Washington Routed by Inspired Colorado

The fifth-ranked Colorado Buffaloes showed what effect the death of 21-year-old quarterback Sal Aunese would have on them.

The Buffaloes went out and played their best game of the season and defeated No. 21 Washington, 45-28, Saturday.

“This exceeded anything I’d hoped for,” Coach Bill McCartney. “This speaks a lot about the intensity and resolve of our players.”

Aunese, Colorado’s starting quarterback last season, died last Saturday night after a six-month battle against inoperable stomach cancer. His funeral was Monday.

The Buffaloes knelt before their game in a tribute to Aunese. Then they went out and played like a team determined to win a national championship.

Against a perennial Pacific 10 contender, the Buffaloes of the Big Eight overcame a 3-0 deficit in the first quarter to score the second-most points ever by a Washington opponent at 69-year-old Husky Stadium.

USC defeated the Huskies, 48-0, in Seattle in 1929.

McCartney said before Saturday’s game that he wasn’t sure how his players, who were off last weekend, would respond to the death.

Sophomore quarterback Darian Hagan said: “I was down when I heard about Sal, but I was fired up at the funeral. I wanted to come here and get a big victory for him.”

After failing to get a first down in its first two possessions, Colorado scored the first of its six touchdowns on the ground on a 35-yard run by Eric Bieniemy at 11:53 and the rout was on.

The 17-point margin of victory by the Buffaloes (4-0) was deceiving. Colorado outclassed the Huskies both on offense and defense.

Washington (2-2) trailed, 38-6, after three quarters and scored three touchdowns against Colorado reserves in the fourth quarter.

Washington quarterback Cary Conklin, who was intercepted three times, twice by strong safety Bruce Young, said, “It was a frustrating day.”

With Hagan directing Colorado’s run-oriented wishbone offense, the Buffaloes rolled up 420 yards on the ground and 485 total yards. On defense, the Buffaloes’ first unit held Washington to a pair of field goals by John McCallum until the last quarter.

Bieniemy scored two touchdowns, the second on a one-yard run in the second quarter. Then, in order, Flannigan scored on a three-yard run in the second, Hagan scored on a three-yard run in the third, wide receiver Jeff Campbell scored on a 56-yard reverse in the third and backup quarterback Charles Johnson scored on a 16-yard run in the fourth.

Ken Culbertson kicked a 43-yard field goal for the Buffaloes in the third quarter.

Washington scored its touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard pass from Conklin to Mario Bailey, when tight end Bill Ames fell on a Bailey fumble in the end zone after a 25-yard reception from Conklin and on a seven-yard run by Greg Lewis. Before that, McCallum kicked field goals of 21 and 40 yards.

Washington was ranked 11th in the nation a week ago before losing, 17-14, to Arizona in its Pac-10 opener.