Colorado University Athletics
Series Classic: 1997 Buffs Horn In On Texas
October 09, 2009 | Football, B.G. Brooks
(Note: The following story from the CU-Texas game on Oct. 25, 1997 was written by former Rocky Mountain News staff writer B.G. Brooks, now the Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com.)
Ben Kelly had one of five CU interceptions against Texas in 1997.
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CU-Texas Series Classics |
The University of Colorado football team arrived here late Friday night knowing precisely what was required the next day in the Memorial Stadium: Don't let Texas tailback Ricky Williams win the game with his legs. Make quarterback James Brown do it with his arm.
The Buffs' plan worked-not flawlessly, but no one wearing CU colors is quibbling this morning about perfection.
Williams ran for 201 yards and four touchdowns Saturday, but Brown threw four of Texas' five interceptions. It was a tradeoff the Buffs could live with-and they did, outlasting the Longhorns 47-30 for their second consecutive victory as they kept their postseason hopes flickering.
"We learned two things from this game-that you can't afford to squander a (lead), and that we could show resolve at the end," said CU coach Rick Neuheisel, who gathered his team in front of a raucous CU sheering section at game's end and led both groups in singing the school fight song.
Finally, in a season that just might be turning the Buffs' way, they have something to sing about. They improved to 4-3 overall, 2-2 in the Big 12 and set up what is now a surprisingly monstrous game next weekend with a surprising North Division monster named Missouri (Saturday, 12:30 p.m., Folsom Field).
If Neuheisel's team showed resolve in Austin, Mizzou showed heaping portions of the same quality in Stillwater, Okla. The Tigers won where the Buffs couldn't three weeks ago, stunning No. 12 Oklahoma State in double overtime.
"We've got another tough game with a hot team," Neuheisel said.
The Longhorns were hardly that, having lost 37-29 to Mizzou in their previous game. But Williams, who recorded his third consecutive 200-plus yard game, makes Texas formidable.
"He's the best back we'll face this year,"CU middle linebacker Clifton Peters said. "He's the real deal."
But the Buffs secondary was fairly authentic itself. Defensive coordinator A.J. Christoff said he was "surprised they threw as much as they did the whole game . . . . Teams that open up against us (play) to our strength. We'll give up some big plays, but we'll put the (CU) offense in situations to make some, too."
And that was Saturday's storyline. Senior free safety Ryan Sutter made two of CU's interceptions, with linebacker Terrell Cade and cornerbacks Ben Kelly and Damen Wheeler contributing one each. Sutter returned his second interception 34 yards for a score, giving the Buffs a 31-17 third-quarter lead.
Counting that TD, CU converted the five inceptions into 27 points-which more than offset Williams' four-TD performance. Before being replaced by Richard Walton with 7 minutes, 2 seconds left in the third quarter, Brown threw four of the interceptions. The Horns also lost one fumble.
The Buffs suffered just one turnover and gained more than 400 yards in total offense (419) in a second consecutive game for the first time this season. CU also ran for more than 200 yards (208), punching up its second straight 200-plus rushing game-another 1997 first.
But an improving ground game might have suffered a crippling blow. Junior tailback Marlon Barnes, who fell just short of a second consecutive 100-yard game with 93 on 17 carries, suffered a knee sprain that CU medical personnel said might sideline him for "several weeks."
Meanwhile, CU quarterback John Hessler's rejuvenation continued; he complete 14 of 26 passes for 211 yards and a 45-yard TD pass to Phil Savoy (four catches, 92 yards). Hessler also ran 18 yards on an option play for the Buffs' first touchdown.
"Hessler's confidence level is very high right now," Savoy said. "We, as on offense, are just trying to match it."
Hessler's most glaring miscue was an ill-conceived option pitch for Herchell Troutman that lost 16 yards and resulted in the third (and career long) of Jeremy Aldrich's four field goals, which tied a career best.
That sequence-a laughable scoring drive of minus-29 yards-might have been Neuheisel's Exhibit A when he talked of squandering leads. Through three quarter, the Buffs led by two or more TDs on six occasions, with the largest margin 40-17.
Yet after Williams, who had TD runs of 71 yards and a trio of 1-yarders, scored for the final time, CU's lead was trimmed to 40-30 with a little more than 5 minutes to play. But Hessler drove the Buffs 80 yards and put the Horns to rest; a 1-yard run by Troutman with 32 seconds remaining sent the Texas fans who remained to their cars grumbling.
Embattled Longhorns coach John Mackrovic said he told his team he was proud of their effort, and that when it plays that hard, "You shouldn't go around second-guessing yourself."
Leave that to the disenchanted Texas followers, who watched their team drop 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the league. Nonetheless, receiver Kwame Cavil said, "We definitely believe we can win out and make a bowl game."
That will require a minimum of six wins-a long order for the Longhorns but now a shorter one for the Buffs.
