Top Plays: Help Pick The Buffs' Top Plays Of 2016

BOULDER — In a season filled with big wins, it's no doubt hard to narrow down the list of big plays to just a handful.

We want your help to pick the top plays of the year, and we're here to get you started. Here are 20 big plays from the 2016 Colorado football season, plays that helped the Buffs produce a 10-3 record, a Pac-12 South title and a top-10 ranking.

We've listed them in chronological order, and have included a video in case you'd like to refresh your memory. You will be able to vote for your top plays of 2016.

How it will work: We have posted all 20 plays to Facebook and between Tuesday, Dec. 13 and Thursday, Dec. 15, we want you to vote for as many plays as you want by simply liking the videos you want to vote for. Share your favorites with your friends and get them to vote, too. We will then use the Facebook voting to pick the top 16 plays and also use it as a seeding system for a Sweet 16 bracket. Once we have all the match-ups (1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc.) are determined, we will go a head-to-head vote on Twitter until we get a play of the year as voted on by the fans.

We have placed all 20 videos in a Facebook play list, so you can click here and scroll down slightly to Playlists and scroll through each video to vote for it. Each video is also linked by the corresponding play listed below.

Alex Kelley fumble recovery for touchdown vs. Colorado State. Kelley's recovery in the end zone of a Sefo Liufau fumble was significant not only because it was the first touchdown of the season, and not just because it was the first score in a 44-7 win over the Rams. It was significant because it set the tone: after years of seeing bounces go the other way, it was a signal that this might be the year the Buffs get some breaks in their favor. Vote for this play here!
Bryce Bobo 46-yard catch vs. Colorado State. Bobo's catch wasn't for a touchdown, but it was a terrific one-handed grab that earned him a spot on ESPN's SportsCenter, and it set up a 1-yard Phillip Lindsay run that produced a 31-0 halftime lead. Vote for this play here!
Steven Montez 69-yard pass touchdown pass to Kabion Ento vs. Idaho State. This play wasn't a difference-maker in the game by any stretch. Rather, it was CU's seventh touchdown in a 56-7 win. But it was the first pass of Montez's collegiate career and the first catch for Ento as a Buff. Vote for this play here!
Derek McCartney 18-yard fumble return for touchdown vs. Michigan. Early in the first quarter, Buffs cornerback Chidobe Awuzie produced a big sack on Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight, forcing a fumble in the process. McCartney — whose grandfather, legendary CU coach Bill McCartney, was at the game — scooped the ball up and returned it for a touchdown, helping CU to an early 14-0 lead. Vote for this play here!
Sefo Liufau 70-yard touchdown pass to Shay Fields vs. Michigan. Less than a minute into the third quarter of the game, Liufau uncorked a perfect toss to a streaking Fields for the score. Liufau had suffered a severely sprained ankle on the previous play, but stayed in the game to make the throw and give the Buffs a 28-24 lead. Vote for this play here!
Steven Montez 48-yard touchdown pass to Devin Ross vs. Oregon. With Liufau sidelined by the ankle injury, Montez put up record-setting numbers against the Ducks. His day included a big 48-yard strike over the middle to Ross, who made a beautiful fingertip catch, then held onto the ball long enough to stretch it over the goal line. The play was originally ruled an incompletion, but after instant replay review, the Buffs had a touchdown and a 33-17 lead. Vote for this play here!
Steven Montez 31-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Bobo vs. Oregon. After having a one-handed grab in the end zone ruled incomplete earlier in the game, Bobo gave replay officials enough evidence to call this one a score. With the Buffs trailing 38-33, Montez hit Bobo near the left side of the end zone, with Bobo making another spectacular one-handed catch. Again, the play was originally called incomplete — but for the second time in three end zone replays in the game, the Buffs were awarded a touchdown. Montez and Bobo then hooked up for the two-point conversion and 41-38 lead. Vote for this play here!
Ahkello Witherspoon interception in end zone vs. Oregon. On a day when big plays seemed to occur on every possession, CU's defense came up with the difference maker. After the Ducks had driven to a first-and-goal from the CU 7-yard line with 48 seconds left in the game, Witherspoon went high in the air in front of Ducks receiver Darren Carrington to intercept Dakota Prukop's pass and clinch a 41-38 Colorado win. Vote for this play here!
