Posts Tagged ‘Matt Russell’

Nebraska 45, Colorado 17

//posted 11.29.2010

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November 26th – at Nebraska No. 16 Nebraska 45, Colorado 17

Colorado was riding the high of a two-game winning streak, needing one more win to qualify for a bowl game. Instead, the Buffs reverted to old bad habits, falling on the road to No. 16 Nebraska, 45-17. Three Colorado turnovers were all converted into touchdowns by the Cornhuskers, who held the ball for almost 40 minutes of game time. With the loss, Colorado ended its final season as a member of the Big 12 conference with a 5-7 record. Cody Hawkins, who had only two interceptions (and 12 touchdowns) in four games after taking over for an injured Tyler Hansen, threw two interceptions early in the third quarter, allowing Nebraska to turn a close game into a rout.

While it was impossible to know it at the time, the game may have turned on the fifth play from scrimmage. Nebraska took the opening kickoff, and, on second-and-eight at the Cornhusker 47 yard line, Nebraska quarterback Cody Green hit running back Rex Burkhead for a short gain. Burkhead fumbled the ball, with the fumble picked up Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith and returned to the Nebraska 23 yard line. The 3,800 Buff…

Missouri – First shutout since 1992

//posted 11.11.1995

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November 11th – Boulder #9 Colorado 21, Missouri 0

In one of the latest Homecoming dates in school history, the Buffs played its final home game of 1995 against a struggling 2-7 Missouri squad which was winless in Big Eight play. A crowd of 50,645 endured some wind gusts of up to 60 mph, but generally enjoyed balmy November temperature readings of over 50 degrees, leaving Folsom Field satisfied with a methodical 21-0 win for the home team.

Quarterback John Hessler, who against Oklahoma State had broken the school record for touchdown passes in a season (the old mark being 12, jointly held by Steve Vogel, Darian Hagan, and Kordell Stewart), added touchdown passes #17 and #18 for the year, also chipped in a 36-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. The much-maligned Buff defense chose to strut its stuff against an overmatched Tiger offense, posting its first shutout since a 28-0 win over Oklahoma State in 1992.

“You all can’t say any more bad things about our defense,” joked junior linebacker Matt Russell to reporters after the game. “We finally eliminated some mistakes. We’d always been playing hard, but when we eliminated our mistakes it turned out to be…

Oklahoma State – Neuheisel v. Simmons, Round One

//posted 11.4.1995

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November 4th – @Oklahoma State #10 Colorado 45, Oklahoma State 32

Each week, first year head coach Rick Neuheisel faced a new and dramatic challenge. The calendar said November 4th was the date scheduled for the 6-2 Colorado Buffaloes to face the 2-7 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Reality and the media knew it was time for Rick Neuheisel v. Bob Simmons, Round One.

Bob Simmons had been Bill McCartney’s choice to succeed him as head coach. Mike Hankwitz, who had also been passed over for the job, had successfully extracted a measure of revenge as the defensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks, who had previously dispatched the Buffs.

Now it was Simmons’ turn.

Fortunately for the emotionally drained Buffs, Bob Simmons did not have the talent Neuheisel had to work with, and Colorado prevailed, 45-32, behind yet another record-setting performance by quarterback John Hessler. Hessler, who may have wished to stay behind in the Sooner state when the Colorado plane left Stillwater, completed the sweep of the Oklahoma schools by again throwing for five touchdown passes. Against Oklahoma in Norman on September 30th, Hessler had set a school and Big Eight record by throwing for five scores. Five weeks…

#2 Nebraska – ESPN Gameday on hand for Huskers win

//posted 10.28.1995

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October 28th – Boulder #2 Nebraska 44, #7 Colorado 21

The largest crowd to ever witness a college football game at Folsom Field, 54,063, watched as the Buffs’ pre-game antics failed to fluster the undefeated Cornhuskers. Neuheisel had the Buffs enter through the student section in the southeast corner of the stadium to the beat of a Samoan war drum. But it was Nebraska which played to the beat of a National Championship cadence, mauling the Buffs, 44-21, to formally eliminate Colorado from the national title chase.

Nebraska played flawlessly, committing neither a turnover nor a penalty, while Colorado was flagged 12 times for 92 yards, losing the ball twice on John Hessler interceptions. Tommie Frazier passed for a career-high 241 yards and two touchdowns. “He’s a good player”, conceded Neuheisel. Nebraska head coach Tom Osborne gave a higher rating, calling Frazier, “a great player who really holds things together.”

The Cornhuskers took the Buffs’ record crowd out of the game early. After a brief opening drive by Colorado stalled, Nebraska took over at its own 43-yard line. One play later, Nebraska was on top, 7-0, as Ahman Green took a Tommie Frazier pitch around the left side, eluding all…

Iowa State – A “lucky” 22-point win

//posted 10.21.1995

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October 21st – @ Iowa State #9 Colorado 50, Iowa State 28

Offer most teams a 22-point win on the road against a conference opponent, and a 50-point total on the scoreboard, and those teams would walk away quite content. Not the Buffs. Against a 2-5 Iowa State team heading nowhere, Colorado fell asleep at the switch, allowing a 27-10 halftime lead become a 28-27 deficit before rallying for the 50-28 win. If ever there was a “lucky” three-touchdown win, this was it.

