin against Texas Tech in 1976).

For every good play made by the freshman quarterback, there was a poor one to offset it. Oklahoma scored the first points of the game less than two minutes into the contest when a Detmer fumble was returned…

Colorado Buffalo Football Analysis and Recaps - CU At the Game

Searching for CU football? you'll find it here.

Posts Tagged ‘Koy Detmer’

#10 Oklahoma – John Hessler’s record-setting starting debut

#3 Texas A&M – “Fightin’ Words” / Detmer Injured

Northeast Louisiana – Records fall like rain

Colorado State – Walter Mitty and Me

Preseason – 1993 – Buffs take on the most difficult schedule in the nation

Iowa State – School records set by Stewart, Detmer, Westbrook, and Johnson

#8 Nebraska – The Halloween Massacre – (First mention of a “Pac-12″)

Oklahoma – Koy Detmer’s first career start a record-setter

2012 Season

Archive Game of the Week