1976 Colorado Buffaloes football team
| 1976 Colorado Buffaloes football | |
|---|---|
Big Eight co-champion | |
Orange Bowl, L 10–27 vs. Ohio State | |
| Conference | Big Eight Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 16 |
| AP | No. 16 |
| Record | 8–4 (5–2 Big 8) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | George Belu (3rd season) |
| Offensive scheme | I formation |
| Defensive coordinator | Bob Reublin (3rd season) |
| Base defense | 5–2 |
| MVP | Tony Reed |
| Captain | Emery Moorehead |
| Home stadium | Folsom Field |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Colorado + | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Oklahoma State + | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Oklahoma + | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Iowa State | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Nebraska | 4 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 10 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1976 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado Boulder in the Big Eight Conference (Big 8) during the 1976 NCAA Division I football season. In their third season under head coach Bill Mallory, the Buffaloes compiled an 8–4 record (5–2 against Big 8 opponents), finished in a three-way tie for the Big 8 championship, and outscored their opponents, 305 to 225.[1] The team played its home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
On New Year's night, Colorado played in the Orange Bowl for the first time in fifteen years,[2] but were defeated 27–10 by the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference.[3][4]
The Buffaloes earned the Orange Bowl bid because they defeated the other teams involved in the three-way tie for first, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.[5][6][7] CU's next appearance in a bowl game was nine years away.
Colorado defeated Oklahoma for the first time in four years; their next win over the Sooners was thirteen years away.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 11 | at Texas Tech* | L 7–24 | 44,132 | [8] | |||
| September 18 | at Washington* | ABC | W 21–7 | 36,600 | [9] | ||
| September 25 | Miami (FL)* | W 33–3 | 48,882 | [10] | |||
| October 2 | Drake* |
| W 45–24 | 45,318 | [11] | ||
| October 9 | No. 6 Nebraska |
| L 12–24 | 53,538 | [12] | ||
| October 16 | at Oklahoma State | W 20–10 | 39,000 | [13] | |||
| October 23 | No. 16 Iowa State |
| W 33–14 | 51,413 | [14] | ||
| October 30 | No. 13 Oklahoma | No. 19 |
| W 42–31 | 53,380 | [15] | |
| November 6 | at No. 16 Missouri | No. 14 | L 7–16 | 63,830 | [16] | ||
| November 13 | Kansas | No. 19 |
| W 40–17 | 47,850 | [17] | |
| November 20 | at Kansas State | No. 15 | W 35–28 | 16,500 | [18] | ||
| January 1, 1977 | vs. No. 11 Ohio State* | No. 12 | NBC | L 10–27 | 65,537 | [19] | |
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Roster
| 1976 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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References
- ^ "1976 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^ "Co-champs hoping to get respect". Lakeland Ledger. Florida. Associated Press. January 1, 1977. p. 1B.
- ^ "Injured QB leads OSU in Orange". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1977. p. D2.
- ^ "Rod Gerald rallies Buckeyes". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. Associated Press. January 2, 1977. p. 1B.
- ^ "Buffaloes praying for OU win". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. November 22, 1976. p. 20.
- ^ "Mallory excited about Orange Bowl". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. Kansas. Associated Press. November 27, 1976. p. 12.
- ^ "Color Colorado orange". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. UPI. November 27, 1976. p. 3B.
- ^ "Tech thefts lead to win". The Victoria Advocate. September 12, 1976. Retrieved March 29, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Buff defense, fumbles stymie Huskies, 21–7". The Sunday Oregonian. September 19, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Colorado cuts 'Canes". Fort Myers News-Press. September 26, 1976. Retrieved September 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Buffaloes repel Drake". The Montana Standard. October 3, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Cornhuskers topple Buffaloes, 24–12". News Journal. October 10, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Colorado tops OSU with freakish play". Columbia Daily Tribune. October 17, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Turnovers burst Cyclones' bubble". The Des Moines Register. October 24, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Buffaloes bury OU 42–31". Southwest Times Record. October 31, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Tigers stop Colorado". St. Joseph News-Press. November 7, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Buffs post 40–17 win over Kansas". Casper Star-Tribune. November 14, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Buffaloes share title with narrow victory". The Lincoln Journal & Star. November 21, 1976. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "QB Gerald's return lifts Buckeyes, 27–10". The Miami Herald. January 2, 1977. Retrieved September 14, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1976 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "1976 Football Schedule". University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ "Colorado Football 2023 Record Book" (PDF). University of Colorado Boulder. p. 45. Retrieved October 23, 2023.