Colorado University Athletics
Two Records Down for Spruce, One To Go - Then Some More
September 26, 2015 | Football
BOULDER – The records keep falling for Nelson Spruce.
In the midst of a 48-0 win at Folsom Field Saturday, the Buffs senior leading receiver captured yet another career mark, this one for career receiving yardage. Through Saturday's game, he has 2,570 career yards.
He actually entered the day in fourth place on the list, one of the few career records that's close between the top two or three. Not for much longer, as Spruce now has eight games left in his senior season to put some distance between himself and former Buff greats.
He entered the day with 2,490 yards and on the game's first play, he became the fourth player in CU history to reach 2,500 receiving yards on a 12-yard reception from Sefo Liufau. Then, on the second to last play of that first drive, the two connected again for 22 yards, setting up a four-yard touchdown for Phillip Lindsay. That play pushed Spruce past Scotty McKnight (2010-13; 2,521) and into third place.
Spruce's third reception of the game put him at 2,539 yards, just one yard behind Rae Carruth (1992-96; 2,540) and just 10 away from passing Michael Westbrook (1991-94; 2,548).
Here's how @nspruce22 became CU's all-time leading receiver (yards). #GoBuffs https://t.co/kknQNTvaq4
— Colorado Buffaloes (@cubuffs) September 26, 2015
The record breaker came on an 11-yard pass from Liufau, one that he caught in the right flat to pass Carruth before making two moves to power his way past Westbrook.
"It's awesome, just like the receptions record I got earlier," Spruce said. "It's nothing you start out in your career, you have to keep working and eventually reach it, it's cool to get there."
Not many player have had the honor of being CU's all-time leader in receiving yards. Spruce is just the fourth player to hold the record since it went over the 1,000 yard mark back in 1969.
Monte Huber ended his career with 1,436 yards in 1969 and held the record until Charles E. Johnson broke it, pushing the mark to 2,447 yards by the end of his senior season in 1993. Westbrook then surpassed his teammates total the next year and finished his career with 2,548 yards.
Carruth in 1996 and McKnight in 2010 both came dangerously close to breaking Westbrook's mark and had Paul Richardson came back for his final year of eligibility, he likely would've surpassed the mark. Richardson finished his career in 2013 with 2,412 yards.
The final CU career mark Spruce has yet to hit is receiving touchdowns. He is two away from McKnight's total of 22 and should have ample opportunities in the final eight games of the season to grab that third mark.
Also in his sights is the all-time Pac-12 reception record. After the Nicholls State game, he has 230 career receptions and needs just 30 more to break the conference mark of 259, set by Arizona's Mike Thomas from 2005-08.
Spruce is currently tied for seventh all-time in Pac-12 history and is also zeroing in his position coach, Troy Walters, who had 248 career receptions at Stanford from 1996-99. Walters was the league's leading receptions leader when he graduated in 1999 and held the mark until 2005.
