November 01, 2026 | Football
BOULDER — When Isaac Wilson hit Charlie Williams and he crossed the goal line in overtime Saturday, the game was over. Not nearly over. Not over pending a kick. Over.
That has happened on a Colorado touchdown pass exactly twice. The other time was Sept. 24, 1994, in Ann Arbor, when Kordell Stewart's 64-yard heave came down through Blake Anderson's hands and into Michael Westbrook's for a 27-26 win over Michigan on the game's final play — the Miracle at Michigan, the National Play of the Year, the throw that is still the first thing many people think of when they think of Colorado football.
Wilson's 11-yard pop pass to Williams on third-and-9 to beat Kansas State 27-24 did not travel as far. It did not need a deflection. But it did the same thing Westbrook's catch did: it ended a Colorado win the instant it was caught, and nothing in the 32 seasons in between had.
Four Touchdowns, Two of Them Passes
Colorado has scored game-ending touchdowns of any kind only four times, by the record book's accounting:
The Overtime That Had Never Ended That Way
Saturday was Colorado's 22nd overtime game; the Buffaloes are now 12-10 in them. The 11 previous overtime wins ended in every way but this one:
Williams' catch is the first overtime game in program history to end on a Colorado touchdown pass.
Close Calls
The near-misses are their own list, and a couple of them have a direct line to Saturday.
Baylor, Sept. 21, 2024. Shedeur Sanders hit LaJohntay Wester from 43 yards out with no time left in regulation to tie it 31-31. It was a touchdown on the final play — but a tying one. Colorado scored in overtime, and Hunter's forced fumble ended it, 38-31.
Colorado State, Sept. 16, 2023. Colorado drove 98 yards in the final minute, and Sanders' touchdown pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. and a two-point throw to Michael Harrison tied it 28-28 with 36 seconds left. In the second overtime, Sanders threw 18 yards to Harrison for the touchdown and then to Harrison again for the two-pointer, and Woods' interception sealed the 43-35 win. Harrison was a tight end. He wore No. 87 — the number Williams wears now.
California, Oct. 15, 2022. Lemonious-Craig's overtime touchdown catch gave Colorado the lead; the defense, not the offense, got the final play.
Winning Touchdowns in the Last 30 Seconds
Six Colorado wins have come on touchdowns in the final half-minute of regulation without being the final play:
Williams' other touchdown this season came just outside that window — the 20-yarder from Julian Lewis with 37 seconds left that beat Georgia Tech 14-13 on Sept. 3.
Scores with 0:00 on the clock
For the record, Colorado has scored as time expired in regulation eight times. Five were field goals: John Zisch against BYU (1947), Tom Field at Oklahoma State (1982, a 25-25 tie), Mitch Berger against Oklahoma (1992, a 24-24 tie), Kevin Eberhart against Oklahoma (2007) and Evan Price against Stanford (2019). Three were touchdowns: Johnson's fifth-down run at Missouri (1990), Westbrook's catch at Michigan (1994) and Wester's tying catch against Baylor (2024).
Down the Road
Denver has seen its own share. John Elway's 43-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith as time expired enabled the Broncos to beat Washington on Sept. 17, 1995 — the first catch of Smith's career. And on Jan. 8, 2012, Tim Tebow's 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime ended a playoff game against Pittsburgh. The NFL's overtime rules have changed since, and never matched college football's, so the comparison is a loose one. But the Boulder/Denver area has now seen at least three touchdown passes end a game, and the newest one belongs to a tight end from Aspen.
That has happened on a Colorado touchdown pass exactly twice. The other time was Sept. 24, 1994, in Ann Arbor, when Kordell Stewart's 64-yard heave came down through Blake Anderson's hands and into Michael Westbrook's for a 27-26 win over Michigan on the game's final play — the Miracle at Michigan, the National Play of the Year, the throw that is still the first thing many people think of when they think of Colorado football.
Wilson's 11-yard pop pass to Williams on third-and-9 to beat Kansas State 27-24 did not travel as far. It did not need a deflection. But it did the same thing Westbrook's catch did: it ended a Colorado win the instant it was caught, and nothing in the 32 seasons in between had.
Four Touchdowns, Two of Them Passes
Colorado has scored game-ending touchdowns of any kind only four times, by the record book's accounting:
- Oct. 6, 1990, at Missouri — Charles Johnson's 1-yard run on the famous fifth down, 33-31, with no time left.
- Sept. 24, 1994, at Michigan — Stewart to Westbrook, 64 yards, 27-26, after time had expired.
- Oct. 11, 2003, vs. Kansas — Brian Calhoun's 12-yard run in overtime, 50-47, after the Jayhawks had kicked a field goal on their possession.
