October 18, 1975 – #12 Colorado 31, #10 Missouri 20

The 1975 Buffs are one of the most underrated squads in school history. They went 9-3 and came within a missed extra point of upsetting national champion Oklahoma in Norman in week four, which stood as their only loss when they met the 10th-ranked Tigers on homecoming weekend in Boulder. 

The first 40 minutes were all Mizzou. Holding a 17-3 lead and the ball at CU’s 37 yard line midway through the third quarter, the Tigers had a stranglehold on the game. That was when the Buffs got off the mat and forced the first of three fumbles that turned the game on its ear.

Future first-round NFL draft choice Troy Archer jarred the ball free, and CU was in business at midfield. The offense responded with their first touchdown of the day, and then immediately got the ball back after another fumble on the ensuing kickoff. A few plays later the game was improbably tied at 17. 

Instead of rolling over, the Tigers roared back with a field goal and an interception of their own – setting themselves up deep in CU territory with a 20-17 lead in the fourth. But the Buff defense flipped the field once again, courtesy of a 47-yard interception return by Tom Tesone.

CU quarterback David Williams ran for the go-ahead touchdown with 12:57 remaining, and Tony Reed capped off an 86-yard drive on the Buffs’ next possession with a 40-yard touchdown scamper to put a bow on the remarkable comeback. Daily Camera reporter Dan Creedon said at the time that the victory “has to be one of the school’s most prestigious triumphs ever”.

Below is a little video I made narrating some of the highlights from the silent game film. The full video can be found here.