Colorado University Athletics
Woelk: Most Memorable Buff Efforts In CU-CSU History
September 16, 2015 | Football, Neill Woelk
Editor's note: Included on this list of memorable Buff moments against CSU is quarterback Joel Klatt's starting debut in 2003. For more on Klatt's game that year, check back to CUBuffs.com on Thursday, or subscribe to the the Buffs Blast E-Newsletter.
BOULDER — Rivalry games should produce memorable moments, and the Colorado-Colorado State contest has not disappointed in that regard over the years.
As fans from both sides gear up for Saturday's Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field in Denver (5 p.m., CBS-SN), it's worth remembering some of the great individual efforts that have been recorded in the series.
Without further ado, here's our very subjective list of the top individual performances by a Buff in the CU-CSU series, listed in chronological order (feel free to drop me an email with your own pick for the list if you don't see it here):
William "Kayo" Lam, 1934: In an effort that's still the best rushing performance by a Buff in the series, Lam literally KO'd the Rams by running 16 times for 232 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-9 victory in Boulder. A year later, Lam became CU's first 1,000-yard rusher, rushing for 1,043 in nine games. A teammate of Byron "Whizzer" White, Lam is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the CU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Roy Shepherd, 1952: Shepherd still shares a CU record with his performance in this game, as he picked off three passes in a 61-0 win in Boulder. Seven other Buffs have picked off three passes in a game, but Shepherd is one of only two Buffs (Victor Scott is the other) to return at least one of those picks for a touchdown.
Frank Bernardi, 1954: Bernardi gets a nod here not just because of his rushing yards in the game — 152 — but also because he needed just five carries to hit that total, giving him a rather robust 30.4-yard average per carry. Bernardi, who was CU's leading receiver and second-leading rusher that season, scored two touchdowns in the game, a 46-0 win in Boulder.
Kordell Stewart, 1992: In what is still one of the best starting debuts ever by a CU quarterback, Stewart completed 21 of 36 passes (one interception) for 409 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-17 win in Boulder.
Koy Detmer and Herchell Troutman, 1996: The last time the game was played in Fort Collins is not a fond memory for Rams fans, as the Buffs rang up 645 yards total offense — still the ninth-best day in CU history. Troutman carried 26 times for 184 yards while Detmer completed 31 of 42 attempts (no interceptions) for 364 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-34 victory.
Bobby Purify, 2001 and 2004 — It's hard to pick one or the other here, so we'll take both. In 2001, Purify helped Gary Barnett earn his first win over the Rams as CU's head coach by rushing 21 times for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 41-14 victory in Denver. Three years later, Purify had very similar numbers — 26-for-189, one touchdown — in a 27-24 CU victory in Boulder.
Joel Klatt and Derek McCoy, 2003 — Considered as one of the best — if not the best — game in series history, Klatt and McCoy teamed up to lead the Buffs to a wild 42-35 win in Denver. The game was delayed by lightning, fans were drenched by a vicious thunderstorm that rolled through the area, and the Buffs won in the final minute of the game. In another historic starting debut for a CU quarterback, Klatt completed 21 of 34 throws (no interceptions) for 402 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those TDs went to McCoy covering 78 and 82 yards, and McCoy — who finished with four catches for 192 yards — also had a 25-yard grab on the game-winning drive.
Jordon Dizon, 2007 — Most folks will remember this one as an overtime thriller, won by CU, 31-28, on a Kevin Eberhart field goal after the Buffs had rallied from 11 down in regulation. But while there were some solid offensive efforts, the most spectacular performance came from Buff linebacker Jordon Dizon, who was credited with 22 tackles in the game, including an amazing 17 unassisted stops. The 17 unassisted tackles is still third on CU's all-time single-game list.
Connor Wood and Paul Richardson, 2013 — These two helped start the Mike MacIntyre era with a bang. Wood completed 33 of 46 attempts (no interceptions) for 400 yards and three touchdowns while Richardson finished with 10 catches for 208 yards and two of those touchdowns in a 41-27 victory in Denver. Richardson's touchdowns both covered 82 yards — one for the first score of the afternoon and one for the final score of the game.
1985: While there were no eye-popping individual statistics in the game, the 1985 CU-CSU tilt is very memorable for another reason. It was 30 years ago this season that the Buffs debuted their wishbone offense under head coach Bill McCartney, a dramatic move away from the pro-style passing attack the Buffs had utilized the previous three years under McCartney. The Buffs ran for 358 yards in a 23-10 victory.
