1978 Colorado Buffaloes football team

1978 Colorado Buffaloes football
ConferenceBig Eight Conference
Record6–5 (2–5 Big 8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGeorge Belu (5th season)
Offensive schemeI formation
Defensive coordinatorBob Reublin (5th season)
Base defense5–2
MVPJames Mayberry, Jeff Lee
CaptainJeff Lee, James Mayberry, Matt Miller, Stuart Walker
Home stadiumFolsom Field
Seasons
← 1977
1979 →
1978 Big Eight Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Oklahoma + 6 1 0 11 1 0
No. 8 Nebraska + 6 1 0 9 3 0
No. 15 Missouri 4 3 0 8 4 0
Iowa State 4 3 0 8 4 0
Kansas State 3 4 0 4 7 0
Oklahoma State 3 4 0 3 8 0
Colorado 2 5 0 6 5 0
Kansas 0 7 0 1 10 0
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1978 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado in the Big Eight Conference during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Bill Mallory, the Buffaloes compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 2–5 in conference play, placing seventh in the Big 8.[1] Colorado played home games on campus at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.

Colorado again won its first five games, all at home, but then lost five of six and Mallory was fired on November 21 by athletic director Eddie Crowder, the previous head coach.[2][3][4] Mallory was succeeded by Chuck Fairbanks, the head coach of the New England Patriots in the National Football League (NFL) for six years and formerly at conference foe Oklahoma (196772).

The next winning season for Colorado was seven years later, in 1985.

  1. ^ "Colorado entombed by Grant". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 19, 1978. p. 3B.
  2. ^ "Mallory gets axe". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 22, 1978. p. 11.
  3. ^ "Colorado dismisses Mallory". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 22, 1978. p. 23.
  4. ^ "Ax falls on two Big Eight coaches". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). wire services. November 22, 1978. p. B5.