Savor the Memories – Part II

—

Savor the Memories – Part II

—

Welcome back!

In case you missed it, last weekend’s Essay was a stroll down memory lane, with a look back at great CU victories from the 1980s, 2000s, and 2020s.

For videos and stories on … Colorado 20, No. 3 Nebraska 10 (1986) … No. 2 Colorado 27, No. 3 Nebraska (1989) … No. 14 Colorado 62, No. 2 Nebraska 36 (2001) … Colorado 27, No. 3 Oklahoma 24 (2007) … Colorado 45, No. 17 TCU (2023) … and Colorado 38, Baylor 31 OT … Click here for “Savor the Memories – Part One”.

And now … the 1990s and 2010s …

I hope you are enjoying the videos – and savoring the memories – as much as I did putting this together …

–

1990s

November 3, 1990 – No. 9 Colorado 27, No. 3 Nebraska 12

If you just look at the final score, one might believe that the Buffs went into Lincoln on a cold November afternoon and had their way with the hated Cornhuskers.

The truth of the matter … the Buffs went into the fourth quarter of the game down, 12-0. Eric Bieniemy had fumbled four times, losing three.  “I was frustrated, disgusted, you name it,” said Bieniemy.  “It was just basically a lack of concentration.”

Bieniemy then went from goat to hero, scoring four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, sending the Buffs back to the Orange Bowl and the national championship game for the second year in a row.

Click here for the full Game Story … November 3, 1990 … No. 9 Colorado 27, No. 3 Nebraska 12 – “Eric Bieniemy goes for four scores in fourth quarter rally”

Here is the video of the game. Feel free to fast forward to the final hour of the game … 

–

—

January 1, 1991 – No. 1 Colorado 10, No. 5 Notre Dame 9

When you looking back at your team’s national championship season, you would like to look back at stunning victories, dominating performances, and a national title game which you can watch again and again.

But nothing ever seems to come easy for Colorado football.

In 1990, the Buffs and their fans had to endure a 1-1-1 start, the 5th down game at Missouri, and the comeback in tough conditions against Nebraska.

And then there was the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame.

As football games go, it was less than electric.

One touchdown scored … and that was on a one-yard run. CU’s field goal was a ho hum 22-yarder after not being able to punch it in from inside the Notre Dame five yard line.

The two biggest plays of the game? A blocked extra point … and a punt return touchdown which was called back on a penalty.

Still, a national championship is a national championship … even if Nebraska’s Tom Osborne kept the Buffs from claiming a unanimous title.

Click here for the full Game Story … January 1, 1991 … No. 1 Colorado 10, No. 5 Notre Dame 9 – “National Champions!*”

Here is the second half of the game … 

Or, if you prefer, the highlights of the game (it only takes seven minutes) … 

–

—

September 24, 1994 – No. 7 Colorado 27, No. 4 Michigan 26

Ask a casual fan today about Colorado football, and they will tell you what they know and think about Coach Prime.

For decades, though, if you asked a casual football fan about the Buffs, and they may well have mentioned “The Miracle at Michigan”.

The Kordell Stewart-to-Michael Westbrook heave on the final plat was not only dramatic, but it came during a nationally televised game between two teams ranked in the Top Ten in the nation. The immortal Keith Jackson was on the call for ABC, with Bob Griese doing the color commentary.

Many fans – including many Buff fans – recall only the final play of the game, but the game itself was dramatic. I’ll never forget burying my head into the couch when Kordell Stewart fumbled the ball away at the Michigan goal line with five minutes left in the game and the Buffs trailing, 26-14. “What a crusher that is”, said Jackson, as it appeared certain that the game was over.

But … as we all well know now … it wasn’t.

Click here for the full Game Story … September 24, 1994 … No. 7 Colorado 27, No. 4 Michigan 26 – “The Miracle at Michigan”

The final play, with Keith Jackson on the call … 

–

Here is a full hour’s worth of highlights, if you want to go back and watch the frantic final five minutes of the game .. 

