American college football season
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 (1–6 in Big 8, seventh),[ 1] their sixth consecutive losing season. Home games were played on campus at sixty-year-old Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado .[ 2]
The season was marked by the trauma late in the second game at Oregon on September 15, as sophomore tight end Ed Reinhardt of Littleton suffered a career-ending, life-threatening brain injury.[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] Airlifted to Denver a month later,[ 7] [ 8] [ 9] he was in a coma for 62 days and was partially paralyzed.[ 10]
Colorado's sole win came in mid-season, by two points over last-place Iowa State on homecoming .[ 11] The Buffs' previous one-win season was four years earlier ; the next was in 2012 .
The following spring, McCartney switched to a wishbone offense for 1985 .[ 12]
Date Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 8 Michigan State * MH Cable L 21–2435,825
September 15 at Oregon * L 20–2725,048
September 22 at Notre Dame * L 14–5559,075
September 29 No. 17 UCLA * L 16–3338,925
October 6 at Missouri KATZ L 7–5238,662
October 13 Iowa State WOI W 23–2136,762
October 20 No. 5 Nebraska L 7–2451,124
October 27 at No. 10 Oklahoma State KATZ L 14–2047,800
November 3 Kansas KOOD L 27–2833,166
November 10 No. 9 Oklahoma KTVY L 17–4238,888
November 17 at Kansas State L 6–3817,600
*Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 13]
1984 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
WR
Loy Alexander
Jr
G
Shaun Beard
Sr
WR
Ron Brown
Jr
WR
Jo Jo Collins
OL
Eric Coyle
TE
Phil Cross
RB
Dion Dyson
TE
Jon Embree
So
WR
Drew Ferrando
OL
Jeff Glenn
C
William Gulley
Jr
OT
Tim Harper
So
RB
Mark Hatcher
G
Junior Iii
Sr
QB
Craig Keenan
QB
Derek Marshall
RB
Eric McCarty
Fr
QB
Chuck Page
TE
88
Ed Reinhardt
So
RB
Lee Rouson (C)
Sr
OT
79
Pat Ryan
So
RB
Sam Smith
QB
Steve Vogel
Sr
RB
Anthony Weatherspoon
OL
Jimmy Webb
TE
Troy Wolf
Defense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
DL
Calvin Beaty
DB
John Bennett
LB
Alan Chrite
FS
Kent Davis
Sr
LB
Don Fairbanks
Jr
DT
Curt Koch
So
LB
Miles Kusayanagi
LB
Dan McMillen
Jr
NG
Don Muncie
Sr
DB
John Nairn
DB
Lyle Pickens
SS
Mickey Pruitt
So
LB
Barry Remington
So
CB
Alvin Rubalcaba
Sr
LB
Darin Schubeck
Jr
DT
George Smith (C)
Sr
DB
Tommy Streeter
CB
Solomon Wilcots
Jr
Special teams
Pos.
#
Name
Class
P
17
Allan Braun
Sr
K
Dave DeLine
K
Larry Eckel
P
Barry Helton
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Source: [ 14]
^ "K-State breezes past Buffs, 38-6" . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas). Associated Press. November 18, 1984. p. 4B.
^ Woodling, Chuck (November 4, 1984). "Jayhawks dodge bullets, nudge Colorado 28-27" . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas). p. 1B.
^ Bellamy, Ron (September 16, 1984). "Player critically injured" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). p. 1A.
^ "Buffs decked by Ducks, 27-20" . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas). Associated Press. September 16, 1984. p. 4B.
^ Conrad, John (September 17, 1984). "Football player still comatose" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). p. 1A.
^ Clark, Bob (September 22, 1984). "Reinhardt's parents prepared to wait" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). p. 1A.
^ Withers, Bud (October 16, 1984). " 'All we can say is thank you' " . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). p. 1B.
^ "Reinhardt transferred to Colorado" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). October 17, 1984. p. 1B.
^ "Reinhardt's condition 'improving' " . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press. November 6, 1984. p. 2B.
^ "Alumni Recognition Award Winner - Ed Reinhardt" . University of Colorado at Boulder. 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2021 .
^ "Vogel ignites Colorado to first win of season" . Lawrence Daily Journal-World . (Kansas). Associated Press. October 14, 1984. p. 8B.
^ "On the run: Surprising Buffaloes stampeding thanks to new wishbone" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). Associated Press. October 24, 1985. p. 6B.
^ 2011 Colorado football information guide
^ "Starting lineups" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). September 15, 1984. p. 2B.
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