A look back at some of the memorable moments in Colorado football history for the week of Aug. 24-30.
1990 – Aug. 26: No. 5 Colorado ties No. 8 Tennessee, 31-31, in first Disneyland Pigskin Classic in Anaheim, Calif. In the opening game of the Buffs’ national championship season, Mike Pritchard rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns, Dave McCloughan returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown and Tim James picked off a pair of Tennessee passes. The Buffs gave up two 14-point leads in the fourth quarter to settle for the tie. The Buffs would go on to finish 11-1-1 and claim the Associated Press title.
2001 – Aug. 26: Colorado falls to Fresno State, 24-22, at Folsom Field. Although unranked to start the season, this loss may have cost the Buffs a shot at the national title, as they finished 10-2 in the regular season and took a No. 3 rankings into the Fiesta Bowl. Against the Bulldogs, CU fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and its rally came up short when Craig Ochs was intercepted on third-and-goal from the FSU 2-yard line with 3:32 to play. CU had five turnovers, a missed field goal and missed extra point in the loss.
2003 – Aug. 30: Colorado beats No. 23 Colorado State, 42-35, at Invesco Field at Mile High. Bobby Purify’s 9-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds to play provided the winning margin, but this was known as Joel Klatt’s coming out party. The former minor league baseball player threw for 402 yards and four touchdowns in his first start with the Buffs, who finished 5-7 that year. Receiver Derek McCoy had a huge game, with four catches for 192 yards and two scores. The largest crowd ever to see a college game in Colorado (76,219) had to sit through a 28-minute lightning delay in the middle of the game, but got to see CU coach Gary Barnett snap a four-game losing streak in season openers.
2014 – Aug. 29: Colorado falls to Colorado State, 31-17, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Led by quarterback Sefo Liufau and receiver Nelson Spruce, who connected for two touchdown passes, the Buffs built a 17-7 lead with 9:47 to play in the third quarter. A strip-sack by freshman Derek McCartney helped set up the Buffs’ final touchdown. From there, however, it was all CSU. Running back Dee Hart and quarterback Garrett Grayson led a 24-point surge by the Rams over the last 22 minutes. That was CSU’s last win in the series and it was the start of a 2-10 season for CU.
2019 – Aug. 30: Colorado beats Colorado State, 52-31, at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. The final scheduled Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver featured a 37-minute lightning delay before kickoff and head coach Mel Tucker – who has since left CU for Michigan State – making his debut with the Buffs. CU outscored the Rams 14-0 in the final 9:16 to pull away. Running back Alex Fontenot rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Steven Montez threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns. CU jumped to a 3-1 start to the season, but wound up finishing 5-7.
