November 19, 1994 – #7 Colorado 41, Iowa State 20
There were no late comebacks, no rivalry grudges, and no big upsets in the final game of the 1994 season . Instead, this game appears on the list because of an iconic moment that cemented CU’s only Heisman Trophy.
Rashaan Salaam entered the day needing roughly 200 yards to become the fourth running back in Division I history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. It was a tall order, but Iowa State was winless on the season and the 1994 Buffs were an offensive powerhouse. While far from a certainty, the feat seemed attainable enough that gold signs with “2000” printed on them were handed out to the crowd.
By the fourth quarter, he was just 12 yards away. The anticipation inside Folsom had been building all afternoon, and now he was on the doorstep. Salaam took a handoff from Kordell Stewart, bounced outside, and took the ball all the way down the CU sideline for a 67-yard touchdown, which touched off what is probably the wildest in-game celebration in CU history.
Seemingly the entire team ran down to the north end zone to mob their soon-to-be Heisman winner. The reaction in the stands was just as insane, as CU play-by-play man Larry Zimmer famously exclaimed “This place is comin’ apart!”
It would be Salaam’s final carry at Folsom Field, leaving his final rushing yardage for the season at 2,055. After the game, coach Bill McCartney shocked the college football world by announcing his retirement.
That news soured the afternoon for many CU fans who wanted to bask in Rashaan’s accomplishment, but over the following three decades, the particularities of the way McCartney retired would fade into history, while Salaam’s triumphant run blazes as brightly as ever.
