Folsom's Greatest Games #2 - Colorado vs. Nebraska 1989

November 4, 1989 – #2 Colorado 27, #3 Nebraska 21

There are teams of destiny, and then there are the 1989 Colorado Buffaloes. Playing through the illness and death of team leader Sal Aunese, the Buffs trampled everything in their path. They bulldozed strong non-conference foes like Illinois and Washington, destroyed the weaker teams of the Big 8, and casually dispatched Oklahoma in Norman for the first time since 1965 to improve to a perfect 8-0 on the season. None of those victories were by fewer than 17 points. They had a singular purpose, and it was Sal’s dying wish: to bring home the Orange Bowl.

Only one obstacle remained: the arch-enemy, the likewise undefeated and untied, third-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. Never before had the two schools met with so much on the line. 1989 was the 100th season of Colorado football, and no game had ever attracted so much national attention. To this day, no other matchup at Folsom Field has featured two teams ranked in the top five. The winner would be in full control of the Big 8 – needing only to split their final two remaining games to win the conference – but both teams were dreaming much bigger dreams than that.

Before the game, CU defensive lineman Okland Salavea, who had been Aunese’s best friend, stopped by the late quarterback’s locker – which the team had left untouched since his passing.

“Sal, there’s no way this team is going to beat us,” he said. “No way.”

With Jim Nantz and CBS ready to bring the game to the nation, Folsom was a buzzing hive of anticipation at kickoff. Bill McCartney would say after the game that he had never seen a crowd so energized in all his years in college football. But after all the buildup, CU’s dream turned into a nightmare as soon as the game got underway. Darian Hagan’s first pass attempt of the day was intercepted at midfield, and Nebraska immediately scored a touchdown on their first play from scrimmage. It was a gut punch that knocked the wind right out of Folsom Field. How would Hagan and the Buffs respond?

With one of the most inventive, exciting, lyrical plays you’ll ever see, that’s how. On 1st-and-10 from his own 30 yard line, Hagan sped around the left side of Nebraska’s defense on an option run. He got a block and quickly zoomed across the 50. JJ Flannigan, Hagan’s pitch option on the play, was still running stride for stride a few yards behind him. As Hagan crossed the 45 and saw a Nebraska defender in front of him, he pitched the ball to Flannigan who streaked the last 40 yards for an electrifying touchdown unlike almost anything seen this side of rugby.

The Buffs were back even and Folsom had life again. It was a moment of redemption for Flannigan as well. In 1988 he had fumbled the ball against Nebraska with nothing but green turf in front of him in a game CU ultimately lost 7-0.

That moment of brilliance was to be the only real offensive highlight all afternoon for CU. Nebraska almost completely eliminated the Colorado passing attack, and first downs were difficult to string together. The game was won instead by the play of the Buffalo special teams. Pint-sized Jeff Campbell, who as a freshman had burned the Huskers for a long rushing touchdown in CU’s 1986 upset, had two huge punt returns to set up two touchdowns as a senior playing his last game at Folsom.

On the kicking side, future Bronco legend Tom Rouen boomed his five punts an average of 51 yards – including a massive 67 yarder late in the fourth quarter – and Ken Culbertson nailed a career-long 49 yard field goal. The special teams were special on a day when the offense was ordinary, and they saved the season.

Colorado was also the beneficiary of a massive break in the third quarter, and it’s impossible to tell the game’s story without it. With the Buffs leading 17-14 and set up inside the Husker 10 yard line following Campbell’s second huge return of the day, star running back Eric Bieniemy entered the game for the first time after missing the previous two weeks with a leg injury. Bieniemy was a powerful force in the red zone, but he wasn’t in the game to run. Instead, he took a pitch from Hagan and lofted a pass towards Mike Pritchard in the end zone. Nebraska’s Tyrone Legette came down with the football, but the officials flagged him for pass interference. Upon further inspection, there really wasn’t any contact on the play. It was a massive call that led directly to seven CU points in a game they won by six. But when you’re a team of destiny things just tend to go your way.

Statistically, CU truly did meet their match on this day. Nebraska outgained the Buffs on offense 397 to 227. But with a handful of seconds remaining in the game, the only metric that mattered still had Colorado ahead 27-21. The Huskers had advanced to CU’s 42 yard line and had time for one final hail mary. Quarterback Gerry Gdowski stepped up in the pocket, raced forward to gain momentum, and went past the line of scrimmage. The officials, who had missed things all afternoon, didn’t throw a flag. Gdowski heaved the ball toward the end zone where it briefly came into contact with the hands of Husker receiver Jon Bostick before being tipped away by CU’s Dave McCloughan and falling to the turf.

Within seconds, a swarm of black and gold was also on the turf at Folsom Field, and so was the south goalpost. CU’s dream was alive. It hadn’t been easy or pretty, but they had found a way. Darian Hagan, in tears, said “It’s for Sal . . . I think he was with us there in the end zone.” As the revelry continued below, CBS pointed their main camera up to the sky as Jim Nantz recited the words of Aunese’s final message to his teammates:

Don’t be saddened that you no longer see me in the flesh because I will always be with you in spirit. Hold me dear to your hearts as you know I do all of you. I love you all, go get ’em, and bring home the Orange Bowl.

After Nantz had finished reading, the camera tilted down once more to a jubilant Folsom Field, and the final score flashed on the screen: COLORADO 27, NEBRASKA 21. JJ Flannigan came back out from the locker room after the game just to stare at the score, in hopes that reality might sink in. The scoreboard remained lit long after dark, with a message above the score which read ‘THINGS HAVE CHANGED’.

The Buffs made mincemeat of their final two conference opponents to finish the regular season 11-0, and they ascended to #1 in the nation for the first time in program history. I have little doubt that if they had met Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl one week later they would have crushed the Fighting Irish. However, it was a long six weeks before that game on New Year’s Day, and the magic was gone. CU sabotaged themselves repeatedly inside the Irish five yard-line in the first half, and lost 21-6. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Improbably, one year to the day later – against the same opponent – the Buffs got a second chance, and were finally able honor Sal’s wish and win themselves a national championship.

In truth, neither the loss in 1989’s Orange Bowl nor the win in 1990 has any bearing on the greatness of this victory. It stands on its own merits. With everything to play for and everything to lose, the Buffs did not squander the biggest opportunity any CU team had ever been presented with. Once the raucous, ceiling-tile-destroying locker room celebration finally calmed down, a reflective Bill McCartney told the press that this was the greatest win he had ever been associated with. It was much more than that. November 4, 1989 was the greatest day in the first century of Colorado football.

Links:
Full game on YouTube
Coaches film on YouTube
CU at the Game recap
New York Times article
Sports Illustrated article
Chicago Tribune article