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	Bill Mallory (3rd season)
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

1976 Big Eight Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
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
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

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
September 11	at Texas Tech*		Jones Stadium Lubbock, TX		L 7–24	44,132
September 18	at Washington*		Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	ABC	W 21–7	43,383
September 25	Miami (FL)*		Folsom Field Boulder, CO		W 33–3	48,882
October 2	Drake*		Folsom Field Boulder, CO		W 45–24	45,318
October 9	No. 6 Nebraska		Folsom Field Boulder, CO (rivalry)		L 12–24	53,538
October 16	at Oklahoma State		Lewis Field Stillwater, OK		W 20–10	39,000
October 23	No. 16 Iowa State		Folsom Field Boulder, CO		W 33–14	48,667–51,413
October 30	No. 13 Oklahoma	No. 19	Folsom Field Boulder, CO		W 42–31	53,380
November 6	at No. 16 Missouri	No. 14	Faurot Field Columbia, MO		L 7–16	64,830
November 13	Kansas	No. 19	Folsom Field Boulder, CO		W 40–17	47,668–47,850
November 20	at Kansas State	No. 15	KSU Stadium Manhattan, KS (rivalry)		W 35–28	16,500
January 1, 1977	vs. No. 11 Ohio State*	No. 12	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Bowl)	NBC	L 10–27	65,537
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[8][9][10]

Roster

1976 Colorado Buffaloes football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 14 Jeff Austin Sr WR 1 Steve Gaunty So TE 89 Don Hasselbeck Sr QB 12 Jeff Knapple So RB 39 James Mayberry So RB 40 Emery Moorehead Sr RB 19 Tony Reed Sr QB 8 Bill Solomon Fr RB 38 Billy Waddy Sr	Defense Pos. # Name Class LB 49 Brian Cabral Jr S 36 Mike L. Davis Sr LB 55 Bart Roth Sr DB 47 Mike Spivey Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class PK 4 Mark Zetterberg Sr	Head coach Bill Mallory Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

References

1. "1976 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
2. "Co-champs hoping to get respect". Lakeland Ledger. (Florida). Associated Press. January 1, 1977. p. 1B.
3. "Injured QB leads OSU in Orange". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 2, 1977. p. D2.
4. "Rod Gerald rallies Buckeyes". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 2, 1977. p. 1B.
5. "Buffaloes praying for OU win". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 22, 1976. p. 20.
6. "Mallory excited about Orange Bowl". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 27, 1976. p. 12.
7. "Color Colorado orange". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. November 27, 1976. p. 3B.
8. "1976 Colorado Buffaloes Schedule and Results". College Football @ Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
9. "1976 Football Schedule". University of Colorado Boulder. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
10. "Colorado Football 2023 Record Book" (PDF). University of Colorado Boulder. p. 45. Retrieved October 23, 2023.