1986 Colorado Buffaloes football team

American college football season

1986 Colorado Buffaloes football

Bluebonnet Bowl, L 9–21 vs. Baylor

Conference| Big Eight Conference
Record| 6–6 (6–1 Big 8)
Head coach|

* Bill McCartney (5th season)

Offensive coordinator| Gerry DiNardo (3rd season)
Offensive scheme| Wishbone
Defensive coordinator| Lou Tepper (4th season)
Base defense| 3–4
Captains|

* Steve Beck
* Eric Coyle
* Barry Remington

Home stadium| Folsom Field
(Capacity: 51,463)

Seasons

<- 1985

1987 ->

1986 Big Eight Conference football standings

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| Conf |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 3 Oklahoma $  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
Colorado | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 6  | - | 0
No. 5 Nebraska | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
Oklahoma State | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Iowa State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 5  | - | 0
Missouri | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0
Kansas State | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 9  | - | 0
Kansas | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1986 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado opened with four losses,[1] but finished the regular season at 6–5 (6–1 in Big 8, second). It was their best conference record in a quarter century, and they were invited to the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston on New Year's Eve.[2][3]

The Buffaloes were upset 23–7 in the opener by intrastate rival Colorado State,[4] but defeated Nebraska for the first time in nineteen years, and the first time in Boulder since 1960.[5]

## Schedule[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| TV| Result| Attendance

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September 6| Colorado State*|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, Colorado

| KCNC| L 7–23| 45,109
September 13| at Oregon*|

* Autzen Stadium
* Eugene, Oregon

| | L 30–32| 26,155
September 20| at Ohio State*|

* Ohio Stadium
* Columbus, Ohio

| | L 10–13| 88,404
September 27| No. 10 Arizona*|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, Colorado

| Raycom| L 21–24| 41,024
October 11| at Missouri|

* Faurot Field
* Columbia, Missouri

| Raycom| W 17–12| 42,780
October 18| Iowa State|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, Colorado

| | W 31–3| 41,215
October 25| No. 3 Nebraska|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, Colorado

| | W 20–10| 52,440
November 1| at Oklahoma State|

* Lewis Field
* Stillwater, Oklahoma

| Raycom| W 31–14| 36,900
November 8| Kansas|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, Colorado

| | W 17–10| 37,056
November 15| No. 4 Oklahoma|

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, Colorado

| Raycom| L 0–28| 52,707
November 22| at Kansas State|

* KSU Stadium
* Manhattan, Kansas (rivalry)

| | W 49–3| 14,700
December 31| vs. No. 14 Baylor*|

* Rice Stadium
* Houston, Texas (Bluebonnet Bowl)

| Raycom| L 9–21| 40,470

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Source:[6]

## Roster[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2010)

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Source:[7]

## Staff[edit]

HC: Bill McCartney

Ast: Lou Tepper (AHC/DC/ILB), Gerry DiNardo (OC/TE), Gary Barnett (QB/FB), Steve Bernstein (DB), Mike Hankwitz (OLB), Steve Logan (RB), Oliver Lucas (WR), Les Miles (OL), Ron Vanderlinden (DL)

[6]

## Game summaries[edit]

### Nebraska[edit]

|  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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#3 Nebraska | 0 | 0| 7| 3 | 10
• Colorado | 7 | 3| 0| 10 | 20

* Date: October 25
* Location: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado

| Scoring summary

1| | COL| Jeff Campbell 39-yard run (Dave DeLine kick)| Colorado 7–0
2| | COL| Dave DeLine 57-yard field goal| Colorado 10–0
3| | NEB| Steve Taylor 2-yard run (Klein kick)| Colorado 10–7
4| | COL| Lance Carl 52-yard pass from O.C. Oliver (DeLine kick)| Colorado 17–7
4| | NEB| Dale Klein 29-yard field goal| Colorado 17–10
4| | COL| Dave DeLine 36-yard field goal| Colorado 20–10

The fans tore down the goal posts as the Buffaloes defeated Nebraska for the first time since 1967, breaking a streak of 18 losses to the Huskers, and the first win in Boulder over NU since 1960.[5] "This is a moment in our program we'll always cherish", said Colorado head coach Bill McCartney. "Up to this point I don't think we've beaten a great team. We did today. And I think we have a rivalry now." [8]

### Oklahoma State[edit]

|  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Colorado | 3 | 0| 14| 14 | 31
Oklahoma St | 0 | 14| 0| 0 | 14

* Date: November 1
* Location: Lewis Field • Stillwater, Oklahoma

| Scoring summary

1| | COL| DeLine 47-yard field goal| Colorado 3–0
2| | OKST| Dykes 17-yard pass from Gundy (O'Connell kick)| Oklahoma St 7–3
2| | OKST| Thomas 3-yard run (O'Connell kick)| Oklahoma St 14–3
3| | COL| Oliver 23-yard pass from Hatcher (DeLine kick)| Oklahoma St 14–10
3| | COL| Hatcher 1-yard run (DeLine kick)| Colorado 17–14
4| | COL| Weatherspoon recovered fumble in end zone (DeLine kick)| Colorado 24–14
4| | COL| Smith 2-yard run (DeLine kick)| Colorado 31–14

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Arizona comeback foils Buffs, 24-21". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. September 28, 1986. p. 5B.
2. ^ "Colorado 49, Kansas State 3". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 23, 1986. p. 7C.
3. ^ "Baylor defense corrals Buffs in Bluebonnet". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. January 1, 1987. p. 1B.
4. ^ "Bartalo shines as CSU surprises Colorado, 23-7". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. September 7, 1986. p. 3B.
5. ^ a b "Buffs upset Nebraska, 20-10". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. October 26, 1986. p. 3B.
6. ^ a b 2010 Colorado football information guide Archived 2012-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ "Starting lineups". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). September 13, 1986. p. 2B.
8. ^ Mossman, John (October 26, 1986). "No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Nebraska get roughed up". Gainesville Sun. (Florida). Associated Press. p. 1F.

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Colorado Buffaloes football

Venues|

* Campus fields (1890–1901)
* Gamble Field (1901–1924)
* Folsom Field (1924–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Colorado State: Rocky Mountain Showdown
* Kansas State
* Nebraska
* Utah: Rumble in the Rockies

Culture & lore|

* Ralphie the Buffalo
* "CU Fight Song"
* "Golden Buffalo" Marching band
* Fifth Down Game
* Miracle at Michigan

People|

* Head coaches
* Statistical leaders
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1890
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
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*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number