1989 Colorado Buffaloes football team

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1989
5-2
MVPDarian Hagan (QB)
Captains
  • Sal Aunese (honorary)
  • Bill Coleman (OT)
  • Mike Jones (LB)
  • Erich Kissick (FB)
  • Bruce Young (S)
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1988
1990 →
1989 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from
AP Poll

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.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 45:30 pmTexas*No. 14
ESPNW 27–647,269
September 91:30 pmColorado State*No. 9
KCNCW 45–2044,921
September 161:30 pmNo. 10 Illinois*No. 8
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, Colorado
CBSW 38–746,747
September 302:00 pmat No. 21 Washington*No. 5
KCNCW 45–2869,152
October 71:30 pmMissouriNo. 3
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, Colorado
W 49–351,855
October 141:00 pmat
Cyclone Stadium
  • Ames, Iowa
    		• KCNCW 52–1741,515
    October 211:30 pmKansasdaggerNo. 3
    • Folsom Field
    • Boulder, Colorado
    		W 49–1750,057
    October 2812:30 pmat
    KWGN
    		W 20–375,004
    November 412:30 pmNo. 3 NebraskaNo. 2
    • Folsom Field
    • Boulder, Colorado (rivalry)
    		CBSW 27–2152,877
    November 1112:30 pmat
    Lewis Field
  • Stillwater, Oklahoma
    		• KCNCW 41–1741,000
    November 1811:10 amat
    KSU Stadium
  • Manhattan, Kansas (rivalry
    • )    		KCNCW 59–1120,117
    January 1, 19906:00 pmvs. No. 4 Notre Dame*No. 1
    		NBCL 6–2181,191
    • *Non-conference game
    • daggerHomecoming
    • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
    • All times are in Mountain time
    Source:[8]

    Personnel

    1989 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster
    Players Coaches
    Offense
    Pos. # Name Class
    RB Matt Bell
    RB 1 Eric Bieniemy Jr
    TE Jon Boman
    WR 84 Jeff Campbell Sr
    OT 77 Bill Coleman (C)
    RB Dennis Collier
    RB Scott DeGoler
    RB J.J. Flannigan
    G 62 Joe Garten Jr
    QB 3 Darian Hagan So
    FB George Hemingway
    WR Mark Henry
    QB Charles S. Johnson
    FB Eric Kissick (C)
    C 52 Jay Leeuwenberg So
    G Darren Muilenberg
    WR M.J. Nelson
    RB O.C. Oliver
    TE John Perak
    WR 9 Mike Pritchard Jr
    RB Tony Senna
    RB Michael Simmons
    OT 72 Mark VanderPoel Jr
    QB Mark Walters
    		Defense
    Pos. # Name Class
    OLB Chad Brown
    CB David Gibbs
    DL Gary Howe
    S Tim James
    ILB Terry Johnson
    ILB 59 Michael Jones (C)
    CB 12 Dave McCloughan Jr
    DE 96 Kanavis McGhee Jr
    DT Okland Salavea
    NG 93 Joel Steed So
    DT Arthur Walker Sr
    OLB 94 Alfred Williams
    S Bruce Young (C)
    		Special teams
    Pos. # Name Class
    K Ken Culbertson
    P
    		 Tom Rouen
    Head coach
    Coordinators/assistant coaches
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • Injured Injured
    • Redshirt Redshirt

    Rankings

    Further information: 1989 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
    Ranking movements
    Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
    — = Not ranked ( ) = First-place votes
    Week
    PollPre123456789101112131415Final
    AP
    		14986533 (2)3 (3)3 (1)2 (2)2 (4)2 (3)2 (3)1 (53)1 (55)1 (51)4
    Coaches141175544 (1)3 (1)3 (1)2 (2)2 (5)2 (4)2 (4)1 (39)1 (42)—4

    Season summary

    Texas

    See also: 1989 Texas Longhorns football team

    Colorado State

    See also: Colorado State Rams football and Rocky Mountain Showdown

    Illinois

    See also: 1989 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

    At Washington

    See also: 1989 Washington Huskies football team

    Missouri

    See also: 1989 Missouri Tigers football team

    At Iowa State

    See also: 1989 Iowa State Cyclones football team

    Kansas

    See also: 1989 Kansas Jayhawks football team

    At Oklahoma

    #3 Colorado Buffaloes (6–0) at Oklahoma Sooners (5–1)
    Period 1 2 34Total
    Colorado 0 10 01020
    Oklahoma 0 0 033

    at

    Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma

    Game information
    • Colorado 8-0 for first time since 1927
    • Culbertson's field goal in second quarter gave Colorado its first lead over Oklahoma in a game since 1976
    • Colorado's first win in Norman since 1965
    • J.J. Flannigan 25 rushes, 103 yards
    • Arthur Walker 8 tackles, sack (Big 8 Defensive Player of Week)

    [9]

    Nebraska

    #3 Nebraska at #2 Colorado
    1 234Total
    Cornhuskers 7 770 21
    • Buffaloes 14 373 27
    Scoring summary
    113:30NEBBryan Carpenter 51 yard pass from Gerry Gdowski (Gregg Barrios kick)NEB 7–0
    18:22COLJ.J. Flannigan 70 yard run (Ken Culbertson kick)Tie 7–7
    15:04COLDarian Hagan 1 yard run (Ken Culbertson kick)COL 14–7
    211:33NEBMorgan Gregory 12 yard pass from Gerry Gdowski (Gregg Barrios kick)Tie 14–14
    20:12COLKen Culbertson 49 yard field goalCOL 17–14
    38:00COLJ.J. Flannigan 2 yard run (Ken Culbertson kick)COL 24–14
    31:04NEBChris Garrett 26 yard pass from Gerry Gdowski (Gregg Barrios kick)COL 24–21
    48:47COLKen Culbertson 28 yard field goalCOL 27–21
    See also: 1989 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team and Colorado–Nebraska football rivalry

    [10] [11]

    Colorado honored their All-Century team at halftime

    At Oklahoma State

    See also: 1989 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team

    At Kansas State

    See also: 1989 Kansas State Wildcats football team

    Orange Bowl (vs. Notre Dame)

    Main article: 1990 Orange Bowl
    #1 Colorado Buffaloes (11–0) vs. #4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11–1)
    Period 1 2 34Total
    Notre Dame 0 0 14721
    Colorado 0 0 606

    at

    Miami, Florida

    • Date: January 1, 1990
    • Game attendance: 81,190
    • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh
    • Recap/Box
    Game information

    [12]

    References

    1. ^ "No crown for Buffs". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. January 1, 1990. p. 1B.
    2. ^ "Colorado quarterback stricken by cancer". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 31, 1989. p. 2B.
    3. ^ "Colorado mourns quarterback's death". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 25, 1989. p. 2B.
    4. ^ "2,000 bid farewell to Aunese". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 26, 1989. p. 6D.
    5. ^ "Colorado tips Washington after memorial". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. October 1, 1989. p. 7B.
    6. ^ "Colorado ends Oklahoma domination, 20-3". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. October 29, 1989. p. 5B.
    7. ^ "Colorado nails Nebraska, 27-21". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 5, 1989. p. 1B.
    8. ^ 2011 Colorado football information guide
    9. ^ "Oklahoma – Getting a High Five in the Produce Aisle". CU at the Game. October 28, 1989. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
    10. Denver Post
      . November 22, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
    11. ^ "Nebraska vs. Colorado 1989". Husker Max. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
    12. ^ "Lackluster Colorado Leveled by Notre Dame". The New York Times. January 2, 1990. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
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