Game Archive

No. 3 Nebraska – Bieniemy goes for four scores in 4th quarter rally

//posted 11.3.1990

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— High Stakes — The stakes for the 1990 clash between 9th-ranked Colorado and 3rd-ranked Nebraska could not have been higher. For the winner, the Big Eight championship, a spot in the Orange Bowl, and a shot at the national championship awaited. For the loser, a second place finish and a second tier bowl would be the consolation. Nebraska was 8-0 and playing at home; Colorado was 7-1-1 and had hopes of a shot at redemption in the Orange Bowl. Against that backdrop, a national television audience witnessed one of …

No. 22 Oklahoma – The Return of Great Expectations

//posted 10.27.1990

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— October 27th – Boulder No. 10 Colorado 32, No. 22 Oklahoma 23 — Like the Buffs, the Oklahoma entered the 1990 campaign with high hopes. Five weeks into the season, the Sooners seemed to be well on their way to realizing their dreams. Oklahoma took a 5-0 record and a No. 4 national ranking to play Texas in Dallas, only to be turned away by the unranked Longhorns, 14-13. The loss was hard to take, but not nearly as debilitating as the loss the next week to Iowa …

Kansas – Buffs become poll watchers after rout of Jayhawks

//posted 10.20.1990

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— October 20th – at Kansas No. 14 Colorado 41, Kansas 10 — Colorado put together a complete game for the first time all season, scoring on its first drive on the way to a 17-0 first quarter lead and a 41-10 win over 1-4-1 Kansas. Eric Bieniemy rushed for 174 yards on the afternoon, but his three touchdowns were the story of the day. Bieniemy’s second touchdown tied, and his third touchdown broke, Bobby Anderson’s record for career rushing touchdowns. Bieniemy new touchdown total was 35, setting the new standard …

Iowa State – Buffs finally win without last minute heroics

//posted 10.13.1990

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— October 13th – Boulder No. 14 Colorado 28, Iowa State 12 — The controversy over the “Fifth Down” game continued to swirl around Boulder during the week after the Missouri game. Playing as if the distraction had affected the team’s preparation for its next opponent (and who is to say it didn’t?), Colorado fell behind Iowa State 9-0 early in the first quarter, needing to rally to come away with a 28-12 home win over the Cyclones. The Buffs utilized three quarterbacks on the afternoon, not pulling away from the Cyclones until …

Missouri – The “Fifth Down” Game

//posted 10.6.1990

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— The controversial ending no one could see coming – and few got to watch — On October 6, 1990, the 12th-ranked Colorado Buffaloes traveled to Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri, to face the Missouri Tigers. A top five team in the 1990 preseason poll, the Buffs had completed the non-conference portion of their schedule 3-1-1. Colorado tied No. 5 Tennessee to open the season, beat Stanford at home, and fell on the road to No. 21 Illinois before rebounding to defeat No. 22 Texas in Austin and No. 12 Washington in …

No. 12 Washington – Deon Figures pick preserves win

//posted 9.29.1990

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— September 29th – Boulder No. 20 Colorado 20, No.12 Washington 14 — In a battle between two ranked teams in search of national recognition, Colorado held off a late Washington drive to defeat the Huskies in Boulder, 20-14. A defensive first half gave way to a flurry of scoring in the third quarter, with the game ending with the Colorado defense backed up against its goalline. Sophomore cornerback Deon Figures intercepted a Mark Brunell pass in the endzone with only :59 left to play to preserve the Colorado win. …

No. 22 Texas – Bieniemy rallies the troops in Austin

//posted 9.22.1990

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— September 22nd – at Texas No. 20 Colorado 29, No. 22 Texas 22 — Colorado returned to the win column with a hard-fought 29-22 victory over Texas. Eric Bieniemy scored three touchdowns on the day, including the go-ahead touchdown with 5:57 to play. For the game, Bieniemy rushed for 99 yards, while his backfield mate, fullback George Hemingway, posted 76 yards rushing on only seven carries. The game was one of streaks, with neither of the nationally ranked teams able to take complete control. Two Darian Hagan fumbles in the …

No. 21 Illinois – Preseason top ten Buffs fall to 1-1-1

//posted 9.15.1990

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— September 15th – at Illinois No. 21 Illinois 23, No. 9 Colorado 22 — Howard Griffith scored from a yard out with 1:18 to play to give the Fighting Illini a 23-22 win over Colorado. 21st-ranked Illinois exacted a measure of revenge for the 38-7 pasting the Buffs had put on the Illini in 1989, pulling out the win on a 10-play, 63-yard drive to erase a 22-17 deficit. Quarterback Jason Verduzco did what his famed predecessor, Jeff George, could not – he out-performed the Colorado defense. Verduzco completed 23-of-29 …

Stanford – Bieniemy leap gives Buffs last minute win

//posted 9.6.1990

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— September 6th – Boulder No. 6 Colorado 21, Stanford 17 — Stanford head coach Dennis Green was 3-8 in his first year in Palo Alto in 1989, which may have given CU fans a false sense of security heading into CU’s 1990 home opener. Instead of being an easy mark, Stanford came to Boulder ready to play. Stanford raced to a 14-0 first quarter lead before a stunned Folsom Field crowd of 50,669. It took the entire game for Colorado to right the ship, pulling out a 21-17 …

No. 8 Tennessee – Buffs tie Volunteers in Pigskin Classic

//posted 8.26.1990

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— Pigskin Classic — The 1990 season saw the birth of the preseason game known as the “Pigskin Classic”. Played in Anaheim, California, home to the Freedom Bowl and Mickey Mouse, the organizers of the game (officially the “Disneyland Pigskin Classic”) did not want to disappoint their audience, and went out to secure a game bound to attract national attention. In securing two teams which had completed the previous season with 11-1 records, they did just that. The 1989 rise of the Colorado Buffaloes was well documented. Not receiving as much …

No. 4 Notre Dame – Orange Bowl – “Opportunity Lost”

//posted 1.1.1990

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— Prelude to the 1990 Orange Bowl … 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 …

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

//posted 11.18.1989

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— November 18th – at 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 …