Alamo Bowl opponents have long history dating back to 1940.

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (December 29, 2020) When the No. 20 Texas Longhorns (6-3, 5-3 Big 12) take on the Colorado Buffaloes (4-1, 3-1 Pac-12) on Tuesday evening December 29, it will be the 19th time the two former Big 12 foes have faced off since 1940.

The Alamo Bowl will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2009. The Longhorns  holds an 11-7 record all-time against Colorado, including a 2-1 record in neutral-site meetings. 

Texas bested the Buffaloes in the 1975 Bluebonnet Bowl by the score of 38-21, and the 2005 Big 12 Championship Game, 70-3. The Buffaloes were victorious in the 2001 Big 12 Championship Game, winning by the score of 39-37. 

The Longhorns have won seven of the last eight meetings, including  the last five, when Colorado was still a member of the Big 12 Conference. Texas has scored at least 30 points in 13 of their 18 all-time meetings against the Buffaloes, including each of the last seven matchups. 

Alamo Bowl set for Big 12-Pac-12 matchup: Texas vs. Colorado

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (December 28, 2020) The 2020 edition of the Valero Alamo Bowl is set for an 8 p.m. CST kickoff at The Alamodome. The No. 20 Texas Longhorns (6-3, 5-3 Big 12) is led by heach coach Tom Herman will face the Colorado Buffaloes (4-1, 3-1 Pac-12), with first-year head coach Karl Dorrell.

 

Herman is in his sixth season overall as a head coach with a career record of 53-22 (.707). He is in his fourth season at Texas with a mark of 31-18 (.633). He won his 50th career game as a head coach in a 27-16 triumph over Baylor on Oct. 24, 2020 and his 30th game at Texas one week later, as the Longhorns bested West Virginia, 17-13, in Austin.

His 30 wins are the fourth-most by a UT coach during his first four seasons at the helm in Austin and has a career mark of 15-10 against top-25 opponents, 6-6 against top-10 foes and 3-3 versus teams ranked in the top five.  Including the 2020 season, Herman has spent 17 of his 23 seasons as a coach in the state of Texas on the collegiate level. 

The 27th head coach in CU history,  Dorrell started 4-0 in his CU coaching career; only Harry Heller (won his first seven in 1894), Willis Kleinholtz (six in 1905), T.W. Mortimer (five in 1900) and Rick Neuheisel (five in 1995) won as many or more to open their CU careers (and Dorrell was OC on Neuheisel’s staff). Dorrell was the sixth CU coach to open 3-0 in conference games, but the first since Jim Yeager in 1941. On Decemeber 22, he was named the Pac-12’s Coach of the Year (presented by Nextiva), the sixth coach to be recognized throughout CU’s history with the honor. 

 Of the 23 new head coaches in 2020, he was the last of the group who was undefeated come Dec. 6.  He is the third CU head coach to lead the Buffs to a bowl game in his first season, joining Neuheisel (’96 Cotton) and Gary Barnett (’99 Insight.com). In addition, he is the first CU coach in his first season to have his team go from unranked to ranked (No. 21 AP, No. 22 USAT/Coaches on Dec. 6; No. 21 CFP on Dec. 8).

AGGIE GIVES BACK DURING THANKSGIVING BREAK

Submitted Photo

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (December 2, 2012)  Normally, Thanksgiving break for college students means coming home to mom’s cooking, Thanksgiving dinner with family and three days worth of leftovers before having to pack up and get back to school.

But for Oklahoma Panhandle State University freshman tight end, Aubrey Oswalt, making the trip home from Oklahoma to San Marcos, TX wouldn’t be the end of his journey.

The former San Marcos Academy quarterback/cornerback decided to give back during his Thanksgiving break and assist two former Academy alumni before making the trek back to Goodwell.

Oswalt decided to volunteer for Gridrion Heroes. He was one of over 25 students from Texas State University and the University of Texas-San Antonio and Gridiron Heroes volunteers that sold rally towels benefitting the spinal cord injury foundation as fans walked into the Alamodome for the I-35 Rivalry matchup of Texas State and UTSA.

Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Foundation provides immediate and long term resources and support to individuals sustaining a catastrophic spinal cord injury through activities associated with high school football. Gridiron Heroes is a 501 (C) 3 Non-Profit organization.

Oswalt got to know former SMA Bear Chris Canales through projects with his father’s company, Sports Marketing Experts.

On November 2, 2001, Chris Canales, a senior defensive back playing for San Marcos Academy, sustained a spinal cord injury during the fourth quarter of his final regular season game.  Chris lay motionless on the field for 19 minutes. The next three weeks, Chris fought for his life.  The following months he battled through rehabilitation trying to gain movement and learning how to function as a quadriplegic.

Chris’ injury and the lack of any organized support system for families prompted his father, Eddie Canales, the Canales family and former coach Mike Kipp to begin discussions about the desperate need for an organization for families who were forced to deal with the consequences of this devastating injury.

Last year, Eddie Canales was nominated as a CNN Hero of the year.

About 5,000 Gridiron Heroes rally towels were available at tailgate areas and all entrances prior to kickoff. 

The towels were produced at a reduced cost to Gridiron Heroes by Rivercity Sportswear.

“It’s fun to be a part of it,” said Oswalt, who helped load boxes of towels into carts and assisted directly in sales. “I’m excited to be in Texas for Thanksgiving break. It’s a special time of year. All the sharing, giving, appreciate, it comes with a great day and a good game between teams from my home area in the Alamodome.”