1988 Colorado Buffaloes football team

American college football season

1988 Colorado Buffaloes football

Freedom Bowl, L 17-20 vs. BYU

Conference| Big Eight Conference
Record| 8-4 (4-3 Big 8)
Head coach|

* Bill McCartney (7th season)

Offensive coordinator| Gerry DiNardo (5th season)
Offensive scheme| Wishbone/I-Formation
Defensive coordinator| Mike Hankwitz (1st season)
Base defense| 3–4
MVP| Eric Bieniemy
Captains|

* Don DeLuzio
* Erik Norgard

Home stadium| Folsom Field

Seasons

<- 1987

1989 ->

1988 Big Eight Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 10 Nebraska $  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 2  | - | 0
No. 14 Oklahoma | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 11 Oklahoma State | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 2  | - | 0
Colorado | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 4  | - | 0
Iowa State | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 6  | - | 0
Missouri | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 7  | - | 1
Kansas | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 10  | - | 0
Kansas State | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 11  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1988 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Big Eight Conference during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado finished the regular season at 8–3 (4–3 in Big 8, fourth),[1] and played their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

The eight wins were the most by the Buffaloes in twelve years,[1] with narrow losses to ninth-ranked Oklahoma and #7 Nebraska.[2][3]

Ranked twentieth in the coaches' poll, Colorado was invited to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, California,[4] but was upset 17–20 by BYU of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), led by redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Detmer.[5][6]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance

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September 10| Fresno State*| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO

| KCNC| W 45–3| 32,417
September 17| at No. 19 Iowa*| |

* Kinnick Stadium
* Iowa City, IA

| | W 24–21| 67,700
September 24| Oregon State*| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO

| | W 28–21| 41,297
October 1| at Colorado State*| |

* Hughes Stadium
* Fort Collins, CO (Rocky Mountain Showdown)

| | W 27–23| 33,979
October 8| No. 13 Oklahoma State| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO

| KCNC| L 21–41| 41,854
October 15| at Kansas| |

* Memorial Stadium
* Lawrence, KS

| KCNC| W 21–9| 22,500
October 22| No. 9 Oklahoma| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO

| ESPN| L 14–17| 49,716
October 29| Iowa State| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO

| KCNC| W 24–12| 37,241
November 5| at Missouri| |

* Faurot Field
* Columbia, MO

| | W 45–8| 36,931
November 12| at No. 7 Nebraska| No. 19|

* Memorial Stadium
* Lincoln, NE (rivalry)

| KCNC| L 0–7| 76,359
November 19| Kansas State| |

* Folsom Field
* Boulder, CO (rivalry)

| KCNC| W 56–14| 32,617
December 29| vs. BYU*| |

* Anaheim Stadium
* Anaheim, CA (Freedom Bowl)

| Raycom| L 17–20| 35,941

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

Source:[7]

## Personnel

[edit]

1988 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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QB | `` | Sal Aunese
RB | `1` | Eric Bieniemy | So
WR | `` | Jeff Campbell
RB | `` | J.J. Flannigan
QB | `` | Darian Hagan
RB | `` | George Hemingway
QB | `` | Charles S. Johnson
WR | `` | Eric Kissick
TE | `` | John Perak
WR | `` | Mike Pritchard
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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LB | `` | Don DeLuzio
DB | `` | Deon Figures
LB | `` | Kanavis McGhee
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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K | `` | Pat Biottiaux
K | `` | Ken Culbertson
P | `` | Keith English
K | `` | Eric Hannah
P | `` | Mark Henry

Head coach

* Bill McCartney

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

## Season summary

[edit]

### Fresno State

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### At Iowa

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Colorado at #19 Iowa |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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• Colorado | 14 | 0| 3| 7 | 24
Iowa | 0 | 14| 7| 0 | 21

