Folsom's Greatest Games #16 - Colorado vs. Kansas 1961

October 7, 1961 – Colorado 20, Kansas 19

1961 brought CU its first ever Big 8 championship, but their undefeated run through conference play almost ended in just the second game of the season.

Through three quarters, the Jayhawks were dominating the Buffs in all phases of the game. After KU added a third touchdown early in the fourth to go up 19-0, things couldn’t have looked bleaker. 

In an era of low-scoring contests largely decided on the ground, Buffs head coach Sonny Grandelius was left with no choice but to let his quarterback air it out. The results were spectacular. Just as he had against Missouri two years earlier, Gale Weidner led a stunning comeback, only this time he threw for three scores instead of just two. 

First he hit a deep shot to Ken Blair behind the Kansas defense for a 58-yard score. After forcing the Jayhawks to punt, CU had the ball on the KU 47. Weidner again saw Blair open and took a shot. This time the throw was a hair late, and a hard-charging KU cornerback got a finger on it, but Blair kept his concentration, found the ball, and had nothing but green grass in front of him. Folsom was in a frenzy and suddenly the Buffs were just five points behind at 19-14.

The defense continued to hold Kansas at bay, and Weidner led a methodical march down the field to victory; mixing screen passes and run plays before hitting Jerry Hillebrand from 15 yards out for the game-winning score with just under three minutes to play. It was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in school history, and a defining moment of CU’s best-ever seasons.

Here is a short highlight video of the game from back in 1961: