2002 Season Archive

Black Friday – In one day, Colorado loses half of its backfield

//posted 1.10.2003

Black Friday After the hoopla of bowl season winds down, January is supposed to be a relatively quiet time for college football fans. Recruiting is in full swing, and there is a great deal of information for the truly faithful to digest and debate. But for most fans, January is the lull before February signing day, after which thoughts of the team are mostly shelved until fall. For the second time in four years, though, January was an active time for Colorado football. In 1999, January brought the surprise defection …

Wisconsin – Alamo Bowl – 2002 a Dramatic Act in three parts

//posted 12.28.2002

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— December 28th – Alamo Bowl Wisconsin 31, No. 14 Colorado 28 – OT — Sophomore kicker Mike Allen connected from 37 yards out to lift the Wisconsin Badgers to a 31-28 overtime win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Allen’s kick capped a fourth quarter rally by the Badgers, who won for the seventh time in eight bowl games under head coach Barry Alverez. Neither team led by more than seven points throughout the game. The Buffs opened the scoring on Donald Strickland’s Alamo Bowl record 91-yard interception return in the …

No. 8 Oklahoma – Big 12 title game – History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes

//posted 12.7.2002

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— December 7th – Reliant Stadium-Houston No. 8 Oklahoma 29, No. 12 Colorado 7 — Big 12 Championship Game Quarterback Nate Hybl threw two touchdown passes and Quentin Griffin ran for a championship record 188 yards and two scores as the Oklahoma Sooners dominated the Buffs, 29-7, to win the Big 12 title for the second time in three years. Hybl threw touchdown passes of three yards to Trent Smith and 21 yards to Mark Clayton as Oklahoma built a 13-0 halftime lead. Colorado’s anemic offense produced only two field goal attempts in …

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Nebraska – Brian Calhoun brings a Red Sunset to Lincoln

//posted 11.29.2002

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— November 29th – at Nebraska No. 13 Colorado 28, Nebraska 13 — Freshman tailback Brian Calhoun, inserted into the Colorado backfield due to injuries to Chris Brown and Bobby Purify, ran for 137 yards to lead the Buffs to a 28-13 win over Nebraska in Lincoln. Senior fullback Brandon Drumm scored twice as Colorado won for the eighth time in nine games to claim the outright Big 12 North title. “When it counted, we wanted to win the Big 12 (North) title outright,” said Gary Barnett. “We didn’t want …

Iowa State – Houston, I don’t think we have any problems

//posted 11.16.2002

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— November 16th – Boulder No. 17 Colorado 41, Iowa State 27 — Bobby Purify, subbing for an injured Chris Brown, ran for 174 yards to lead Colorado to a Big 12 North title-clinching win over Iowa State, 41-27. Purify scored on a five-yard run with 1:53 remaining to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive to finally seal the win for the Buffs in a game which witnessed six lead changes. Both teams scored on their opening drives, with Pat Brougham connecting from 43 yards out for the Buffs, while tailback Michael Wagner …

Missouri – Kory Mossini: “That’s the fastest I have ever crawled”

//posted 11.9.2002

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— November 9th – at Missouri No. 18 Colorado 42, Missouri 35 OT — The Colorado Buffaloes kept their Big 12 destiny in their own hands, but just barely, defeating Missouri in overtime, 42-35. Chris Brown scored his third touchdown of the game from a yard out in the Buffs’ possession in overtime, with Missouri’s overtime possession ending in a fumble recovery by Colorado linebacker Kory Mossini. The win over the Tigers left the Buffs (7-3, 5-1 in conference play) one win away from capturing a second consecutive Big 12 North title. Colorado …

No. 2 Oklahoma – D-fiant in Norman

//posted 11.2.2002

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— November 2nd – at Oklahoma No. 2 Oklahoma 27, No. 13 Colorado 11 — Despite allowing Chris Brown to become the first runner to post a 100-yard game against them since 1999, the Oklahoma defense made a strong showing in leading the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners to a 27-11 win over Colorado in Norman. The Sooners’ defense forced four Colorado turnovers in giving its offense a short field. Quarterback Nate Hybl threw three touchdown passes, with the touchdown drives covering just 39, 24, and nine yards. “Our defense played very …

Texas Tech – Kliff Kingsbury: 65 passes; zero TD’s; four INT’s

//posted 10.26.2002

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— October 26th – Boulder No. 21 Colorado 37, Texas Tech 13 — Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury came to Boulder as the nation’s leader in pass completions, attempts, yards passing and touchdowns. Kingsbury left town with a sore arm, no touchdowns, and a loss, as the Colorado defense rose to the occasion in leading the Buffs to a convincing 37-13 win. Kingsbury did get his yards, 268 in all, but on 36-of-65 passing and no touchdowns. The Red Raider quarterback had been intercepted only six …

Baylor – Buffs cruise to Big 12 North lead in shutout of Bears

//posted 10.19.2002

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— October 19th – Boulder No. 23 Colorado 34, Baylor 0 — For a third straight game, Colorado opened the game against a Big 12 conference rival with a quick 14-0 lead. Unlike the Kansas State and Kansas games of the previous two weeks, however, this time the Buffs did not let up, cruising to a 34-0 win over Baylor. Chris Brown rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns as the Buffs raced out to a 34-0 halftime lead before letting backups play much of the scoreless second half. Brown scored …

Kansas – Chris Brown goes for a career-high 309 yards in rout

//posted 10.12.2002

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— October 12th – at Kansas Colorado 53, Kansas 29 — Chris Brown rushed for a career-high 309 yards and scored two touchdowns in leading Colorado to a 53-29 win over Kansas in Lawrence. In becoming only the third player in school history to post a 300-yard rushing game, Brown carried the ball 25 times for a healthy 12.4 yards per carry. Quarterback Robert Hodge continued his steady play as well, hitting on 12-of-19 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Only the Buffs’ porous defense kept the game from …

No. 13 Kansas State – Hodge-Ball leads Buffs to upset

//posted 10.5.2002

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— October 5th – Boulder Colorado 35, No. 13 Kansas State 31 — Showing a big-play ability largely muted in non-conference games, the Colorado offense hit its stride in leading the Buffs to a 35-31 win over No. 13 Kansas State. The Buffs scored on plays of 71, 85, and 94 yards in rolling to 483 yards of total offense against the nation’s fifth-ranked defense. Quarterback Robert Hodge connected on 13-of-20 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns in making a successful return to Folsom Field. After enduring a devastating debut against …

No. 20 UCLA – Buffs take down Bruins in 99-degree heat

//posted 9.21.2002

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— September 21st – at UCLA Colorado 31, No. 20 UCLA 17 — Chris Brown went for 188 yards on 26 carries, scoring three touchdowns as Colorado defeated UCLA in Pasadena, 31-17. Bouncing back after a humiliating defeat at the hands of USC, the Buffs took out their frustrations on the Trojans’ cross-town rivals, posting 471 yards of total offense. “This is us,” said Chris Brown, who scored on runs of 19, 7, and eight yards. Indeed, a team that had been held to just four first downs a week …