The Rocky Mountain Showdown has received a jolt of national energy in recent years.
There’s Deion Sanders joining Colorado football, a 2023 double-overtime classic and plenty on- and off-field chirping — from Colorado State and CU fans, players and coaches alike.
Though there’s more national attention on the game, it’s still a Centennial State affair first and foremost (after all, the winner secures the Centennial Cup trophy).
Despite nationwide recruiting efforts for both teams, there are a combined 43 players born and/or raised in Colorado on the Buffaloes and Rams entering the 2024 matchup.
That got us wondering: What are some of the best individual performances by Colorado home-state players in the Showdown’s history? And will anyone join them with an epic game?
Here are 10 of the best and most memorable performances by Colorado natives in the CU-CSU football rivalry:
Joel Klatt, Colorado QB
Now Fox’s lead college football analyst, Klatt once set the Showdown on fire and he did it multiple times. The Arvada native and Pomona High grad led the Buffs to three straight wins over CSU from 2003-05.
Klatt had huge games in 2003 (21 of 34 passing, 402 yards, 4 touchdowns) and 2005 (22 of 33, 281 yards, 2 TDs), CU needed it all in a pair of one-score wins.
Quarterback Joel Klatt #14 of the Colorado Buffaloes jogs off the field against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 25, 2005 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado.
Bobby Purify, Colorado RB
The Colorado Springs native and Palmer High alumnus had several great performances against CSU in his four-year career, scoring five total touchdowns.
Purify went for 191 rushing yards and a touchdown in 2001 and 189 yards with a TD in 2004, helping the Buffs average 34 points per game in a pair of wins.
Tailback Bobby Purify #42 of the University of Colorado Buffaloes runs the ball past…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/best-rocky-mountain-showdown-performances-000049948.html
Author : The Coloradoan
Publish date : 2024-09-13 00:00:49
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