BOULDER — The two biggest plays in the Colorado alumni flag football game carried the telltale marks of pure coaching genius.
On one side stood CU coaching legend Bill McCartney, who brought out his old coaching shoes for the occasion. On the other, former CU offensive coordinator and former head coach Gary Barnett was equally animated.
The McCartney team’s highlight Saturday included the longest TD pass he had witnessed since the “Miracle in Michigan” in 1994. He celebrated as wide receiver Blake Anderson (who tipped the famous 64-yard pass from Kordell Stewart that landed in Michael Westbrook’s hands on the last play of that game) slipped behind the “secondary” for a 60-yard pass from Bobby Pesavento.
Barnett’s team still edged McCartney’s team for the win and was led by former quarterback Joel Klatt, who had promised he would have the last word all week on the radio show he co-hosts with Charles Johnson, who quarterbacked one series on the losing team.
Klatt’s team executed one pitch after another until the ball came back to Klatt and he took it the last few yards for the final 20-6 score.
Barnett wouldn’t take credit for drawing up the re-enactment of the legendary TD play from the 1982 Cal-Stanford game (minus the Stanford band being on the field).
“No one was listening to us. We had enough trouble getting them to listen back then,” Barnett said.
Klatt wasn’t giving any coaching credit.
“We just ran down the field pitching the ball to each other,” he said.
The preliminary to the spring game was just a good time for all and a celebration of one of their own, Jon Embree, taking over the head coaching job.
There also were more ex-Buffs on the sidelines sitting out than actual spring weekend warriors.
“I have everything still attached, and I don’t want anything falling off,” ex-Buffs receiver Jeff Campbell said of his reason not to play.
Mike Marquez, a running back on the 1985 team that gave McCartney his first bowl trip, had second thoughts before deciding to play. His son, redshirt freshman walk- on safety Jordan Marquez, taunted him about it.
Jordan Marquez turned in one of the defense’s top plays with an interception return for a touchdown.
The senior Marquez was far from the oldest to hit the field. Steve Cowell, an aviation safety consultant, got in for one play. “I was the ‘Rudy’,” he said of walking on and making the 1971-72 rosters.
The best news, according to team physician and ex-Buffs linebacker Eric McCarty, was that no one was seriously hurt.
“They are going to feel it tomorrow,” McCarty said.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
