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News Junkie
By Stuart
[h=2]In Case You Were Wondering[/h] (Editor’s Note: The month of June will be bleak for Colorado fans. Not because there will be little news, but because most of the news will be hard to take. The preseason magazines will be coming out, and it will be hard to find a prognosticator who will pick CU to finish anywhere other than last in the Pac-12 South, with few pundits willing to give CU more than two or three wins on the season. As a result, we’ll take a break from the news from time to time this month to bring you some interesting notes, trivia, and highlights about the game we all love so much).
May 26th
A little history …
- You probably knew that the first collegiate football game took place in 1869, in a game between Rutgers and Princeton. But did you know … that the game played that day bore little resemblance to today’s game? There were 25 players per side, and the game was scored like soccer, with each goal counting one point, or a “game”, with the first to six “games” declared the winner. Rutgers won the first collegiate game by a score of 6-to-4.
- In 1880, the scrimmage line was first established, leading some to believe that the game really originated that year, not in 1869.
- You probably knew that the game became so brutal that calls were made at the turn of the century to outlaw football. And you probably knew that President Theodore Roosevelt helped save the game. But did you know … what changes were made to make the game safer? In addition to banning the Wedge or “V” blocking lineup, in which the ball carrier hid behind an armada of blockers, the game was made more “open” by the creation of the neutral zone at the line of scrimmage, and the legalization of the forward pass.
- You may have known that the University of Pittsburgh was the first school to wear numbers on their jerseys, back in 1908 … But did you know … that the first school to put names on the backs of jerseys was the University of Maryland – and that innovation didn’t come along until 1961?
And a little CU history …
- The first victory for Colorado came against Colorado Springs A.A. in 1891. CU won 24-4, the first win for the program … coming after eight losses.
- Colorado’s first game against Colorado State came in 1892, the third year for the program. The game was played in Ft. Collins, and the “Buffs” (not named that yet, of course) took care of business by the score of 70-6. The victory gave CU a 3-2 season record, the first winning season in school history (after opening 0-4 in 1890 and 1-4 in 1891).
- In 1894, in the Buffs’ fifth season ever, and its second season as a member of the Colorado Football Association (also known as the Colorado Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), Colorado won its first conference championship, going 5-0 in conference play, and 8-1 overall.
- The first game for CU against a team from outside of the state came in 1898, when the Buffs lost to Nebraska, 23-10. The first victory over an out-of-state opponent came in CU’s second attempt, beating Wyoming, 10-6, in 1900. (Colorado got the best of Nebraska a few years later, in 1904, in the Buffs third attempt at beating the Bugeaters).
But don’t forget the stats …
- There aren’t too many Buff fans around who can say that they remember the best rushing day in CU history. In came during the 1971 season, when Charlie Davis went for 342 yards on 34 carries against Oklahoma State. The Buffs that season went on to a 10-2 record and a No. 3 final ranking, finishing behind only Nebraska and Oklahoma (the two teams to beat the Buffs) in the polls.
- While there may not be a large number of fans who remember Charlie Davis’ efforts, there are a larger number of fans who recall the best receiving day in CU history. That came in 2011, when Paul Richardson caught 11 passes for 284 yards against Cal. Richardson smashed the old record of 222 yards, first set by Walter Stanley in 1981 (v. Texas Tech) then later matched by Rae Carruth in 1996 (v. Missouri).
- Okay,*so we have the rushing and receiving records. How about passing? You might be able to win a bar bet by knowing*the record is held by Tyler Hansen. While*Paul Richardson grabbed the headlines with his 284 yard effort, Hansen also set a new standard, passing for 474 yards against Cal in the 2011 game *(28-for-49, with three touchdowns and no interceptions).
— More football trivia, CU trivia, and CU stats will be added each week. Let me know if there is a stat or historical note which interests you. Drop me a note at cuatthegame@gmail.com … anytime!
