AP No. 1 | Coaches No. 2 1990 record 11–1–1 (7–0 Big 8) Offensive scheme I-Bone Option | |
The 1990 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado Boulder in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 338 points while the defense allowed 160 points. Led by head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado competed against Notre Dame in the 1991 Orange Bowl. The Buffaloes defeated the Fighting Irish 10–9 and at season's end were awarded the AP national championship.
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Fifth Down Game
The Fifth Down Game is the name of a college football game that included a play that the crew officiating the game permitted to occur in error. The fifth down play enabled the Buffaloes to defeat the Missouri Tigers by scoring a touchdown on the last play of their game on October 6, 1990. The ensuing controversy cast doubt on Colorado's claim to Division I-A's 1990 national championship. It has been called one of the top memorable moments and blunders in college football history. The bowl victory over Notre Dame was also memorable as a Greg Davis clipping penalty on a punt return denied a late go-ahead touchdown by Notre Dame's "Rocket" Ismail.