–

—

November 19, 1994 – No. 7 Colorado 41, Iowa State 20

A game between a 9-1 team and an 0-9-1 to finish off the 1994 regular season would not normally have generated much national attention.  The 41-20 final score, after the Buffs nursed a 20-13 lead into the fourth quarter, would not have merited much notice.

For local writers, though, the game could 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;

— “CU posts 576 yards of offense, sets team record for season average – 495.3″ would have been good; or

— “Kordell Stewart becomes Big Eight all-time leader for total offense”.

All worthy events, but all were overshadowed.  First by Rashaan Salaam, then by the team’s thirteen-year head coach, Bill McCartney.

Buff fans braved a cold afternoon, hoping to be a part of history. Salaam getting to 2,000 yard for the season was a longshot … but possible. Salaam entered the game with 1,796 yards rushing on the season, needing 204 against the Cyclones to get to the magical number of 2,000 (and clinch the Heisman trophy).

Salaam, as we know, finished his run to glory in dramatic fashion, with a 67-yard touchdown run to seal the victory.

That would have made this game a milestone game for any Buff … but what was to happen a few minutes later in the post-game locker room was even more dramatic …

Click here for the full Game Story … November 19, 1994 … No. 7 Colorado 41, Iowa State 20 – “Salaam’s Run to 2,055 Overshadowed by Coach Mac”

Here’s Salaam’s run to immortality … 

–

Here is a video with  Rashaan Salaam’s career highlights … 

–

—

2010s

September 24, 2016 – Colorado 41, Oregon 38

The 2010s were not a decade to write home about for the Colorado football program. The Buffs, other than in the 1950s, when Bud Wilkinson and the Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Big Seven (and all of college football), had never had a decade without winning at least one conference championship.

Yup, you read it right. From the 1890s to the 2000s, Colorado won at least one of its combined 26 conference championships in every other decade other than the 1950s.

Then, the 2010s hit, and CU’s stretch without a conference title since 2001 continued (and is up to 25 years this season).

The lone highlight of the 2010s was the unlikely 2016 season, when the Buffs, under head coach Mike MacIntyre, came out of nowhere to win ten games.

One of the first surprises of the season came in CU’s Pac-12 opener, with the Buffs taking down Oregon on the road. In what would prove to be CU’s only win over Oregon as a Pac-12 member, freshman quarterback Steven Montez became the first Buff quarterback in school history to pass for over 300 yards and rush for over 100 yards in the same game.

But even that was almost not enough …

Click here for the full Game Story … September 24, 2016 … Colorado 41, Oregon 38 – “Halfway There”

–

Ahkello Witherspoon’s interception in the final minute to seal the win … 

–

Here are highlights from the game, with two overturned reviews giving CU two touchdowns …

–

—

November 26, 1994 – No. 9 Colorado 27, No. 21 Utah 22

Colorado relied upon its defense to bring home the school’s first ten win season since 2001, downing No. 21 Utah, 27-22. With the victory, the “worst-to-first” dream season was completed, with the Buffs going from 1-8 in Pac-12 play in 2015 to 8-1 in 2016, claiming CU’s first Pac-12 South title, and first division title since winning the Big 12 North in 2005.

“Wow. These young men are special, special, special,” said Mike MacIntyre. “You again saw the fight in them, which they’ve had – these guys that have been with me – for the whole time. I told them before the game, the people came to see them. They have built the mystique of Folsom back. It’s really exciting how we played tonight – how we just kept fighting, kept going, kept working and kept pushing. That’s what a championship team does, they find a way to win it. Worst to first, not many people can say they do that and our young men did that”.

Click here for the full Game Story … November 26, 1994 … No. 9 Colorado 27, No. 21 Utah 22 – “No Conflict; No Story”

Here are the YouTube highlights from the game … 

–

I hope you have enjoyed this brief run through some of CU’s more memorable games. As a reminder, the CU at the Game Archives have game stories from every single game the Buffs have played since 1990.

If you have a few extra minutes, and want to go back and check out some memorable games (or even some infamous ones, like the 1980 82-42 loss to Oklahoma, or the “Fifth Down” game against Missouri in 1990 … it’s all there.

Enjoy!

–

—–

This post, about the Spring/Summer game, from the 2026 Season, is filed under Article.
You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment.