Top 40 of the Past 40 – No. 27

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Top 40 of the Past 40 – No. 27

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Previously posted:

• Game No. 40: 2001 – No. 20 Colorado 31, No. 25 Texas A&M 21 – “This One’s For Fred Casotti”
• Game No. 39: 2004 – Colorado 26, Nebraska 20 – Bobby Purify shines as Nebraska Empire crumbles
• Game No. 38: 1995 – No. 4 Colorado 38, No. 10 Oklahoma 17 – John Hessler sets TD passing record in first start
• Game No. 37: 1998 – Colorado 51, No. 21 Oregon 43 – Aloha Bowl shootout sets the stage for Rick Neuheisel bolting
• Game No. 36: 1996 – No. 7 Colorado 38, No. 12 Oregon 6 – Cotton Bowl domination inadvertently leads to “Nike U”
• Game No. 35: 1999 – Colorado 38, No. 24 Oklahoma 24 – Mike Moschetti four touchdowns leads to upset of No. 24 Sooners
• Game No. 34: 2010 – Colorado 29, Georgia 27 – Late fumble recovery preserves the home victory for the Buffs
• Game No. 33: 1995 – No. 14 Colorado 43, No. 21 Wisconsin 7 – Neuheisel debut a huge success; Dave Plati’s Dad
• Game No. 32: 2009 – Buffs rally for 35-34 win over Texas A&M – Also remembered as the “Blue Out” Game
• Game No. 31: 2007 – Cornhuskers sent packing as CU qualifies for bowl game with a 65-51 win in Boulder
• Game No. 30: 1990 – No. 12 Colorado 33, Missouri 31 – The Fifth Down game puts an asterisk on CU’s title season
• Game No. 29: 2018 – Colorado 33, Nebraska 28 – Spoiling Scott Frost’s debut with last minute win
• Game No. 28: 2004 – Colorado 33, UTEP 28 – Buffs cap Big 12 North title with last (most recent) bowl win

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• Player No. 40: Wide receiver Scotty McKnight (2007-10)
• Player No. 39: Punter Barry Helton (1984-87)
• Player No. 38: Quarterback Cody Hawkins (2007-10)
• Player No. 37: Linebacker Greg Biekert (1989-92)
• Player No. 36: Running back Bobby Purify (2000-04)
• Player No. 35: Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (2014-16)
• Player No. 34: Wide receiver/kick returner Jeff Campbell (1986-89)
• Player No. 33: Linebacker Ted Johnson (1991-94)
• Player No. 32: Offensive Tackle Nate Solder (2006-10)
• Player No. 31: Quarterback Sal Aunese (1987-88)
• Players No. 30: CU’s star offensive linemen
• Player No. 29: Running back Hugh Charles (2004-07)
• Player No. 28: Linebacker Chad Brown (1989-92)

As always, I look forward to your comments and suggestions as we count down my favorite 40 games and favorite 40 players of my 40 years as a Buff …

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Top 40 Favorite Games … No. 27

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September 22, 1990 – No. 20 Colorado 29, No. 22 Texas 22 – Bieniemy rallies the troops 

From the Game Story in the CU at the Game Archives …

Colorado returned to the win column with a hard-fought 29-22 victory over Texas. Eric Bieniemy scored three touchdowns on the day, including the go-ahead touchdown with 5:57 to play. For the game, Bieniemy rushed for 99 yards, while his backfield mate, fullback George Hemingway, posted 76 yards rushing on only seven carries.

The game was one of streaks, with neither of the nationally ranked teams able to take complete control.

Two Darian Hagan fumbles in the first quarter led to two Texas scores. The first led to a six-yard touchdown pass from Peter Gardere to Kerry Cash. Then, after Hagan connected with fullback George Hemingway on a 38-yard touchdown to tie the game, a second Hagan fumble led to a 47-yard field goal by Michael Pollak just before the end of the first quarter.

10-7, Texas.

The Buffs took their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter with an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by an Eric Bieniemy two-yard touchdown run. A second Pollak field goal just before half, this time from 25 yards out, cut the Buffs’ lead to 14-13 at the break.

The third quarter was all Texas. The Longhorns kept possession for 12:17 of the quarter, allowing the Buffs only five offensive plays. Still, Texas could only post one score, a two-yard run by Phil Brown. The score made it 19-14, with the score remaining there a few moments later when a two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

The Buffs were down only one score, but it may as well have been three scores, considering the momentum of the game.

The Colorado offense was showing no signs of life. From the end of the second quarter through the start of the fourth, Texas ran 27 plays. During that same time, the Buffs ran only five. A 22-yard field goal by Texas early in the fourth quarter upped the lead to 22-14, and a 1-2-1 record for the Buffs appeared to be imminent.

Their season now on the line, however, the Buffs quickly responded.

… Continue reading story here …

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Here are YouTube highlights from the game, from the Daily Camera … 

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Alfred Williams recalls Bieniemy rallying the troops

When, in 2010, linebacker Alfred Williams was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, one of the games which stood out in his mind was the 1990 Texas game. Williams told CUBuffs.com about the pivotal fourth quarter:

“I remember that fourth quarter of the Texas game my senior year when we took over,” Williams said.  “It had been so long since we were in that kind in situation, trailing on the road in the fourth quarter (22-14) in a hostile environment, I am pretty sure for the first time since my sophomore year.

“EB (Eric Bieniemy) led the offense out on the field between the third and fourth quarter to fire up the defense, what many say was the turning point of the season.  It worked, and we held them to a field goal (to keep the score manageable, at 22-14), the offense came back and I was fortunate to end the game with a sack in the end zone for a safety to seal the deal.  But very rarely did we correspond so-to-speak during the game because EB was offense and I was defense and we were seldom on the sidelines at the same time.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Top 40 Favorite Players … No. 27

WR/KR – Ben Kelly (1997-99)

From his CUBuffs.com … A first-team All-American at cornerback by the Football News as a junior in 1999; he was a second-team choice (AAFF) and a third-team selection (Associated Press) at kick returner… Kelly was a three-time first-team All-Big 12 performer his freshman through junior seasons, the sixth Buff to accomplish the feat of becoming a three-time all-league selection; Kelly was the kick return man on the 1997 team, when he was selected the Big 12 Conference freshman of the year, and was honored at both cornerback and kick returner as a sophomore and junior …

Kelly became CU’s all-time leader in kickoff return yardage in just his 20th career game, and finished his career with 1,798 yards, 600 yards ahead of the No. 2 man, M.J. Nelson … Defensively, his 11 career interceptions tied for sixth all-time for the Buffaloes … CU’s all-time leader in non-offensive touchdowns with nine (four kickoff, three punt, two fumble); included in that count is an NCAA bowl record 88-yard punt return for a score against Boston College in the ’99 Insight.com Bowl … Co-winner of the Dave Jones Award, presented to CU’s outstanding defensive player as selected by the coaches as a sophomore in 1998); co-winner of the Lee Willard Award as CU’s outstanding freshman in his red-shirt season in ’97 …

Kelly to declare for the NFL Draft following his junior year, the fifth player at the time in CU history to do so … A third round pick by Miami in the 2000 NFL Draft (84th overall) … Kelly spent two years with the Dolphins (2000-01) before moving on to New England for two seasons.

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Tags: Alfred Williams, Ben Kelly, Darian Hagan, Eric Bieniemy, George Hemingway
This post, about the Top 40 of the Past 40 game, from the 2020 Season, is filed under Article.
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