1989 Colorado Buffaloes football | |
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Big Eight champion | |
Orange Bowl, L 6–21 vs. Notre Dame | |
Conference | Big Eight Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 4 |
AP | No. 4 |
Record | 11–1 (7–0 Big 8) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Gerry DiNardo (6th season) |
Offensive scheme | I-Bone option |
Defensive coordinator | Mike Hankwitz (2nd season) |
Base defense | 5-2 |
MVP | Darian Hagan (QB) |
Captains |
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Home stadium | Folsom Field |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 4 Colorado $ | 7 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 11 Nebraska | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oklahoma | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iowa State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Oklahoma State | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 1 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kansas State | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1989 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. Colorado finished with the most wins in school history, surpassing the 1971 team, and their first conference championship in thirteen years. The Buffaloes went undefeated in the regular season at 11–0 (7–0 in Big 8) and played for the national title, but lost to fourth-ranked Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. [1]
The team dedicated the season to senior and former starting quarterback Sal Aunese, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late March, [2] and died at age 21 on September 23 due to complications from the disease. [3] [4] [5]
For the first time in 28 years, Colorado defeated Oklahoma and Nebraska in the same season. [6] [7] In the 27 seasons in between, they had five wins over Oklahoma (1965, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1976) and two over Nebraska (1967, 1986).
In another feel-good story, the team was host to a Make A Wish recipient Chad Henry for the big game against Nebraska in Boulder. Henry was an up-and-coming high school football player from Indiana, Pennsylvania, and the son of college/NFL coach Jack Henry, who began following the Buffaloes after reading about Sal Aunese's battle with cancer while himself battling a very rare and dangerous form of abdominal cancer. After cheering on the Buffs to the biggest win in school history in early November, Henry and his family were also invited to attend the national championship game in Miami as guests of the university. He went on to defeat the disease and did play football for his high school again in 1990. Although his once promising football career was ended following that season due to complications with side effects from the intense chemotherapy he endured, Henry went on to coach football at his high school and became a scout for the NFL's Detroit Lions and is currently with the Indianapolis Colts.
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 4 | 5:30 pm | Texas * | No. 14 | ESPN | W 27–6 | 47,269 | |
September 9 | 1:30 pm | Colorado State * | No. 9 |
| KCNC | W 45–20 | 44,921 |
September 16 | 1:30 pm | No. 10 Illinois * | No. 8 |
| CBS | W 38–7 | 46,747 |
September 30 | 2:00 pm | at No. 21 Washington * | No. 5 | KCNC | W 45–28 | 69,152 | |
October 7 | 1:30 pm | Missouri | No. 3 |
| W 49–3 | 51,855 | |
October 14 | 1:00 pm | at Iowa State | No. 3 | KCNC | W 52–17 | 41,515 | |
October 21 | 1:30 pm | Kansas ![]() | No. 3 |
| W 49–17 | 50,057 | |
October 28 | 12:30 pm | at Oklahoma | No. 3 | KWGN | W 20–3 | 75,004 | |
November 4 | 12:30 pm | No. 3 Nebraska | No. 2 |
| CBS | W 27–21 | 52,877 |
November 11 | 12:30 pm | at Oklahoma State | No. 2 | KCNC | W 41–17 | 41,000 | |
November 18 | 11:10 am | at Kansas State | No. 2 | KCNC | W 59–11 | 20,117 | |
January 1, 1990 | 6:00 pm | vs. No. 4 Notre Dame * | No. 1 | NBC | L 6–21 | 81,191 | |
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1989 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
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Week | |||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
AP | 14 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 (2) | 3 (3) | 3 (1) | 2 (2) | 2 (4) | 2 (3) | 2 (3) | 1 (53) | 1 (55) | 1 (51) | 4 |
Coaches | 14 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 (1) | 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 2 (2) | 2 (5) | 2 (4) | 2 (4) | 1 (39) | 1 (42) | — | 4 |
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Colorado | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Game information | ||
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Colorado honored their All-Century team at halftime
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Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Notre Dame | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
Colorado | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
at Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
Game information | ||
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William Paul McCartney is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder for thirteen seasons (1982–1994), compiled a 93–55–5 (.624) record, and won three consecutive Big Eight Conference titles (1989–1991). McCartney's 1990 team was crowned as national champions by the Associated Press, splitting the title with Georgia Tech, first in the final Coaches' Poll.
