Plati flashback brings back big moments

This weekend, Colorado plays Iowa State, a program the Buffs have dominated. CU sports information director Dave Plati looks back on the series for the Black & Gold Breakdown, shining the light on some big moments in school history

BGB: Iowa State -- what memories come to mind with this series, wins and losses?

Plati: This is easy. The 1994 game shoots right to mind, with the blizzard game ('91) popping right in after, I must say. But November 19, 1994 is a date forever etched in my mind.

First, we had Rashaan Salaam going for 2,000 yards, which was a big deal. Only three other players had done it at the time, and he needed just over 200 going in. Then, Kordell Stewart was in position to become the all-time total offense leader in the Big 8. Iowa State's coach, Jim Walden, was suspended for the game because of comments he had made about officiating and watched from the press box, and the Cyclones also had a popular walk-on player driving over to the game on his own, killed in a car accident in Nebraska.

Rashaan was approaching the magic number and Coach Mac had asked my office to do something very un-Mac like. I had Zak Gilbert (student assistant, now public relations with the Green Bay Packers) on with the scoreboard operators, and if fans recall, after every Salaam run, his updated total was on the board.

So we're in the early stages of the fourth quarter and Bill Marolt (athletic director) said we needed to go speak somewhere in private. I figured he had the scoop on where we'd be going bowling or I was getting canned (ha!). No sooner do we get to the deck atop the press box and he tells me "Mac is going to resign after the game," Rashaan breaks free on a 67-yard touchdown run and tops 2,000, finishing at 2,055.

I turn back to (Marolt) and say, "What did you just tell me?" He repeats it and I'm dumbfounded.

Now, I usually stay in the press box and let my assistants start postgame, but not this day. So I am on the sideline and Mac gives me a double take because I'm never down there. He asks me what I am doing, and I say it's because of what he's about to do. Mace then gives me that classic wry smile of his.

Kordell had set the total offense record a few plays before but then he gets sacked and lost it. So because I am down there, I tell Mac that and he puts him back in and (Stewart) completes a pass to Chris Anderson to regain the mark, completes a fourth-down pass for a first down and then comes out with 7,770 career yards to break Mike Gundy's record. So as Mac would later say, I was in the right place at the right time for that one.

And afterwards, as planned, Mac shocked the world and announced the bowl game would be his last at CU.

I also remember the wins in 1980 and 1984 as they our only ones in 1-10 seasons.

The blizzard game in '91 speaks for itself, the John Hessler-led comeback in '97, the 1985 game where we had opened 4-1 and we went to Ames and won big, signifying maybe we were back, all stand out to me.

And the 1981 game, only because that's when Derek Singleton fell ill in our Iowa hotel from memingitis and never recovered, passing away on New Year's day, 1982. He was a great young man and I hope people still remember him.

Those (games), and some dummies from Colorado last year, myself among them, standing outside the press box looking at a tornado about three miles away, going "Wow," while Iowans did the smart thing and took cover.

BGB: Memorable individual performances?

Plati: Salaam's for sure. He had a target on his back; it's hard to go out and get 204 yards when the other team knows that's what you need for a goal like he had.

Koy Detmer in 1996, throwing for over 400 yards and five touchdowns.

Mason Crosby's 60-yard field goal two years ago.

Javon Green's 160 or so receiving yards in the snow in the 2000 (season) loss.

BGB: Cyclones you remember?

Plati: Troy Davis pops right into mind. He zinged us for 200-plus yards in that wacky 49-42 win in 1996 and people may or may not remember that in that '94 game, he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown that pulled them within seven in the third quarter.


BGB memories: Dave is something, isn't he? How he remembers so much when he has seen so much, well, impressive. That he can remember yardage totals, almost down to the yard, is amazing.

My biggest memory of the CU-ISU series is also the Salaam sprint down the sideline to six points and the 2,000 yard mark. Hearing the stadium erupt, well, wow.

After that, as Dave pointed out, Davis and all the good backs the Cyclones had for a while. They could move the ball but were never in CU's class as a team.

A difficult memory is of quarterback Sage Rosenfels some how leading the Cyclones to a victory in the season. Consider me spoiled but that should never happen.

If CU doesn't jump on ISU early this weekend, however, it wouldn't surprise me to see another moment like that one.