Plati Flashback on Huskers and Buffs

Here is Colorado sports information director Dave Plati's top 10 most memorable Colorado and Nebraska games.

Working backwards to no. 1, in his own words.

1984. Nebraska 24-7. I remember this one as it was my first as CU's SID, though I had been to the previous six. What I recall most is when we ended the third quarter with a 7-3 lead. I couldn't remember taking a lead into the fourth quarter against them. But we couldn't hang on.

2004. Colorado, 26-20. We finally did to Nebraska what the Cornhuskers had done to us - pinned a season-ending loss on them that kept them from being bowl eligible. They did it to us in 1997 and 2003, but when the Buffs did it, it ended NU's 35-year run in the postseason.

1991. Tie, 19-19. More points than the temperature, and then some. Minus-8 wind chill. CU was dominating until Leonard Renfro left with a knee injury. Also, (remember) the lumbering 85-yard defensive extra-point return by Greg Biekert. Quick, who blocked the kick? Answer: Jeff Brunner.

1983. Nebraska, 69-19. I know, I know. But seeing that great Husker offense in person was special. (Turner) Gill and (Mike) Roxier, (Irving) Fryar, others. But we were down 14-12 at the half and those there were witness to a 48-point third quarter. In a word, ouch.

2000. Nebraska, 34-32. Going in, very much like this year. We were 3-7 and the ABC guys hardly gave us a sniff in all the pregame stuff. But this was a game from start to finish. The gutsy 2-point call by Gary Barnett that Craig Ochs and Javon Green converted to give CU a 32-31 lead. What I didn't like about this game is that the naysayers always say we blew it by squibbing the kickoff and Nebraska got great field position to start its' winning field goal drive. In actuality, on a second and 10, Eric Crouch, smarting from an injured shoulder, completed a heckuva pass downfield. We challenged him to make a play and knowing his condition, and the kid made it. Give him credit.

1999. Nebraska, 33-30 (OT). What would have stood as the greatest comeback in school history, had a 33-yard field goal been good (or as some would say, should have been called good) at the end of regulation. Still, CU bounced back from 27-3 down in the fourth quarter.

1986. Colorado, 20-10. The so-called "turning point" in (Bill) McCartney's early years, it ended a run of 19-straight wins by Nebraska in the series.

1990. Colorado, 27-12. This was the essence of Eric Bieniemy. He fumbled five times, losing three I believe, in the first three quarters, but he came back with four scores in the fourth. And people forget Mike Pritchard had a great acrobatic catch to set up one of the scores and David Gibbs sniffed out a fake punt on the Nebraska 30 to set up another. That was one upset on a crazy college football Saturday in which I think four, maybe five top-10 teams lost.

1989. Colorado, 27-21. Basically clinched the league title and Orange Bowl berth. Remember celebrating on the Pearl Street Mall as a bunch of us changed the words to Dayo (or however you spell it) to "CU's goin' to the Orange Bowl."

2001. Colorado, 62-36. Jumping to a 35-3 lead, watching Nebraska battle back to 42-30, and then watching Chris Brown ice things, with NU defenders getting out of his way on his final TD run because he beat them to a pulp all day.