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split national championship and the ensuing controversy helped lead to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The national title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Buffaloes (11–1–1) took the AP poll while the Yellow Jackets (11–0–1) took the UPI Coaches poll by one vote over Colorado, 847 to 846. During the season Colorado had a particularly controversial victory over Missouri in what would later be known as the "Fifth Down Game". It was the only time in UPI Coaches poll history that a coach changed his vote against the pre-bowl #1 after that #1 team won their bowl game. Unlike several seasons to come in the 1990's, the two teams that became split national champions could have actually met in a 1 vs. 2 bowl game. Georgia Tech's ACC champion status did not preclude them from taking their #2 ranking to the Orange Bowl to face the automatic Big-8 champion in #1 Colorado for a decisive title game. But the Orange Bowl committee wanted Notre Dame instead of Georgia Tech as the Buffaloes' opponent, because Notre Dame had a larger fan base and would accrue more money and better TV ratings than the Yellow Jackets would have.
The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 1980s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program.
The 1971 NCAA University Division football season saw Coach Bob Devaney's Nebraska Cornhuskers repeat as national champions. Ranked a close second behind Notre Dame in the preseason poll, Nebraska moved up to first place the following week, remained there for the rest of 1971, and convincingly won the Orange Bowl 38–6 in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game against Alabama.
The 1973 NCAA Division I football season was the first for the NCAA's current three-division structure. Effective with the 1973–74 academic year, schools formerly in the NCAA "University Division" were classified as Division I. Schools in the former "College Division" were classified into Division II, which allowed fewer athletic scholarships than Division I, and Division III, in which athletic scholarships were prohibited.
The 1991 Orange Bowl was the 57th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, January 1. Part of the 1990–91 bowl game season, it matched the independent and fifth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the #1 Colorado Buffaloes of the Big Eight Conference.
The 1967 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder as a member of the Big Eight Conference during the 1967 NCAA University Division football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes compiled an overall record of 9–2 with a mark of 5–2 conference play, tying for second place in the Big 8. Colorado was invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl, where they beat the Miami Hurricanes.
The 1971 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes were 9–2 in the regular season, and played their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
Siasau "Sal" Aunese was a college football player who played for the University of Colorado. Aunese was from Oceanside, California in San Diego County and was of Samoan descent. He died at age 21 from stomach cancer.
The 1986 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado opened with four losses, but finished the regular season at 6–5. It was their best conference record in a quarter century, and they were invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston on New Year's Eve.
The 1990 Orange Bowl was the 56th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Monday, January 1. Part of the 1989–90 bowl game season, it matched the independent and fourth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the undefeated #1 Colorado Buffaloes of the Big Eight Conference.
The 1988 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado finished the regular season at 8–3, and played their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
The 1979 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by first-year head coach Chuck Fairbanks, the Buffaloes finished at 3–8, and played home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
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, their sixth consecutive losing season. Home games were played on campus at sixty-year-old Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
The 1985 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Bill McCartney, the Buffaloes switched to a wishbone offense and finished the regular season at 7–4. Home games were played on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
The 1987 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado finished the regular season at 7–4, but did not receive a bowl invitation.
The 1968 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Eddie Crowder, Colorado finished the regular season at 4–6, and played their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
The 1961 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder as a member of the Big Eight Conference during the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. Led by third-year head coach Sonny Grandelius, Colorado finished the regular season at 9–1, and played home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado. Joe Romig was the team's captain.
The 1958 Colorado Buffaloes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Colorado in the Big Seven Conference during the 1958 NCAA University Division football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Dallas Ward, the Buffaloes compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, placing third in the Big 7. The team played its home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
The 1962 Colorado Buffaloes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1962 NCAA University Division football season. Led by William E. Davis in his only season as head coach, the Buffaloes compiled an overall record of 2–8 with a mark of 1–6 in conference play, placing seventh in the Big 8.