Colorado University Athletics
Colorado’s National Championship No. 6 On State’s Top Moments
July 31, 2026 | Football
Note: As the state turns 150 years old August 1, the final entry for the Colorado Buffaloes on the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame's list of the top 150 moments in history is the football team's National Championship, which came in at No. 6. In the end, the Buffaloes had 12 moments in the top 150 and four more by CU alums. The full list of CU in the top 150 is below.
BOULDER — Darian Hagan woke his roommate around 4 a.m. the night before the Orange Bowl.
Charles Johnson wasn't thrilled.
"I just had this dream," Hagan told him. "I'm going to get hurt in this game, and you're going to have to come in and win it for us."
Johnson told him to go back to sleep.
"I believed it," Hagan recalled more than three decades later.
Less than 24 hours later, it happened.
On Jan. 1, 1991, Colorado defeated Notre Dame, 10-9, in the Orange Bowl to capture the consensus national championship, earning the No. 6 spot in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame's Top 150 Colorado Sports Moments as the state celebrates its 150th anniversary. But while the final score has become part of Colorado football lore, Hagan's pregame dream remains one of the championship's most remarkable untold stories.
The championship had been two years in the making.
Colorado entered the 1989 Orange Bowl undefeated before falling to Notre Dame, denying the Buffaloes a national title. That season, however, had become about something much bigger than football after quarterback Sal Aunese was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
"The light switch went on for every person on our team," Hagan said. "We all started rowing in the same direction."
"Every time we stepped on the football field, we were honoring Sal."
The Buffaloes carried that purpose through the 1990 season.
There was the dramatic comeback at Texas after falling to 1-1-1. There was the goal-line stand against Washington. There was the controversial Fifth Down victory at Missouri, the comeback against
Nebraska in Lincoln and a dominant finish to earn another trip to Miami.
Then came another meeting with Notre Dame.
"It was a chance for revenge," Hagan said. "It was a chance to right the ship."
The dream returned before kickoff.
Hagan had told Johnson exactly what he thought would happen.
Late in the first half, it did.
Following a slide at the end of a run, Hagan dislocated his kneecap.
"I just felt instant cold in my knee," Hagan said. "I couldn't feel my kneecap... I knew I was done."
Johnson took over at quarterback to begin the second half and calmly engineered the game's only touchdown drive for Colorado, giving the Buffaloes a 10-9 lead.
"He was always cool as a cucumber," Hagan said. "He knows who he is. Doesn't try to do too much. Doesn't try to do too little."
Watching from the sideline on crutches proved more difficult than playing.
"I just kept saying to myself, my legacy is going to be a guy that got hurt in the national championship game and let his team down," Hagan said.
Colorado's defense wouldn't allow that to happen.
Ronnie Bradford's blocked extra point after Notre Dame's lone touchdown proved critical, keeping the Irish one point behind.
Then, with 13 seconds remaining, Deon Figures intercepted Rick Mirer's pass to seal Colorado's first football national championship.
"He saved our season," Hagan said.
The victory capped an 11-1-1 season and a remarkable two-year stretch in which Colorado went 22-2-1 while capturing consecutive Big Eight championships and reaching back-to-back Orange Bowls.
More than 35 years later, Hagan believes the championship wasn't built on talent alone.
It was built on sacrifice.
It was built on trust.
It was built on brotherhood.
"The memories, the tradition and the brotherhood made everyone stay here," Hagan said. "It's a true brotherhood."
And perhaps the greatest lesson from Colorado's championship season still resonates today.
"When your moment is called," Hagan said, "you've got to be ready for your moment because you never know when that moment's going to happen again."
BOULDER — Darian Hagan woke his roommate around 4 a.m. the night before the Orange Bowl.
Charles Johnson wasn't thrilled.
"I just had this dream," Hagan told him. "I'm going to get hurt in this game, and you're going to have to come in and win it for us."
Johnson told him to go back to sleep.
"I believed it," Hagan recalled more than three decades later.
Less than 24 hours later, it happened.
On Jan. 1, 1991, Colorado defeated Notre Dame, 10-9, in the Orange Bowl to capture the consensus national championship, earning the No. 6 spot in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame's Top 150 Colorado Sports Moments as the state celebrates its 150th anniversary. But while the final score has become part of Colorado football lore, Hagan's pregame dream remains one of the championship's most remarkable untold stories.
The championship had been two years in the making.
Colorado entered the 1989 Orange Bowl undefeated before falling to Notre Dame, denying the Buffaloes a national title. That season, however, had become about something much bigger than football after quarterback Sal Aunese was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
"The light switch went on for every person on our team," Hagan said. "We all started rowing in the same direction."
