1984 Colorado Buffaloes football team

1984 Colorado Buffaloes football
Conference	Big Eight Conference
Record	1–10 (1–6 Big 8)
Head coach	Bill McCartney (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Gerry DiNardo (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Single set back, split-back
Defensive coordinator	Lou Tepper (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
MVP	George Smith
Captains	Lee Rouson George Smith
Home stadium	Folsom Field
Seasons ←  1983 1985  →

1984 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 4 Nebraska +	6	–	1	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
No. 6 Oklahoma +	6	–	1	–	0			9	–	2	–	1
No. 7 Oklahoma State	5	–	2	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Kansas	4	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Missouri	2	–	4	–	1			3	–	7	–	1
Kansas State	2	–	4	–	1			3	–	7	–	1
Colorado	1	–	6	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
Iowa State	0	–	5	–	2			2	–	7	–	2
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 1984 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by third-year head coach Bill McCartney, the Buffaloes finished at 1–10 (1–6 in Big 8, seventh), ^[1] their sixth consecutive losing season. Home games were played on campus at sixty-year-old Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado. ^[2]

The season was marked by the trauma late in the second game at Oregon on September 15, as sophomore tight end Ed Reinhardt of Littleton suffered a career-ending, life-threatening brain injury. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]} Airlifted to Denver a month later, ^{[7] [8] [9]} he was in a coma for 62 days and was partially paralyzed. ^[10]

Colorado's sole win came in mid-season, by two points over last-place Iowa State on homecoming. ^[11] The Buffs' previous one-win season was four years earlier; the next was in  2012.

The following spring, McCartney switched to a wishbone offense for 1985. ^[12]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
September 8	Michigan State *	Folsom Field Boulder, CO	MH Cable	L 21–24	35,825	[13]
September 15	at Oregon *	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR		L 20–27	25,047	[14]
September 22	at Notre Dame *	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, ID		L 14–55	59,075	[15]
September 29	No. 17 UCLA *	Folsom Field Boulder, CO		L 16–33	38,925	[16]
October 6	at Missouri	Faurot Field Columbia, MO	KATZ	L 7–52	38,662	[17]
October 13	Iowa State	Folsom Field Boulder, CO	WOI	W 23–21	36,762	[18]
October 20	No. 5 Nebraska	Folsom Field Boulder, CO (rivalry)		L 7–24	51,124	[19]
October 27	at No. 10 Oklahoma State	Lewis Field Stillwater, OK	KATZ	L 14–20	47,800	[20]
November 3	Kansas	Folsom Field Boulder, CO	KOOD	L 27–28	33,166	[21]
November 10	No. 9 Oklahoma	Folsom Field Boulder, CO	KTVY	L 17–42	38,888	[22]
November 17	at Kansas State	KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS (rivalry)		L 6–38	17,600	[23]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^{[24] [25] [26]}

Roster

1984 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR Loy Alexander Jr G Shaun Beard Sr WR Ron Brown Jr WR Jo Jo Collins OL Eric Coyle TE Phil Cross RB Dion Dyson TE Jon Embree So WR Drew Ferrando OL Jeff Glenn C William Gulley Jr OT Tim Harper So RB Mark Hatcher G Junior Iii Sr QB Craig Keenan QB Derek Marshall RB Eric McCarty Fr QB Chuck Page TE 88 Ed Reinhardt  So RB Lee Rouson  (C) Sr OT 79 Pat Ryan So RB Sam Smith QB Steve Vogel Sr RB Anthony Weatherspoon OL Jimmy Webb TE Troy Wolf	Defense Pos. # Name Class DL Calvin Beaty DB John Bennett LB Alan Chrite FS Kent Davis Sr LB Don Fairbanks Jr DT Curt Koch So LB Miles Kusayanagi LB Dan McMillen Jr NG Don Muncie Sr DB John Nairn DB Lyle Pickens SS Mickey Pruitt So LB Barry Remington So CB Alvin Rubalcaba Sr LB Darin Schubeck Jr DT George Smith (C) Sr DB Tommy Streeter CB Solomon Wilcots Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 17 Allan Braun Sr K Dave DeLine K Larry Eckel P Barry Helton	Head coach Bill McCartney Coordinators/assistant coaches Gerry DiNardo (OC) Lou Tepper (DC) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt

^[27]

References

1. "K-State breezes past Buffs, 38-6". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. November 18, 1984. p. 4B.
2. Woodling, Chuck (November 4, 1984). "Jayhawks dodge bullets, nudge Colorado 28-27". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. p. 1B.
3. Bellamy, Ron (September 16, 1984). "Player critically injured". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1A.
4. "Buffs decked by Ducks, 27-20". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. September 16, 1984. p. 4B.
5. Conrad, John (September 17, 1984). "Football player still comatose". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1A.
6. Clark, Bob (September 22, 1984). "Reinhardt's parents prepared to wait". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1A.
7. Withers, Bud (October 16, 1984). "'All we can say is thank you'". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1B.
8. "Reinhardt transferred to Colorado". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. October 17, 1984. p. 1B.
9. "Reinhardt's condition 'improving'". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. November 6, 1984. p. 2B.
10. "Alumni Recognition Award Winner - Ed Reinhardt". University of Colorado at Boulder. 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
11. "Vogel ignites Colorado to first win of season". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. October 14, 1984. p. 8B.
12. "On the run: Surprising Buffaloes stampeding thanks to new wishbone". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. October 24, 1985. p. 6B.
13. "Spartans survive close call". Jackson Citizen Patriot. September 9, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
14. "UO's big plays, special teams corral Colorado". The Sunday Oregonian. September 16, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Notre Dame wins a mercy killing, 55–14". The Grand Rapids Press. September 23, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
16. "UCLA collars Buffs behind Lee, Green". Tulsa World. September 30, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
17. "Mizzou rips Buffs, 52–7". The Salina Journal. October 7, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
18. "Colorado gets first win at Iowa State's expense". The Sioux City Journal. October 14, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
19. "'Lackluster' NU rallies for victory over Buffs". The Daily Nonpareil. October 21, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
20. "Pokes outlast Buffs 20–14". Okmulgee Daily Times. October 28, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
21. "Kansas rally pins 28–27 loss on Colorado". The Des Moines Register. November 4, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
22. "OU's big plays send Colorado to 42–17 loss". The Daily Oklahoman. November 11, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
23. "K-State spoils Buffs' Big Eight finale 38–6". The Daily Sentinel. November 18, 1984. Retrieved April 12, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
24. "1984 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference . Retrieved April 26, 2025.
25. "1984 Football Schedule". University of Colorado Boulder . Retrieved April 26, 2025.
26. "Colorado Football 2024 Record Book" (PDF). University of Colorado Boulder. p. 54.p. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
27. "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. September 15, 1984. p. 2B.