Remember When

The 20th anniversary of the fifth down TD for Colorado against Missouri has received some play this week so I decided to use the recap we have in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia for this week's installment of Remember When:

Colorado 33 MISSOURI 31: With 1st-and-goal at Tigers' 3YL with 31 secs to play, Buffaloes (4-1-1) backup QB Charles Johnson, in for injured QB Darian Hagan, spiked ball twice (on 1st and 4th downs) to stop clock in frantic 26-sec span after TB Eric Bieniemy (29/217y, TD) was stopped twice just short of GL. Johnson ran off T for winning TD on game's last play--erroneously-permitted 5th down play--so his TD should not have counted. Even then, Missouri D coordinator Michael Church contended, "When we see the film, we'll see that he did not cross the goal line." Lost in game's confusion and controversy was QB Kent Kiefer's 19-34/326y, 3 TDs, INT passing for Missouri (2-3). Kiefer hit WR Victor Bailey for diving 18y TD in 1st Q and WR Damon Mays (5/153y) for 49 and 38y TDs. After 14-14 H tie, Mizzou trumped 35y FG by Buffs K Jim Harper with FB Michael Jones' 13y TD run for 21-17 lead in 3rd Q. Johnson threw 70y TD pass to WR Mike Pritchard early in 4th Q, but after exchange of FGs, Tigers took 31-27 lead on Kiefer's 3rd TD pass and 2nd scoring catch by Mays with 2:32 to play. Amazingly, it was 6th straight game in which Colorado had played with verdict hanging on last possession.

Colorado fell from 12th in AP Poll to 14th after win. Soon after, they began methodical climb to top of the polls and eventual shared national title with Georgia Tech.