On a blustery 40-degree day, the Colorado passing offense was grounded. Fortunately, the rushing game responded, picking up a season-high 326 yards. Lendon Henry scored three touchdowns on the afternoon, two in the second quarter to give Colorado a 21-10 lead. When senior safety Donnell Leomiti returned a fumble 75 yards for a score just before half, the wind seemingly had been taken out of the Cyclones sails.

Iowa State was not finished, however. Aided by 20 mph winds in the third quarter, the Cyclones took advantage of a poor Colorado execution. A punt was blocked out of the endzone for a safety, a second punt traveled only 14 yards, and John Hessler threw an interception. …

Preseason – Neuheisel hired / CU Preview

//posted 6.4.1995

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1995 – The “Neu” Kid on the Block

Introduction – Overview of 1995; The Choice of Neuheisel has new CU head coach

National and Big Eight Recap – 1995

In 1995, the Nebraska Cornhuskers repeated as National Champions, dominating the Florida Gators 62-24 in the National Championship game played at the Fiesta Bowl. Previously unbeaten Florida came into the contest with an air attack led by record-setter Danny Weurffel. Head coach Steve Spurrier had his “Air Spurrier” offense on track until it ran into a buzzsaw of a defense in Nebraska’s “Blackshirts”. Nebraska was led by quarterback Tommie Frazier, who led the Cornhuskers to a 12-0 record, but could not procure for himself the Heisman Trophy. In the closest vote since 1990, Ohio State running back Eddie George beat out Frazier for recognition as the college game’s best player. George’s teammate, offensive tackle Orlando Pace, swept the lineman awards.

In the Big Eight, in the final year of the Conference, the teams sent the Conference out with a flourish. In addition to Nebraska’s title, three other members finished in the top ten of the national rankings. Colorado, Kansas State, and Kansas all finished 9-2, 5-2 in Big Eight play. In…

Pre-season: 1994 – Adios, Southwest Conference – CU returns 16 starters

//posted 8.1.1994

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Adios, Southwest Conference

Quick – Name the last eight members of the Southwest Conference.

Not so easy, is it?

Entering the 1994 season, the long-anticipated demise of the SWC became official. The 1994 and 1995 campaigns would be the last for the storied conference. After 80 seasons, the Southwest Conference would fold up its tents; its teams left to a new future.

Arkansas, the only Southwest member outside of the state of Texas, had defected to the Southeastern Conference in 1990. Now Texas, Texas A & M, Baylor, and Texas Tech, commencing with the 1996 season, would join the Big Eight to form the Big 12. Southern Methodist, Rice, and Texas Christian, meanwhile, would join the Western Athletic Conference. The Houston Cougars, originally set adrift to fend for itself as an independent, would eventually settle upon an affiliation with Conference USA.

Why would a conference as steeped in history as the SWC fold? Several reasons were proposed: 1) the increased popularity of the NFL in Texas had eroded the state’s college fan base; 2) the widely-held belief that the conference was made up of two teams (Texas and Texas A&M) and a series of woeful second-tier teams; and 3) the…

Missouri – Bill McCartney ties Fred Folsom for most wins by a CU coach

//posted 10.9.1993

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October 9th – Boulder #20 Colorado 30, Missouri 18

The Missouri Tigers presented themselves to the Buffs as the perfect opponent to rebound from a two game losing streak.

Missouri was 1-2-1 on the 1993 season, including an embarrassing loss to Texas A & M (73-0) and a 10-10 tie to lowly SMU. The Buffs had a week to re-group and regain focus on the conference schedule. After a sometimes impressive, sometimes lethargic, performance, Colorado was able to secure a 30-18 win.

The Buffs’ defense, earning much of the criticism for Colorado’s 2-2 start, played significantly better than the unit which had been ranked 96th in the nation heading into the game. Six new defensive starters were inserted, including freshman linebacker Matt Russell and sophomore lineman Shannon Clavelle. For the most part, the defense held Missouri in check as the Buffs mounted a 27-3 lead before permitting late consolation scores. “Defensively, I was pleased with the way we played in the first half”, said coach McCartney. “I thought I saw a good looking defense out there.”

The game opened slowly, with only two field goals being posted in the first twenty minutes of play. With 9:08 to go before halftime,…

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Posts Tagged ‘Matt Russell’

Nebraska 45, Colorado 17

Missouri – First shutout since 1992

Oklahoma State – Neuheisel v. Simmons, Round One

#2 Nebraska – ESPN Gameday on hand for Huskers win

Iowa State – A “lucky” 22-point win

Preseason – Neuheisel hired / CU Preview

Pre-season: 1994 – Adios, Southwest Conference – CU returns 16 starters

Missouri – Bill McCartney ties Fred Folsom for most wins by a CU coach

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