- Oct. 31, 2026, vs. Kansas State — Wilson to Williams, 11 yards, 27-24 in overtime.
The Overtime That Had Never Ended That Way
Saturday was Colorado's 22nd overtime game; the Buffaloes are now 12-10 in them. The 11 previous overtime wins ended in every way but this one:
- Field goals (four): Kevin Eberhart against Colorado State in Denver (2007), Aric Goodman against West Virginia (2008), James Stefanou against Nebraska (2019) and Cole Becker against Oregon State in double overtime (2021).
- Defensive plays (five): Ben Kelly's interception against Missouri (1999), a Kory Mossoni fumble recovery at Missouri (2002), Tedric Thompson's blocked field goal against Colorado State in Denver (2015), Trevor Woods' interception against Colorado State (2023) and Travis Hunter's forced fumble against Baylor (2024).
- A stop (one): Montana Lemonious-Craig's touchdown catch put Colorado ahead of California in 2022, and the defense held for a 20-13 win — the Buffs' first of that season.
- A touchdown run (one): Calhoun against Kansas in 2003.
Williams' catch is the first overtime game in program history to end on a Colorado touchdown pass.
Close Calls
The near-misses are their own list, and a couple of them have a direct line to Saturday.
Baylor, Sept. 21, 2024. Shedeur Sanders hit LaJohntay Wester from 43 yards out with no time left in regulation to tie it 31-31. It was a touchdown on the final play — but a tying one. Colorado scored in overtime, and Hunter's forced fumble ended it, 38-31.
Colorado State, Sept. 16, 2023. Colorado drove 98 yards in the final minute, and Sanders' touchdown pass to Jimmy Horn Jr. and a two-point throw to Michael Harrison tied it 28-28 with 36 seconds left. In the second overtime, Sanders threw 18 yards to Harrison for the touchdown and then to Harrison again for the two-pointer, and Woods' interception sealed the 43-35 win. Harrison was a tight end. He wore No. 87 — the number Williams wears now.
California, Oct. 15, 2022. Lemonious-Craig's overtime touchdown catch gave Colorado the lead; the defense, not the offense, got the final play.
Winning Touchdowns in the Last 30 Seconds
Six Colorado wins have come on touchdowns in the final half-minute of regulation without being the final play:
- Nov. 13, 2004, vs. Kansas State — Joel Klatt's pass to Ron Monteilh, caught at the KSU 23 and carried the rest of the way for a 64-yard score with five seconds left, 38-31.
- Nov. 9, 1991, at Oklahoma State — Robbie James' 20-yard pass to Christian Fauria on a fake field goal, third down, six seconds left, 16-12.
- Nov. 17, 1981, vs. Oklahoma State — Steve Vogel's 9-yard pass to Brad Parker and his two-point throw to Derek Singleton, six seconds left, 11-10.
- Nov. 8, 1997, at Iowa State — Dwayne Cherrington's 1-yard run, nine seconds left, 43-38, finishing an 18-point comeback.
- Sept. 22, 2012, at Washington State — Jordan Webb's 4-yard draw on fourth-and-goal to tie it, Will Oliver's extra point to win it, nine seconds left, 35-34, finishing a 17-point comeback.
- Sept. 6, 1990, vs. Stanford — Eric Bieniemy's 1-yard run on fourth down, 12 seconds left, 21-17.
Williams' other touchdown this season came just outside that window — the 20-yarder from Julian Lewis with 37 seconds left that beat Georgia Tech 14-13 on Sept. 3.
Scores with 0:00 on the clock
For the record, Colorado has scored as time expired in regulation eight times. Five were field goals: John Zisch against BYU (1947), Tom Field at Oklahoma State (1982, a 25-25 tie), Mitch Berger against Oklahoma (1992, a 24-24 tie), Kevin Eberhart against Oklahoma (2007) and Evan Price against Stanford (2019). Three were touchdowns: Johnson's fifth-down run at Missouri (1990), Westbrook's catch at Michigan (1994) and Wester's tying catch against Baylor (2024).
Down the Road
Denver has seen its own share. John Elway's 43-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith as time expired enabled the Broncos to beat Washington on Sept. 17, 1995 — the first catch of Smith's career. And on Jan. 8, 2012, Tim Tebow's 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime ended a playoff game against Pittsburgh. The NFL's overtime rules have changed since, and never matched college football's, so the comparison is a loose one. But the Boulder/Denver area has now seen at least three touchdown passes end a game, and the newest one belongs to a tight end from Aspen.
Players Mentioned
Sunday, November 01
Sunday, November 01
Saturday, October 31
Saturday, October 31
