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By Stuart
Deja vu – “Cougin’ it” against Washington State
Wake me up! This bad dream has got to come to an end!
Oh, it’s not a dream.
And it’s not the first time it has happened.
On Saturday, in the first*conference game as a member of the Pac-12,*the Colorado Buffs honored the 1961 Colorado football team. Those Buffs earned Colorado’s*first title after joining the old Big 7 in 1948. All members of the team (players, coaches, staff)*were invited back for the game. The*Buffs finished 1961 with a 10-3 record with a 7-1 mark in conference games. Colorado finished the regular season ranked 6th in the nation, falling to No. 4 LSU in the Orange Bowl, 25-7.
*While it was right and appropriate to honor the 1961 team, it may have been more appropriate to host the 1981 Colorado Buff team. It was 30*seasons ago*that Colorado played its first-ever game*against Washington State.
The final minutes of the 1981 game bear an eerie resemblance to what happened to the 2011 Buffs.
It was a home game for Colorado, and, surprisingly enough, the Buff Nation was confident. Colorado had been 1-10 in 1980, and had not posted a winning season since 1978, but 1981 was different, or at least*the Buff Nation*thought it would be.
The September 19th game was the second of the 1981 season, and the Buffs were coming off of a huge 45-21 win over Texas Tech to open the season. In that game, an impressive receiving record had been set, with Walter Stanley catching five passes for a school-record 222 yards (stop me when this begins to sound familiar). True, Washington State was also undefeated, but the Cougars opening win was against a 1-AA team, Montana State.
Colorado played well the entire game, and led 10-0 with less than five minutes remaining. The Colorado defense dominated the contest.
A 2-0 start to the 1981 season – after a 1-10 debacle in 1980 -*was in the offing.
Then the wheels fell off.
Colorado was held on downs by the Washington State defense. On fourth down, the Buffs failed to get the punt off, leading to a five-play, 34-yard drive for a touchdown.
10-7, with time still left on the clock for a Cougar comeback.
On the next series, the Buffs again went three-and-out, except the Buffs forgot the “and out” part. This time the punt was blocked and returned 43 yards for a touchdown by Cougar free safety Paul Sorenson. What had been a 10-0 defensive gem turned, in less than five minutes, into a 14-10 loss. The first defensive unit for Colorado more than held it’s own, but it was wasted.
My memory from the game is entitled, “You’ve Got to Be Kidding“, with the following write up:
“It takes a special talent to lose a game this way. Ahead the entire game, with a stifling defense, Colorado committed the unthinkable not once, but twice, in the fourth quarter. The Oklahoma debacle a year earlier (the epic 82-42 track meet) was almost fun by comparison. Against the Sooners, it was embarrassing. This was worse, because the Buffs should have won. Washington State was on our level, and, if Colorado was to show any noticeable signs of improvement, we had to beat this caliber of team at home. As fans, we returned to the pessimism of the 1980 season. With #11 ranked BYU, #16 ranked UCLA, and a trip to Lincoln coming up over the next three weeks, the euphoria of the Texas Tech game was already starting to wane.”
Sound familiar?
The 2011 Colorado Buffaloes have had two chances to demonstrate that they belong in the Pac-12. Three weeks ago, the Buffs*had the ball inside the Cal five yard late, not once, but twice, when a*touchdown could have / would have won the game. Instead,*once at the end of regulation, then again in overtime, the Buffs*settled for*field goals in what proved to be a 36-33 overtime loss.
Against Washington State, the Buffs had a second-and-five near midfield with under three minutes remaining in the game. Washington State was down to one time out. A first down – one first down – would have ended the game with a 27-24 Colorado victory. Instead, the Buffs not only failed to gain yardage, but threw an incompletion on third down, preserving time for the Washington State offense.
Not that they needed it.
With everyone in the stadium geared for another overtime game against*a Pac-12 rival, the Buff defense instead surrendered a 52-yard touchdown pass to send the Buff Nation home mumbling about what might have been …
… and what will now be.
The rest of October? A road game against an undefeated and top ten Stanford, a road game against Washington (which will have a bye week to enjoy its 31-14 victory on the road against Utah), then a home game against an Oregon offense which makes the Washington State offense look pedestrian, then a road game against Pac-12 South favorite Arizona State.
See any victories in that quartet of October games?
Me, neither.
Colorado has had its chances to make a statement to its Pac-12 brethren, and has failed both tests. The Buffs now are staring the first conference basement finish since 1915.
The Washington State game was won … but they ended up “Cougin’ it”.
“Cougin’ it”?
I went to the game with two Washington State fans, and learned that Cougar fans, in enduring a run in which Washington State won five games in three seasons, had a term for when the home team snatched a loss from a sure victory. They labeled such come-from-ahead losses as “Cougin’ it”.
Now the Buffs have to live with a come-from-ahead loss to a Washington State team which had been 1-18 on the road under Paul Wulff.
Two touchdowns in the final five minutes?
“Cougin’ it”, indeed.
The 1981 Colorado team, after giving*up two touchdowns to Washington State to turn a 10-0 lead with five minutes remaining into a 14-10 loss,*recovered to post two Big Eight wins to stay out of the conference cellar. The 3-8 record, though, was not enough to keep Chuck Fairbanks in Boulder.
Jon Embree certainly isn’t going anywhere at the end of this season, but, right now, those two conference wins posted by the 1981 team must seem mighty appealing.
Whether*Embree can keep the team together through the rest of October, so that winnable games in November can be approached with some degree of confidence, remains to be seen.
