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November 22nd – at Kansas State Colorado 49, Kansas State 3
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Colorado rebounded from the poor offensive showing against the Sooners with its highest scoring output of the season, routing the Wildcats from Kansas State, 49-3.
Quarterback Mark Hatcher did not play, but it didn’t matter, as backup freshman quarterback Marc Walters was perfect in the air, completing all four passes he threw for 111 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, the Buffs rambled for 407 yards and six touchdowns.
Walters chipped in 88 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow freshman O.C. Oliver broke the 100-yard barrier for the first time in his career, cruising to 137 yards on only 15 carries. For the defense, Solomon Wilcots contributed two interceptions.
The Buffs started slowly, taking a 7-0 lead after the first quarter on a 22-yard pass from Marc Walters to O.C. Oliver. A three-touchdown output in the second quarter, though, put the game out of reach. Two Walters’ touchdown runs, the first from 13 yards out, the second from 34 yards, was sandwiched between a four-yard scoring run by O.C. Oliver. Only a 50-yard field goal, the only score of the day for Kansas State, gave the announced crowd of 14,700 anything to cheer about.
Up 28-3 at the half, the Colorado fullbacks took over in the final two stanzas.
Anthony Weatherspoon scored on runs of 25 yards and two yards, followed by a one-yard score by freshman fullback Erich Kissick.
49-3, Colorado.
With the win, the Buffs finished the regular season with a 6-1 conference mark, good enough for second place after Oklahoma dispatched Nebraska, 20-17, Thanksgiving weekend. Second place in the conference would normally guarantee a bowl, but Colorado was only 6-5 overall. For the second year in a row, Colorado had to sweat out a bowl bid.
At kickoff, no bowl was guaranteed to the Buffs with a win.
With 11:04 left in the second quarter, destiny took a hand. News came that Wake Forest had upset Georgia Tech 24-21. Georgia Tech had been the Bluebonnet Bowl’s first choice to oppose Baylor in the bowl to be played December 31st in Houston. Bluebonnet Bowl representative Bruce Conway, on hand for the Colorado/Kansas State game, informed Colorado officials that if they won, they would be traveling to Houston. Up 14-0 over Kansas State at the time, the Buffs poured it on for the remainder of the game.
The Buffs were to go bowling in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1975-76.
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Game Notes –
– Freshman fullback Erich Kissick played in all 12 games in 1986, but his only score of the season came in the regular season finale against Kansas State.
– Junior fullback Anthony Weatherspoon scored twice against Kansas State, doubling his touchdown total for the season. His 92 yards rushing was the second highest total of the season (he had 98 yards rushing against Kansas).
– Colorado started the Kansas State game with two new players in the offensive backfield, as junior halfback Cameron Jones and freshman quarterback Marc Walters were given their first career starts. Jones had two carries on the day, for ten yards, while Walters accounted for three touchdowns. Walters had 88 yards rushing and two scores, while completing all four passes for 111 yards and a 22-yard scoring pass to O.C. Oliver.
– The 49-point outburst was the highest point total for Colorado since taking out Northwestern, 55-7, in 1978. The 407 yards rushing and six touchdowns were also the best since the Northwestern game, when the Buffs went for 483 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
– The six conference wins was the best effort for the Buffs in Big Eight play since Colorado went 7-0 in conference play in 1961. The second place finish was the best for the Buffs since Colorado tied for first place in 1976.
– In 1986, Kansas State was in its first year under head coach Stan Parrish. The Wildcats came into the 1986 regular season finale with a 2-8 record, having posted wins over only Western Illinois and in-state rival Kansas. Parrish would last three seasons, with his 1986 win over the Jayhawks his only Big Eight victory. Overall, Parrish would lead Kansas State to a 2-30-1 record, 1-19-1 in Big Eight play.
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