Originally posted by CU At the Game
Click here to vie
[h=2]In Case You Were Wondering[/h] (Editor’s Note: The month of June will be bleak for Colorado fans. Not because there will be little news, but because most of the news will be hard to take. The preseason magazines will be coming out, and it will be hard to find a prognosticator who will pick CU to finish anywhere other than last in the Pac-12 South, with few pundits willing to give CU more than two or three wins on the season. As a result, we’ll take a break from the news from time to time this month to bring you some interesting notes, trivia, and highlights about the game we all love so much).
May 26th
A little history …
- You probably knew that the first collegiate football game took place in 1869, in a game between Rutgers and Princeton. But did you know … that the game played that day bore little resemblance to today’s game? There were 25 players per side, and the game was scored like soccer, with each goal counting one point, or a “game”, with the first to six “games” declared the winner. Rutgers won the first collegiate game by a score of 6-to-4.
- In 1880, the scrimmage line was first established, leading some to believe that the game really originated that year, not in 1869.
- You probably knew that the game became so brutal that calls were made at the turn of the century to outlaw football. And you probably knew that President Theodore Roosevelt helped save the game. But did you know … what changes were made to make the game safer? In addition to banning the Wedge or “V” blocking lineup, in which the ball carrier hid behind an armada of blockers, the game was made more “open” by the creation of the neutral zone at the line of scrimmage, and the legalization of the forward pass.
- You may have known that the University of Pittsburgh was the first school to wear numbers on their jerseys, back in 1908 … But did you know … that the first school to put names on the backs of jerseys was the University of Maryland – and that innovation didn’t come along until 1961?
And a little CU history …
- The first victory for Colorado came against Colorado Springs A.A. in 1891. CU won 24-4, the first win for the program … coming after eight losses.
- Colorado’s first game against Colorado State came in 1892, the third year for the program. The game was played in Ft. Collins, and the “Buffs” (not named that yet, of course) took care of business by the score of 70-6. The victory gave CU a 3-2 season record, the first winning season in school history (after opening 0-4 in 1890 and 1-4 in 1891).
- In 1894, in the Buffs’ fifth season ever, and its second season as a member of the Colorado Football Association (also known as the Colorado Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), Colorado won its first conference championship, going 5-0 in conference play, and 8-1 overall.
- The first game for CU against a team from outside of the state came in 1898, when the Buffs lost to Nebraska, 23-10. The first victory over an out-of-state opponent came in CU’s second attempt, beating Wyoming, 10-6, in 1900. (Colorado got the best of Nebraska a few years later, in 1904, in the Buffs third attempt at beating the Bugeaters).
But don’t forget the stats …
- There aren’t too many Buff fans around who can say that they remember the best rushing day in CU history. In came during the 1971 season, when Charlie Davis went for 342 yards on 34 carries against Oklahoma State. The Buffs that season went on to a 10-2 record and a No. 3 final ranking, finishing behind only Nebraska and Oklahoma (the two teams to beat the Buffs) in the polls.
- While there may not be a large number of fans who remember Charlie Davis’ efforts, there are a larger number of fans who recall the best receiving day in CU history. That came in 2011, when Paul Richardson caught 11 passes for 284 yards against Cal. Richardson smashed the old record of 222 yards, first set by Walter Stanley in 1981 (v. Texas Tech) then later matched by Rae Carruth in 1996 (v. Missouri).
- Okay,*so we have the rushing and receiving records. How about passing? You might be able to win a bar bet by knowing*the record is held by Tyler Hansen. While*Paul Richardson grabbed the headlines with his 284 yard effort, Hansen also set a new standard, passing for 474 yards against Cal in the 2011 game *(28-for-49, with three touchdowns and no interceptions).
— More football trivia, CU trivia, and CU stats will be added each week. Let me know if there is a stat or historical note which interests you. Drop me a note at cuatthegame@gmail.com … anytime!
Originally posted by CU At the Game
Click here to vie