1988 Colorado Buffaloes football team

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.

1988 Colorado Buffaloes football
Freedom Bowl, L 17–20 vs. BYU
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Record8–4 (4–3 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGerry DiNardo (5th season)
Offensive schemeWishbone/I-Formation
Defensive coordinatorMike Hankwitz (1st season)
Base defense3–4
MVPEric Bieniemy
Captains
  • Don DeLuzio
  • Erik Norgard
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1987
1989 →
1988 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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 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

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DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 10Fresno State*KCNCW 45–332,417
September 17at No. 19 Iowa*W 24–2167,700
September 24Oregon State*
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
W 28–2141,297
October 1at Colorado State*W 27–2333,979
October 8No. 13 Oklahoma State
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
KCNCL 21–4141,854
October 15at KansasKCNCW 21–922,500
October 22No. 9 Oklahoma
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
ESPNL 14–1749,716
October 29Iowa State 
  • Folsom Field
  • Boulder, CO
KCNCW 24–1237,241
November 5at MissouriW 45–836,931
November 12at No. 7 NebraskaNo. 19KCNCL 0–776,359
November 19Kansas State
KCNCW 56–1432,617
December 29vs. BYU*RaycomL 17–2035,941
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
Source:[7]

Personnel

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1988 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
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
LB Don DeLuzio
DB Deon Figures
LB Kanavis McGhee
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K Pat Biottiaux
K Ken Culbertson
P Keith English
K Eric Hannah
P Mark Henry
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Season summary

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Fresno State

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At Iowa

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Colorado at #19 Iowa
1 234Total
Colorado 14 037 24
Iowa 0 1470 21
Source:[8]

Oregon State

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At Colorado State

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Oklahoma State

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At Kansas

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Oklahoma

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#8 Oklahoma Sooners (5–1) at Colorado Buffaloes (5–1)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Oklahoma 7 7 0317
Colorado 6 8 0014

at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado

[10][11]

External videos
  Full game

Iowa State

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At Missouri

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At Nebraska

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#19 Colorado at #7 Nebraska
1 234Total
Colorado 0 000 0
Nebraska 0 070 7
Source:[3]

Kansas State

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Freedom Bowl (vs BYU)

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References

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  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.