Originally posted by CU At the Game
Click here to vie
Deja vu – “Cougin’ it” against Washington State
Wake me up! This bad dream has got to come to an end!
Oh, it’s not a dream.
And it’s not the first time it has happened.
On Saturday, in the first*conference game as a member of the Pac-12,*the Colorado Buffs honored the 1961 Colorado football team. Those Buffs earned Colorado’s*first title after joining the old Big 7 in 1948. All members of the team (players, coaches, staff)*were invited back for the game. The*Buffs finished 1961 with a 10-3 record with a 7-1 mark in conference games. Colorado finished the regular season ranked 6th in the nation, falling to No. 4 LSU in the Orange Bowl, 25-7.
*While it was right and appropriate to honor the 1961 team, it may have been more appropriate to host the 1981 Colorado Buff team. It was 30*seasons ago*that Colorado played its first-ever game*against Washington State.
The final minutes of the 1981 game bear an eerie resemblance to what happened to the 2011 Buffs.
It was a home game for Colorado, and, surprisingly enough, the Buff Nation was confident. Colorado had been 1-10 in 1980, and had not posted a winning season since 1978, but 1981 was different, or at least*the Buff Nation*thought it would be.
The September 19th game was the second of the 1981 season, and the Buffs were coming off of a huge 45-21 win over Texas Tech to open the season. In that game, an impressive receiving record had been set, with Walter Stanley catching five passes for a school-record 222 yards (stop me when this begins to sound familiar). True, Washington State was also undefeated, but the Cougars opening win was against a 1-AA team, Montana State.
Colorado played well the entire game, and led 10-0 with less than five minutes remaining. The Colorado defense dominated the contest.
A 2-0 start to the 1981 season – after a 1-10 debacle in 1980 -*was in the offing.
Then the wheels fell off.
Colorado was held on downs by the Washington State defense. On fourth down, the Buffs failed to get the punt off, leading to a five-play, 34-yard drive for a touchdown.
10-7, with time still left on the clock for a Cougar comeback.
On the next series, the Buffs again went three-and-out, except the Buffs forgot the “and out” part. This time the punt was blocked and returned 43 yards for a touchdown by Cougar free safety Paul Sorenson. What had been a 10-0 defensive gem turned, in less than five minutes, into a 14-10 loss. The first defensive unit for Colorado more than held it’s own, but it was wasted.
My memory from the game is entitled, “You’ve Got to Be Kidding“, with the following write up:
“It takes a special talent to lose a game this way. Ahead the entire game, with a stifling defense, Colorado committed the unthinkable not once, but twice, in the fourth quarter. The Oklahoma debacle a year earlier (the epic 82-42 track meet) was almost fun by comparison. Against the Sooners, it was embarrassing. This was worse, because the Buffs should have won. Washington State was on our level, and, if Colorado was to show any noticeable signs of improvement, we had to beat this caliber of team at home. As fans, we returned to the pessimism of the 1980 season. With #11 ranked BYU, #16 ranked UCLA, and a trip to Lincoln coming up over the next three weeks, the euphoria of the Texas Tech game was already starting to wane.”
Sound familiar?
The 2011 Colorado Buffaloes have had two chances to demonstrate that they belong in the Pac-12. Three weeks ago, the Buffs*had the ball inside the Cal five yard late, not once, but twice, when a*touchdown could have / would have won the game. Instead,*once at the end of regulation, then again in overtime, the Buffs*settled for*field goals in what proved to be a 36-33 overtime loss.
Against Washington State, the Buffs had a second-and-five near midfield with under three minutes remaining in the game. Washington State was down to one time out. A first down – one first down – would have ended the game with a 27-24 Colorado victory. Instead, the Buffs not only failed to gain yardage, but threw an incompletion on third down, preserving time for the Washington State offense.
Not that they needed it.
With everyone in the stadium geared for another overtime game against*a Pac-12 rival, the Buff defense instead surrendered a 52-yard touchdown pass to send the Buff Nation home mumbling about what might have been …
… and what will now be.
The rest of October? A road game against an undefeated and top ten Stanford, a road game against Washington (which will have a bye week to enjoy its 31-14 victory on the road against Utah), then a home game against an Oregon offense which makes the Washington State offense look pedestrian, then a road game against Pac-12 South favorite Arizona State.
See any victories in that quartet of October games?
Me, neither.
Colorado has had its chances to make a statement to its Pac-12 brethren, and has failed both tests. The Buffs now are staring the first conference basement finish since 1915.
The Washington State game was won … but they ended up “Cougin’ it”.
“Cougin’ it”?
I went to the game with two Washington State fans, and learned that Cougar fans, in enduring a run in which Washington State won five games in three seasons, had a term for when the home team snatched a loss from a sure victory. They labeled such come-from-ahead losses as “Cougin’ it”.
Now the Buffs have to live with a come-from-ahead loss to a Washington State team which had been 1-18 on the road under Paul Wulff.
Two touchdowns in the final five minutes?
“Cougin’ it”, indeed.
The 1981 Colorado team, after giving*up two touchdowns to Washington State to turn a 10-0 lead with five minutes remaining into a 14-10 loss,*recovered to post two Big Eight wins to stay out of the conference cellar. The 3-8 record, though, was not enough to keep Chuck Fairbanks in Boulder.
Jon Embree certainly isn’t going anywhere at the end of this season, but, right now, those two conference wins posted by the 1981 team must seem mighty appealing.
Whether*Embree can keep the team together through the rest of October, so that winnable games in November can be approached with some degree of confidence, remains to be seen.
Originally posted by CU At the Game
Click here to vie