Did the game against Colorado actually happen? I woke up Sunday morning thinking it was a ridiculously contrived dream. You know, the kind of dream where you get up the next day and think, “Did my mind actually come up with that? I’m more talented than I thought.”

Forgetting the whole tornado fiasco, which prompted some of the worst jokes in the history of the laugh. One I heard from a paid sportswriter: “I never thought I’d hear ‘Cyclone touchdown’ until the game started.” Unbelievable. I also overheard several references to Hurricane Katrina, in which Hilton Coliseum played the role of the Superdome. Step up the creativity folks.

The unusual began with Colorado’s first drive. Needing only a half of a yard to convert on third down, Colorado’s Lawrence Vickers got pounded for a 2-yard loss.

Every short-yardage situation inevitably went backward. The teams were a combined 5-of-28 on third downs and 0-for-3 on fourth down. That’s a smaller conversion rate than Midwesterners to the Church of Scientology. Oh, but that wasn’t enough. Check this stat line out: Aaron Brant – one reception for one yard. Brant, although you couldn’t tell by his soft hands, is an offensive tackle.He clearly has been practicing. I picture Brant and center Scott Stephenson throwing post routes to each other after practice. Now that would be something.

You know the game fell terribly off track when the teams made six field goals. Wasn’t kicking supposed to be difficult with the wind blowing? Colorado kicker Mason Crosby, who obviously has a robotic right leg, launched a 42-yarder into the wind, kicked a rifle from 32 yards and also made a 57-yard kick that probably would have been good from 65. He also kicked a lob wedge of an extra point that found the roof of the Jacobson Athletic Building. Show-off. It got to the point when they reached midfield going toward the north end, and you actually thought, “They shouldn’t risk a turnover and let Crosby kick it.”

The twilight zone moment of the game, however, goes to Brent Curvey. The big dude knocked Buffalo quarterback Joel Klatt on his back so many times that Klatt was seeing Curvey in his dreams. Umm, that could have been worded better.

Curvey made a fantastic one-handed interception that would make Jerry Rice jealous. But it was his return that is now the thing of legend. With Colorado tailback Hugh Charles, who runs a 4.35 40-yard dash, chasing him, Curvey turned on the jets.

The lumbering tackle couldn’t have cared less about ball security as he outran Charles. Sixty-six yards later, Curvey scored the third touchdown of his career – a career in which Curvey has touched the ball four times. He is averaging 41 yards per carry. I think he should get 10 carries against Kansas.

Nothing can change the fact that the Cyclones have blown away two ranked teams in one year for the first time since 1973. No matter how crazy it might seem.

– Brent Blum is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.