Steven Montez 63-yard touchdown pass to Shay Fields vs. Oregon State. Big because it was Fields' third touchdown catch of the day and because it gave the Buffs a 20-3 lead early in the second quarter, taking the air out of Oregon State. Vote for this play here!
Rick Gamboa 20-yard interception return for touchdown vs. Oregon State. A Buffs defense that prided itself on takeaways produced its second touchdown of the year when a hit by linebacker Kenneth Olugbode popped the ball loose and Gamboa was there to scoop it up and race to the end zone for a 37-6 CU lead. Vote for this play here!
Bryce Bobo 67-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Lindsay vs. USC. In need of an offensive spark after being shut out in the first half, the Buffs got on the board when they dug into their bag of tricks. Bobo took a lateral from Montez to the left side of the field, then uncorked a bomb to Lindsay for the score, pulling the Buffs to within 14-7. Vote for this play here!
Phillip Lindsay 75-yard touchdown run vs. Arizona State. On the first play of the third quarter, Lindsay went up the middle and didn't stop running until he hit the end zone. It was CU's longest play from scrimmage all season, and it gave the Buffs a 30-10 lead in what proved to be their first win in a six-game win streak. Vote for this play here!
Kenneth Olugbode fumble recovery vs. Stanford. With the Buffs clinging to a 7-3 lead at Stanford early in the fourth quarter, Stanford drove to the CU 4-yard line and threatened to take the lead. But when Cardinal quarterback Ryan Burns mishandled a snap, Olugbode was on the spot to recover the ball and turn away the Cardinal's best chance at a touchdown all day. Vote for this play here!
Tedric Thompson interception vs. Stanford. After the Buffs had missed three fields goals, CU was still holding on to a 7-3 lead late in the game. That's when Thompson notched his second interception of the game, returning it to the Stanford 20. That set up a successful CU field goal try and a 10-3 lead with just 2:13 to go in the game, one the Buffs won 10-5 to clinch their first bowl berth since 2007. Vote for this play here!
Isaiah Oliver 68-yard punt return for a touchdown vs. UCLA. Coming into the game, Colorado hadn't had a punt return for a score in 11 years. Oliver ended that drought at the perfect time. With CU holding on to a narrow 13-10 lead, he took the punt, zig-zagged up the middle, then outraced a pair of defenders down the sideline for the score and a 10-point CU cushion, 20-10, with just 5:27 left in the game. Vote for this play here!
Sefo Liufau 40-yard touchdown pass to Jay MacIntyre vs. Arizona. The struggling Wildcats showed no sign of going away without a fight. But after CU had regained possession late in the second half, Liufau hit a wide-open MacIntyre for the score, giving the Buffs a comfortable 28-10 lead at the half. Vote for this play here!
Sefo Liufau 11-yard touchdown run vs. Washington State. In one of the biggest games in years at Folsom Field, Liufau's third rushing touchdown of the day gave the Buffs the lead for good. Liufau faked to Kyle Evans going to the left, then kept it himself to give CU a 28-24 lead in a game the Buffs eventually won, 38-24. Vote for this play here!
Jimmie Gilbert sack, forced fumble vs. Washington State. CU's first-team All-Pac-12 linebacker finished the year with 10 sacks and six forced fumbles. He performed his specialty at the perfect time against the Cougars, squashing any hopes of a WSU comeback by sacking quarterback Luke Falk and forcing a fumble in the fourth quarter. CU's Addison Gillam pounced on the loose ball and the Buffs were one game closer to a Pac-12 South title. Vote for this play here!
Chidobe Awuzie tackle on 93-yard kick return vs. Utah. With the Buffs having just broken a 13-13 tie on a Liufau touchdown pass to Fields, the Utes threatened to tie the game up in a hurry when returner Kyle Fulks took the kick and raced toward the end zone. But a streaking Awuzie — who earlier had recovered a Ute fumble inside the CU 10-yard line — had just enough speed and enough of an angle to push Fulks out of bounds at the 3-yard line. The Buffs defense then held the Utes to a field goal, keeping the Buffs in the lead, 20-16. Vote for this play here!
Kenneth Olugbode 10-yard fumble return for touchdown vs. Utah. CU's final defensive touchdown of the regular season was a big one. With Colorado still holding a 20-16 lead, Buffs linebacker Rick Gamboa punched the ball loose from Utes running back Joe Williams. Olugbode was again on the spot to grab the loose ball and return it 10 yards for a 27-16 Colorado lead. Vote for this play here!