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The Colorado Buffaloes football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Colorado Buffaloes football program in various categories,[ 1] [ 2] including passing , rushing , receiving , total offense , defensive stats, and kicking . Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Buffaloes represent the University of Colorado Boulder in the NCAA Division I FBS Big 12 Conference .
Although Colorado began competing in intercollegiate football in 1890,[ 2] the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in the 1930s. Records prior to this year are often incomplete and inconsistent, and are generally not included in these lists.
These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since the 1930s, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[ 3] The Buffaloes have played in five bowl games since then (and are assured of a sixth in 2024), allowing players in those seasons an extra game to accumulate statistics. However, unlike virtually all other FBS programs, Colorado does not include bowl game statistics from any season in career statistics, meaning that players' career totals, and even in some cases the ordering of career leaders, differ between Colorado record books and official NCAA statistics.[ 1]
Similarly, the Buffaloes have appeared in the Big 12 Championship Game four times and the Pac-12 Championship Game once, giving players yet another game to accumulate stats.
Due to COVID-19 disruptions, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not count against any football player's athletic eligibility, giving all players active in that season the opportunity for five years of play instead of the normal four.
These lists are updated through Week 11 of the 2024 season . Players active in 2024 are in bold .
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Sefo Liufau
9,763[ 4]
2013 2014 2015 2016
2
Steven Montez
9,710
2016 2017 2018 2019
3
Cody Hawkins
7,731
2007 2008 2009 2010
4
Joel Klatt
7,708
2002 2003 2004 2005
5
Kordell Stewart
6,481
1991 1992 1993 1994
6
Shedeur Sanders
6,112[ 5]
2023 2024
7
Tyler Hansen
5,705
2008 2009 2010 2011
8
Koy Detmer
5,390
1992 1994 1995 1996
9
Mike Moschetti
4,797
1998 1999
10
John Hessler
4,788
1994 1995 1996 1997
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Shedeur Sanders
3,230[ 5]
2023
2
Sefo Liufau
3,200
2014
3
Koy Detmer
3,156
1996
4
Steven Montez
2,975
2017
5
Tyler Hansen
2,883
2011
6
Shedeur Sanders
2,882[ 5]
2024
7
Steven Montez
2,849
2018
8
Steven Montez
2,808
2019
9
Joel Klatt
2,696
2005
10
Mike Moschetti
2,693
1999
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Eric Bieniemy
3,940
1987 1988 1989 1990
2
Rodney Stewart
3,598
2008 2009 2010 2011
3
Phillip Lindsay
3,550[ 20]
2014 2015 2016 2017
4
Bobby Purify
3,096
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
5
Rashaan Salaam
3,057
1992 1993 1994
6
Charlie Davis
2,958
1971 1972 1973
7
Hugh Charles
2,795
2004 2005 2006 2007
8
Chris Brown
2,787
2001 2002
9
James Mayberry
2,548
1975 1976 1977 1978
10
Herchell Troutman
2,487
1994 1995 1996 1997
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Rashaan Salaam
2,055
1994
2
Chris Brown
1,841
2002
3
Eric Bieniemy
1,628
1990
4
Charlie Davis
1,386
1971
5
Rodney Stewart
1,318
2010
6
James Mayberry
1,299
1977
7
Phillip Lindsay
1,254[ 20]
2017
8
Phillip Lindsay
1,252[ 20]
2016
9
Eric Bieniemy
1,243
1988
10
Tony Reed
1,210
1976
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Nelson Spruce
3,347
2012 2013 2014 2015
2
Shay Fields
2,590[ 25]
2014 2015 2016 2017
3
Scotty McKnight
2,588
2007 2008 2009 2010
4
Michael Westbrook
2,548
1991 1992 1993 1994
5
Rae Carruth
2,540
1992 1994 1995 1996
6
Charles Johnson
2,447
1990 1991 1992 1993
7
Paul Richardson
2,412
2010 2011 2012 2013
8
Phil Savoy
2,176
1994 1995 1996 1997
9
Derek McCoy
2,038
2000 2001 2002 2003
10
Javon Green
2,031
1997 1998 1999 2000
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Paul Richardson
1,343
2013
2
Nelson Spruce
1,198
2014
3
Charles Johnson
1,149
1992
4
Rae Carruth
1,116
1996
5
Charles Johnson
1,082
1993
6
Michael Westbrook
1,060
1992
7
Nelson Spruce
1,053
2015
8
D.J. Hackett
1,013
2003
9
Laviska Shenault Jr.
1,011[ 26]
2018
10
Rae Carruth
1,008
1995
Receiving touchdowns [ edit ]
Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[ 41]
Total offense yards [ edit ]
Career
Rank
Player
Yards
Years
1
Sefo Liufau
10,702 [ 4]
2013 2014 2015 2016
2
Kordell Stewart
7,770
1991 1992 1993 1994
3
Cody Hawkins
7,564
2007 2008 2009 2010
4
Joel Klatt
7,562
2002 2003 2004 2005
5
Tyler Hansen
6,183
2008 2009 2010 2011
6
Shedeur Sanders
6,033 [ 5]
2023 2024
7
Darian Hagan
5,808
1988 1989 1990 1991
8
Koy Detmer
5,359
1992 1994 1995 1996
9
John Hessler
5,064
1994 1995 1996 1997
10
Mike Moschetti
4,867
1998 1999
Single season
Rank
Player
Yards
Year
1
Sefo Liufau
3,336
2014
2
Shedeur Sanders
3,153 [ 5]
2023
3
Koy Detmer
3,150
1996
4
Tyler Hansen
2,998
2011
5
Shedeur Sanders
2,880 [ 5]
2024
6
Sefo Liufau
2,860 [ 4]
2016
7
Kordell Stewart
2,823
1993
8
Mike Moschetti
2,818
1999
9
Kordell Stewart
2,710
1994
10
Joel Klatt
2,699
2005
Touchdowns responsible for [ edit ]
"Touchdowns responsible for" is the NCAA's official term for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.[ 44]
Single game
Rank
Player
FGs
Year
Opponent
1
Jeremy Aldrich
5
1999
Kansas
Kevin Eberhart
5[ 49]
2007
Baylor
Field goal percentage [ edit ]
Single season
Rank
Player
FG%
Year
1
Jeremy Aldrich
85.7%
1997
^ a b "Leaders" (PDF) . 2023 Colorado Football Record Book . Colorado Buffaloes. Retrieved September 2, 2023 .