* Date: September 17
* Location: Kinnick Stadium
Iowa City, Iowa
* Game attendance: 67,700

| Scoring summary

Q1| 5:28| COL| Flannigan 5 yard run (Hannah kick)| COL 7–0
Q1| 2:20| COL| Aunese 17 yard run (Hannah kick)| COL 14–0
Q2| 6:44| IOWA| Hanks 8 yard blocked punt return (Skillett kick)| COL 14–7
Q2| 2:42| IOWA| Hudson 3 yard run (Skillett kick)| Tie 14–14
Q3| 9:13| COL| Hannah 28 yard field goal| COL 17–14
Q3| 3:20| IOWA| Ward 19 yard pass from Hartlieb (Skillett kick)| IOWA 21–17
Q4| 1:55| COL| Aunese 1 yard run (Hannah kick)| COL 24–21

See also: 1988 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Source:[8]

### Oregon State

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This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### At Colorado State

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This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### Oklahoma State

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### At Kansas

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This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### Oklahoma

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#8 Oklahoma Sooners (5–1) at Colorado Buffaloes (5–1)

Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3| 4| Total

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Oklahoma | 7 | 7 | 0| 3| 17
Colorado | 6 | 8 | 0| 0| 14

at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado

* Date: October 22, 1989
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Game attendance: 49,716
* TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler
* [9]

[10][11]

External videos

Full game
Scoring summary

| Quarter  | Time  | Drive | Team  | Scoring information  | Score

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Plays | Yards  | TOP | OU  | CU
1  |  |  |  |  | Oklahoma  | Charles Thompson 11-yard touchdown run, R.D. Lashar kick good  | 7  | 0
1  |  |  |  |  | Colorado  | 35-yard field goal by Ken Culbertson  | 7  | 3
1  |  |  |  |  | Colorado  | 26-yard field goal by Ken Culbertson  | 7  | 6
2  |  |  |  |  | Colorado  | Eric Bieniemy 24-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good  | 7  | 14
2  |  |  |  |  | Oklahoma  | Anthony Stafford 2-yard touchdown run, R.D. Lashar kick good  | 14  | 14
4  | 8:15  | 14  | 71  |  | Oklahoma  | 22-yard field goal by R.D. Lashar  | 17  | 14
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 17  | 14

### Iowa State

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### At Missouri

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### At Nebraska

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#19 Colorado at #7 Nebraska |  | 1 | 2| 3| 4| Total

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Colorado | 0 | 0| 0| 0 | 0
• Nebraska | 0 | 0| 7| 0 | 7

* Date: November 12
* Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Game attendance: 76,359

See also: 1988 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Source:[3]

### Kansas State

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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### Freedom Bowl (vs BYU)

[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (December 2022)

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## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Buffs win humbly, 56-14". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 20, 1988. p. 5B.
2. ^ "Oklahoma edges Buffs". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. October 23, 1988. p. 2B.
3. ^ a b "Cornhuskers barely beat Buffaloes, 7-0". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 13, 1988. p. 3B.
4. ^ Robinson, Doug (December 29, 1988). "Cougars, Buffaloes both have plenty of questions Freedom Bowl will answer". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. D1.
5. ^ "BYU's Detmer decks CU, 20-17". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. December 30, 1988. p. 4D.
6. ^ Robinson, Doug (December 30, 1988). "BYU edges Colorado in Ty-pical fashion". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. D1.
7. ^ 2011 Colorado football information guide
8. ^ "Colorado ambushes Iowa, 24-21". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. September 18, 1988. p. 3B.
9. ^ "1988 Oklahoma at Colorado box score". SoonerStats.com. 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
10. ^ "Fourth quarter kick gives Oklahoma win." Gainesville Sun. 1989 Oct 23. Retrieved 2022-Dec-28.
11. ^ "Oklahoma 17, Colorado 14." Eugene Register-Guard. 1989 Oct 23. Retrieved 2022-Dec-28.

* v
* t
* e

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
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
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* 1924
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* 1926
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* 1928
* 1929
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* 1931
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* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
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* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
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* 1978
* 1979
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* 1982
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* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
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National championship seasons in bold

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