1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team
Encyclopedia
The 1994 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder
in the 1994 college football season
. The Buffaloes offense scored 439 points while the defense allowed 235 points. The team was led by head coach Bill McCartney
.
The Buffaloes' only loss of the season came on the road against eventual consensus national champion Nebraska
. Colorado, ranked #2 at the time, was in line to play for the national title as part of the Bowl Coalition
. They were leapfrogged in the polls by the Cornhuskers, who had been ranked #3, and finished the regular season ranked #4.
The Buffaloes competed in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl
, which they won 41–24 over unranked Notre Dame.
The problem of scheduling bowl match-ups for top-ranked teams led to the dissolution of the Bowl Coalition and the creation of the Bowl Alliance
(#2 ranked Penn State was not eligible as a member of the Big Ten Conference
to play the #1 ranked team). Notre Dame, playing as an independent, had its own agreement with the Bowl Coalition, which allowed the Fiesta Bowl to choose them as an at-large opponent over more highly ranked teams.
at Michigan Stadium
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
. The game was decided on Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart
's 64-yard Hail Mary pass
to Michael Westbrook
, which gave the play its name. The game was described as one of the two wildest finishes in Michigan football history.
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in the 1994 college football season
1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
. The Buffaloes offense scored 439 points while the defense allowed 235 points. The team was led by head coach Bill McCartney
Bill McCartney
William Paul McCartney is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado from 1982 to 1994, where he compiled a record of 93–55–5 and won three consecutive Big Eight Conference...
.
The Buffaloes' only loss of the season came on the road against eventual consensus national champion Nebraska
1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
. Colorado, ranked #2 at the time, was in line to play for the national title as part of the Bowl Coalition
Bowl Coalition
The Bowl Coalition was a predecessor of the Bowl Championship Series that was formed through an agreement among college football bowl games and conferences for the purpose of forcing a national championship game between the top two teams and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions...
. They were leapfrogged in the polls by the Cornhuskers, who had been ranked #3, and finished the regular season ranked #4.
The Buffaloes competed in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl
1995 Fiesta Bowl
The 1995 IBM OS/2 Fiesta Bowl, played on January 2, 1995, was the 24th edition of the Fiesta Bowl. The game featured the Colorado Buffaloes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.-1st half:...
, which they won 41–24 over unranked Notre Dame.
The problem of scheduling bowl match-ups for top-ranked teams led to the dissolution of the Bowl Coalition and the creation of the Bowl Alliance
Bowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship bowl game and to provide quality bowl game matchups for the champions of its member conferences...
(#2 ranked Penn State was not eligible as a member of the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
to play the #1 ranked team). Notre Dame, playing as an independent, had its own agreement with the Bowl Coalition, which allowed the Fiesta Bowl to choose them as an at-large opponent over more highly ranked teams.
Miracle at Michigan
The Miracle at Michigan refers to the final play that occurred during the game played on September 24, 1994 between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Michigan Wolverines1994 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1994 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1994 college football season. Led by Gary Moeller in his last season as head coach, the Wolverines participated in the Holiday Bowl.-Schedule:...
at Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. The game was decided on Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
's 64-yard Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
to Michael Westbrook
Michael Westbrook
Michael Deanailo Westbrook is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Westbrook spent 7 seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1995 to 2001 and the 2002 season with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring...
, which gave the play its name. The game was described as one of the two wildest finishes in Michigan football history.
Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Buffaloes points | Opponents | Record |
| 1 | Sept. 3 | @ | Win | 48 | 13 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sept. 17 | Wisconsin 1994 Wisconsin Badgers football team The 1994 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule and results:... |
Win | 55 | 17 | 2-0 |
| 3 | Sept. 24 | @ Michigan 1994 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1994 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1994 college football season. Led by Gary Moeller in his last season as head coach, the Wolverines participated in the Holiday Bowl.-Schedule:... |
Win | 27 | 26 | 3-0 |
| 4 | Oct. 1 | @ | Win | 34 | 31 | 4-0 |
| 5 | Oct. 8 | @ | Win | 38 | 23 | 5-0 |
| 6 | Oct. 15 | Win | 45 | 7 | 6-0 | |
| 7 | Oct. 22 | Kansas State 1994 Kansas State Wildcats football team The 1994 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the college football season of 1994. The team's head football coach was Bill Snyder. The Wildcats played their home games in KSU Stadium. 1994 saw the wildcats finish with a record of 9-3, and a 5-2 record in Big... |
Win | 35 | 21 | 7-0 |
| 8 | Oct. 29 | @ Nebraska 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team The 1994 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska... |
Loss | 7 | 24 | 7-1 |
| 9 | Nov. 5 | Win | 17 | 3 | 8-1 | |
| 10 | Nov. 12 | @ | Win | 51 | 26 | 9-1 |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | Win | 41 | 20 | 10-1 | |
Team players drafted into in the NFL
| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL Club |
| Michael Westbrook Michael Westbrook Michael Deanailo Westbrook is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Westbrook spent 7 seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1995 to 2001 and the 2002 season with the Cincinnati Bengals before retiring... |
Wide Receiver | 1 | 4 | Washington Redskins 1995 Washington Redskins season The 1995 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 3-13 record from 1994.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:... |
| Rashaan Salaam Rashaan Salaam Rashaan Iman Salaam is a former professional American football player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back for the University of Colorado at Boulder, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football player to rush for over 2,000 yards... |
Running Back | 1 | 21 | Chicago Bears 1995 Chicago Bears season The 1995 Chicago Bears season was their 76th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 9-7 record under head coach Dave Wannstedt. It was the club's second straight 9-7 season, but failed to make the playoffs due to a tiebreaker loss to the Atlanta... |
| Christian Fauria Christian Fauria Christian Ashley Fauria is a retired American football tight end.-Early life:Fauria attended Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California and lettered in football, track, and once in basketball... |
Tight End | 2 | 39 | Seattle Seahawks 1995 Seattle Seahawks season The 1995 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 20th season with the National Football League. The 1995 season was head coach Dennis Erickson's first with the team.-1995 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:* *... |
| Ted Johnson Ted Johnson Ted Curtis Johnson is a former American football player in the National Football League. He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. From there he attended the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL... |
Linebacker | 2 | 57 | New England Patriots 1995 New England Patriots season The New England Patriots finished the National Football League's 1995 season with a record of six wins and ten losses, and finished fourth in the AFC East division.-Staff:-Schedule:-Roster:... |
| Kordell Stewart Kordell Stewart Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers... |
Quarterback | 2 | 60 | Pittsburgh Steelers 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 1995 season saw the Steelers return to the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years . The team's 11–5 finish was good enough for the AFC Central championship and the second seed in the conference... |
| Darius Holland Darius Holland Darius Jerome Holland is a former American football defensive tackle who played ten seasons in the US National Football League. He went to Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the University of Colorado at Boulder. His nickname with the Packers was 'Dirty D'.... |
Defensive Tackle | 3 | 65 | Green Bay Packers 1995 Green Bay Packers season The 1995 Green Bay Packers season was the 75th in the club's history. The Packers obtained an 11-5 mark in the regular season and won the NFC Central, their first division title since 1972. In the playoffs, the Packers defeated the Atlanta Falcons at home and the defending champion San Francisco... |
| Chris Hudson Chris Hudson Christopher Reshard Hudson is a former professional American football safety who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Atlanta Falcons between 1995 and 2001. Hudson was the winner of the 1994 Jim Thorpe Award as a member of the Colorado Buffaloes.-References:... |
Defensive Back | 3 | 71 | Jacksonville Jaguars 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's first year in the National Football League.-Expansion Draft: -Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Schedule:-References:* *... |
| Derek West | Tackle | 5 | 149 | Indianapolis Colts 1995 Indianapolis Colts season The 1995 Indianapolis Colts season was the 43rd season for the team in the National Football League and 12th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1995 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses, and finished tied for second in the AFC East division with... |
| Shannon Clavelle | Defensive End | 6 | 185 | Buffalo Bills 1995 Buffalo Bills season The 1995 Buffalo Bills season was the 36th season for the club and its 26th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-AFC Wild Card Game:... |
Awards and honors
- Chris HudsonChris HudsonChristopher Reshard Hudson is a former professional American football safety who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Atlanta Falcons between 1995 and 2001. Hudson was the winner of the 1994 Jim Thorpe Award as a member of the Colorado Buffaloes.-References:...
, Jim Thorpe AwardJim Thorpe AwardThe Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986... - Rashaan SalaamRashaan SalaamRashaan Iman Salaam is a former professional American football player. Salaam won the 1994 Heisman Trophy as a running back for the University of Colorado at Boulder, rushing for 2,055 yards by the end of the season. Salaam is the fourth major college football player to rush for over 2,000 yards...
, Doak Walker AwardDoak Walker AwardThe Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker... - Rashaan Salaam, Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
- Rashaan Salaam, Walter Camp AwardWalter Camp AwardThe Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...