^ a b "2015 Colorado Buffaloes Media Guide" (PDF) . CUBuffs.com . Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015 .
^ "NCAA changes policy on football stats" . ESPN.com . AP. August 28, 2002. Retrieved September 11, 2014 .
^ a b c d e "Sefo Liufau" . ESPN.com . Retrieved January 15, 2017 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Shedeur Sanders" . ESPN.com . Retrieved November 10, 2024 .
^ a b c d e f "Colorado vs. TCU Box Score" . ESPN.com . September 2, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023 .
^ a b c d "California emerges in OT despite Colorado's huge day" . ESPN.com . September 10, 2011. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014.
^ a b c d e f "California beats Colorado 59-56 in double OT" . ESPN.com . September 27, 2014.
^ a b c d e "Colorado vs. North Dakota State Box Score" . ESPN.com . August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 29, 2024 .
^ "Colorado 50, Kansas 47 (OT)" . ESPN.com . October 11, 2003.[dead link ]
^ a b c "Stanford vs. Colorado Box Score" . ESPN.com . October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023 .
^ Aloha Bowl
^ a b "Klatt leads Colorado past CSU" . ESPN.com . August 31, 2003. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016.
^ "Klatt hurls 4 TD passes; Colorado special teams dominate" . ESPN.com . October 23, 2005.[dead link ]
^ "Colorado's defense stifles Iowa St. in last seconds" . ESPN.com . November 8, 2008.[dead link ]
^ a b "Rockets roll up 624 yards total offense in win over Buffs" . ESPN.com . September 12, 2009.[dead link ]
^ "Colorado State vs. Colorado Box Score" . ESPN.com . September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023 .
^ a b "USC vs. Colorado Box Score" . ESPN.com . September 30, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023 .
^ a b "Colorado vs. Colorado State Box Score" . ESPN.com . September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024 .
^ a b c d e "Phillip Lindsay" . ESPN . Retrieved November 3, 2017 .
^ "Colorado vs. Arizona Box Score" . ESPN . December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020 .
^ "Arizona's Khalil Tate sets FBS QB rushing mark with 327 yards in a win over Colorado" . ESPN . Associated Press . October 8, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017 .
^ a b Liberty Bowl
^ "Liufau leads Buffs past Charleston Southern 43-10" . ESPN.com . October 19, 2013.
^ a b c d "Shay Fields" . ESPN.com . Retrieved January 15, 2017 .
^ a b c "Laviska Shenault Jr" . ESPN .
^ "Devin Ross" . ESPN.com . Retrieved January 15, 2017 .
^ a b c "Travis Hunter" . ESPN.com . Retrieved November 10, 2024 .
^ "Xavier Weaver" . ESPN.com .
^ "Spruce leads Colorado past Hawaii 21-12" . ESPN.com . September 20, 2014.
^ "Thompson leads Washington past Colorado 38-23" . ESPN.com . November 1, 2014.
^ "Cougs use second-half surge to seal win" . ESPN.com . September 13, 2003. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013.
^ "Oklahoma St. clips Colorado, keeps pressure on Texas in Big 12 race" . ESPN.com . November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013.
^ "Kansas runs off 35 straight in fourth to stun Colorado" . ESPN.com . November 6, 2010. Archived from the original on November 24, 2013.
^ a b "Richardson leads Colorado past Cent. Ark. 38-24" . ESPN.com . September 8, 2013.
^ "Colorado beats Cal 41-24 to snap conference skid" . ESPN.com . November 13, 2013.
^ "No. 24 UCLA blows big lead, rallies to beat Colorado" . ESPN.com . October 31, 2015.
^ "No. 15 Colorado squeaks by UCLA 20-10 despite penalties" . ESPN.com . November 3, 2016.
^ "Richardson leads CU to 41-27 win over CSU" . ESPN.com . September 1, 2013.
^ "Colorado crushes Oregon State 47-6 behind Montez, Fields" . ESPN.com . October 1, 2016.
^ "2021 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF) . NCAA. p. 9. Retrieved December 4, 2021 .
^ "Colorado holds off Oregon in Steven Montez's first career start" . ESPN.com . September 24, 2016.
^ "Liufau scores 3 TDs, No. 10 Colorado beats No. 22 Wash State" . ESPN.com . November 19, 2016.
^ "2021 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF) . NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved December 4, 2021 .
^ "Harrell's 4 INTs too much as Colorado rolls Texas Tech" . ESPN.com . October 27, 2007.[dead link ]
^ a b c "James Stefanou" . ESPN .
^ a b "Cole Becker" . ESPN .
^ a b "Diego Gonzalez" . ESPN.com . Retrieved January 15, 2017 .
^ "Colorado 43, Baylor 23" . ESPN.com . October 6, 2007.[dead link ]
^ "Alejandro Mata" . ESPN.com . Retrieved November 10, 2024 .
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