"Every time we stepped on the football field, we were honoring Sal."
The Buffaloes carried that purpose through the 1990 season.
There was the dramatic comeback at Texas after falling to 1-1-1. There was the goal-line stand against Washington. There was the controversial Fifth Down victory at Missouri, the comeback against
Nebraska in Lincoln and a dominant finish to earn another trip to Miami.
Then came another meeting with Notre Dame.
"It was a chance for revenge," Hagan said. "It was a chance to right the ship."
The dream returned before kickoff.
Hagan had told Johnson exactly what he thought would happen.
Late in the first half, it did.
Following a slide at the end of a run, Hagan dislocated his kneecap.
"I just felt instant cold in my knee," Hagan said. "I couldn't feel my kneecap... I knew I was done."
Johnson took over at quarterback to begin the second half and calmly engineered the game's only touchdown drive for Colorado, giving the Buffaloes a 10-9 lead.
"He was always cool as a cucumber," Hagan said. "He knows who he is. Doesn't try to do too much. Doesn't try to do too little."
Watching from the sideline on crutches proved more difficult than playing.
"I just kept saying to myself, my legacy is going to be a guy that got hurt in the national championship game and let his team down," Hagan said.
Colorado's defense wouldn't allow that to happen.
Ronnie Bradford's blocked extra point after Notre Dame's lone touchdown proved critical, keeping the Irish one point behind.
Then, with 13 seconds remaining, Deon Figures intercepted Rick Mirer's pass to seal Colorado's first football national championship.
"He saved our season," Hagan said.
The victory capped an 11-1-1 season and a remarkable two-year stretch in which Colorado went 22-2-1 while capturing consecutive Big Eight championships and reaching back-to-back Orange Bowls.
More than 35 years later, Hagan believes the championship wasn't built on talent alone.
It was built on sacrifice.
It was built on trust.
It was built on brotherhood.
"The memories, the tradition and the brotherhood made everyone stay here," Hagan said. "It's a true brotherhood."
And perhaps the greatest lesson from Colorado's championship season still resonates today.
"When your moment is called," Hagan said, "you've got to be ready for your moment because you never know when that moment's going to happen again."
Other University of Colorado Moments in the Top 150
Colorado Athletics placed 16 moments in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame's Top 150 Colorado Sports Moments, including 11 involving Buffaloes teams and five featuring former CU student-athletes or coaches. Along with the Orange Bowl national championship, Colorado football was represented six other times:
- No. 14 (Sept. 24, 1994) – The "Miracle at Michigan," as Kordell Stewart's last-second Hail Mary found Michael Westbrook for a 27-26 victory over No. 4 Michigan.
- No. 20 (Nov. 23, 2001) – Colorado stunned No. 1 Nebraska, 62-36, to claim the Big 12 North Division title before winning the Big 12 Championship the following week.
- No. 26 (Dec. 10, 1994) – Rashaan Salaam became the first player in school history to win the Heisman Trophy.
- No. 50 (Dec. 14, 2024) – Travis Hunter earned Colorado's second Heisman Trophy after one of the greatest two-way seasons in college football history.
- No. 57 (Nov. 4, 1989) – Colorado defeated No. 3 Nebraska, 27-21, ending a 19-game losing streak to the Cornhuskers and paving the way to the program's first Big Eight title since 1976.
- No. 61 (Dec. 13, 1969) – Colorado defeated Alabama, 47-33, in the Liberty Bowl in one of the most significant victories in program history.
- No. 65 (Nov. 6, 1937) – Byron "Whizzer" White accounted for all 17 points in Colorado's victory over Utah, one of the greatest individual performances in school history.
- No. 67 (March 15, 1940) – Colorado captured the National Invitation Tournament championship, defeating Duquesne 51-40 in New York.
- No. 86 (Oct. 25, 1986) – The Buffs upset No. 3 Nebraska, 20-10, in what became known as "The Turning Point" during Bill McCartney's tenure.
- No. 116 (Oct. 6, 1990) – The memorable "Fifth Down" victory at Missouri helped propel Colorado toward its national championship season.
- No. 128 (May 22, 1914) – Freshman pitcher Bob McGraw struck out a Colorado collegiate-record 20 batters against Colorado College.
Former Buffaloes also earned five individual entries:
- No. 30 – Hale Irwin wins the 1974 U.S. Open.
- No. 38 – Jimmie Heuga wins Olympic bronze in slalom at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
- No. 74 – Ceal Barry is inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
- No. 91 – Bill Toomey wins Olympic gold in the decathlon at the 1968 Summer Games.
- No. 136 – Steve Jones captures the 1996 U.S. Open championship.
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