The debate of all debates. Who is the best quarterback in Colorado football history?
When CUSportsNation.com posted the nomination thread on the Buff Nation message board, Buffaloes' fans were deadlocked on who would be the No. 1 seed between Hagan and Stewart, leaving the choice up to a coin flip.
Check out the bracket below.
The Great 8 FINALS: Hagan vs Stewart
Darian Hagan highlights
Relive the Miracle in Michigan
The Hagan Profile
(stats/records below as of 2002)
- Quarterbacked CU to three Big Eight titles and a 20-0-1 league record
- Fifth in the 1989 Heisman Trophy balloting as a sophomore
- First and only player to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in a single season
- All-American (1989), Two-time All-Big Eight (1989, 1990)
Darian Hagan is arguably the most talented player to ever put on a CU football uniform. The multi-dimensional quarterback, who actually was also the team’s top punt return man as a senior, piloted CU to three consecutive Big Eight titles In 1989, 1990 and 1991. He led the Buffaloes to a 20-0-1 mark in conference play during that span, as well as a 30-5-2 record overall as the starter. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting as a sophomore, when he became the only player in CU history to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in the same season.
In his career, he rushed for 2,007 yards and passed for 3,801, numbers that still rank 12th and sixth, respectively, at Colorado. An All-American in 1989 when he was the runaway choice as the Big Eight offensive player-of-the-year, Hagan was a two-time all-Big Eight selection in 1989 and 1990. He returned to CU in the mid-1990s and earned his degree, and would then work for two years as CU’s Alumni C Club director. His jersey number, 3, was previously honored in 1999.
The Stewart Profile
A true dual-threat quarterback at Colorado, Stewart was the first Buff ever to throw for 200 yards and rush for 100 in the same game, and he's still the only quarterback in CU history to have three 2,000 yard passing seasons. In his last game as a Buff, he was named the Offensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl in Colorado's 41-24 win over Notre Dame.
In 1991, Stewart got a scholarship to the University of Colorado. Playing under coach Bill McCartney, he became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in school history, setting several Buffaloes records, including most passes completed, most passing yards, and most touchdown passes.
Stewart led the option-oriented Buffaloes to a pair of top-10 regular-season finishes in the AP and Coaches polls in 1992 and 1994 as well as wins in the 1993 Aloha Bowl and 1995 Fiesta Bowl. He was selected as a second team All-American his senior year as nationally ranked No. 3 Colorado finished 11–1 in 1994.
One of his greatest moments ever for the Colorado Buffaloes came at the very beginning. On September 5, 1992, Stewart started his first game as a sophomore as Colorado unveiled a pass-oriented offense that lifted the 12th-ranked Buffaloes past in-state rival Colorado State, 37–17. Stewart connected on 21 of 36 passes for a then school-record 409 yards and four touchdowns in the contest
On September 24, 1994, Stewart threw the game-winning, 64-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass into the end zone to wide receiver Michael Westbrook in the closing seconds to beat the Michigan Wolverines.
