This is Part III of the series examining the birth of Nebraska’s rivalry with Colorado. Today we will be jumping back ahead to the 1989 season. Nebraska had finished the 1988 season with an 11-2 record and a 23-3 loss to Miami in the Orange Bowl. Nebraska’s other blemish was a 41-28 loss to #5 UCLA in Pasadena. The post-bowl rankings placed the Huskers #10 nationally. Nebraska began the 1989 season needing to replace Steve Taylor, a three-year starter at quarterback, as well as several other members of its highly regarded 1985 recruiting class. The Huskers kicked off the season with ranked #4 nationally and were led by captains Doug Glaser, Gerry Gdowski, Randall Jobman and Jeff Mills.
Colorado was coming off an 8-4 record in 1988, with three conference losses to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Nebraska. The Buffs also lost 20-17 to unranked BYU in the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim to finish the season ranked #14 nationally. Leading the team to its 8-4 mark was junior quarterback Sal Aunese, a Samoan, who had been recruited by Bill McCartney in 1986. Aunese soon became a slick option quarterback for the Buffs, as well as the team’s emotional leader. In March of 1989, Sal Aunese received word that he had inoperable cancer that had spread from his stomach to his lungs. Devastated by the news, many of his teammates cut short their spring-break vacations to join him back in Boulder where he would begin chemotherapy.Back in Lincoln, Nebraska began the 1989 season with four lopsided wins over non-conference foes, Northern Illinois, Utah, Minnesota, and Oregon State. The Huskers then kicked off their Big 8 slate with blowout wins over unranked conference foes Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. This put Nebraska at 8-0 on the year and ranked #3 nationally as they entered a November 4th showdown with Colorado in Boulder.
Colorado decided early in the 1989 season to dedicate this campaign to their ailing quarterback. Emboldened by this emotion, Colorado started the year with three straight home blowouts over unranked opponents, Texas, Colorado State and Illinois. One of the key players in CU’s quick start was the man who had replaced Aunese, sophomore QB Darian Hagan. Despite his inexperience, Hagan quickly showed deftness at the option that few had ever seen before. The early wins had allowed the Buffs to rise to #5 in the rankings as they readied to travel to Seattle to face #21 ranked Washington in two weeks. Exactly one week prior to this match up with the Huskies, during CU’s off-week Sal Aunese died at the age of 21 on September 23, 1989. A week later the still-mourning Buffalos dismantled Washington 45-28 in one of the toughest venues to play in all of college football.Following the big road win, Colorado reeled off four more victories over Big 12 opponents Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, and on the road at Oklahoma. This led to the November 4th battle between #2 Colorado and #3 Nebraska in Boulder. Where the 1986 game put CU on the map, the ramifications of the 1989 game were much larger as both teams had national title aspirations.
I don’t remember much about the game itself, but I will never forget one particular play. With one perfectly timed, but extremely late pitch Darian Hagan redefined the option, crushed the will of the Huskers, and escalated the NU-CU rivalry. Thanks to YouTube, the play lives on in infamy.
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