1970 Colorado Buffaloes football team

1970 Colorado Buffaloes football
Liberty Bowl, L 3–17 vs. Tulane
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 16
Record6–5 (3–4 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorChet Franklin (2nd season)
Offensive schemeSwitching T / Slot-I
Triple option
Defensive coordinatorDon James (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
MVPDon Popplewell
Captains
  • Phil Irwin
  • Don Popplewell
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1969
1971 →
1970 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 Nebraska $ 7 0 0 11 0 1
No. 20 Oklahoma 5 2 0 7 4 1
Kansas State 5 2 0 6 5 0
Missouri 3 4 0 5 6 0
Colorado 3 4 0 6 5 0
Kansas 2 5 0 5 6 0
Oklahoma State 2 5 0 4 7 0
Iowa State 1 6 0 5 6 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1970 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Eddie Crowder, the Buffaloes were 6–4 in the regular season (3–4 in Big 8, fourth), and played their home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

In a nationally televised game on ABC, #18 Colorado upset fourth-ranked Penn State 41–13 in Boulder in late September, breaking a 23-game winning (and 31-game undefeated) streak.[1][2] The Buffaloes moved up to eighth in the AP poll, but were upset the next week by a point at Kansas State, led by quarterback Lynn Dickey.[3]

Invited to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee, the #19 Buffaloes were upset by Tulane to finish at 6–5.[4][5]

In December, CU defensive coordinator Don James became the head coach at Kent State in Ohio;[6] four years later he was hired at Washington in Seattle. He led the Huskies for eighteen seasons, including a shared national championship in 1991.

  1. ^ "Colorado ends Penn State's victory string". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 27, 1970. p. 9B.
  2. ^ Jenkins, Dan (October 5, 1970). "For Easterners, prospecting doesn't pay off". Sports Illustrated. p. 46.
  3. ^ "Wildcats shock Colorado". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 4, 1970. p. 6B.
  4. ^ "Colorado, Tulane clash in Leiberty Bowl game". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). Associated Press. December 12, 1970. p. 26.
  5. ^ "Tulane surprises Colorado, 17-3". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 13, 1970. p. 1B.
  6. ^ "Named Kent State coach". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). (photo). December 13, 1970. p. D2.