BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado to its only football national championship in 1990, has died. He was 84.

The charismatic figure known as Coach Mac died Friday night “after a courageous journey with dementia,” according to a family statement. His family announced in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's.

“Coach Mac touched countless lives with his unwavering faith, boundless compassion, and enduring legacy as a leader, mentor and advocate for family, community and faith,” the family said in its statement. “As a trailblazer and visionary, his impact was felt both on and off the field, and his spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those he inspired.”

McCartney remains the winningest coach in Colorado history, with a record of 93-55-5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

“I am very saddened at the passing of Coach Mac,” said Colorado athletic director Rick George, who remained lifelong friends with McCartney after he hired George as his recruiting coordinator in 1987. “Coach Mac was an incredible man who taught me about the importance of faith, family and being a good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled discipline and accountability to all of us who worked and played under his leadership."

McCartney led Colorado to its best season in 1990, when the team finished 11-1-1 and beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to clinch the national title. That season included a win at Missouri where the Buffaloes scored the winning touchdown on a “fifth down” as time expired — one of the biggest blunders in college football history.

The chain crew didn’t flip the marker from second to third down and the officials failed to notice. On fourth down — fifth in actuality — Charles Johnson scored to keep Colorado’s national title hopes afloat. Asked later if he would consider forfeiting the game, McCartney pointed to poor field conditions and didn’t think it was a fair test.

McCartney coached at Colorado from 1982-94, retiring early to spend more time with his wife, Lyndi, who died in 2013. Following his retirement, he worked full time at Promise Keepers, a ministry he started in 1990 after converting from Catholicism and whose aim is to encourage “godly men.”

The organization became a flash point in state politics, advocating unsuccessfully that gays be denied the designation of “protected class,” a position by the group that drew campus protests. He left as Promise Keepers’ president in 2003 because of his wife’s health but returned five years later.

As a football coach, McCartney’s impact at Colorado was immense. During a six-year span in the late ’80s and early ’90s, his teams were right up there with the powers of the time. McCartney coached Colorado to three Big Eight titles, 10 consecutive winning seasons in league competition and a 58-29-4 mark in conference play, all still school bests.

His 1989 squad went 11-1 and lost to Notre Dame 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. That set the groundwork for a national championship team that featured quarterbacks Darian Hagan and Charles Johnson, tailback Eric Bieniemy, and a stalwart defense that included Alfred Williams, Greg Biekert, Chad Brown and Kanavis McGhee.

“A hall of fame coach but somehow a better man and human being,” Brown wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Love you Coach!”

Added Williams in a post on X: “His legacy is firmly built on love, character, integrity, hope, and faith. I will always thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to have him in my life. Thank you Coach for loving on all of us.”

To think, McCartney nearly chose a basketball coaching career.

Born in Riverview, Michigan, McCartney played center and linebacker at the University of Missouri, where he met his wife. He later coached basketball and football at a high school in Dearborn, Michigan. His teams were good, too, each capturing the state title in 1973.

He caught the eye of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, who wanted McCartney to join his staff at Michigan. If that weren’t enough, Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr urged him to join his staff.

McCartney couldn’t decide. His wife gave him some simple advice — follow his heart.

He stepped into the world of college football.

McCartney learned under Schembechler for eight seasons, until an opportunity came up to guide his own team. When the late Chuck Fairbanks left Colorado to become involved with the New Jersey Generals in the upstart United States Football League, McCartney asked Schembechler if the Hall of Fame coach would put in a good word for him.

Schembechler’s backing carried a lot of weight, and then-Colorado athletic director Eddie Crowder gave McCartney the position.

It was a rough start for McCartney with only seven victories in his first three seasons, including a 1-10 finish in 1984. Then things started to turn.

His last season with the Buffaloes was 1994, when the team went 11-1 behind a roster that included Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and the late Rashaan Salaam. That season featured the “Miracle in Michigan,” with Westbrook hauling in a 64-yard TD catch from Stewart on a Hail Mary as time expired in a road win over the Wolverines. Salaam also rushed for 2,055 yards and won the Heisman Trophy.

McCartney also groomed the next wave of coaches, mentoring assistants such as Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Gerry DiNardo, Karl Dorrell, Jon Embree, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden and John Wristen.

In recent years, McCartney got to watch grandson Derek play defensive line at Colorado. Derek’s father, Shannon Clavelle, was a defensive lineman for Colorado from 1992-94 before playing a few seasons in the NFL. Derek’s brother, T.C. McCartney, was a quarterback at LSU and is the son of late Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese, who played for Bill McCartney in 1987 and ’88 before being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1989 and dying six months later at 21.

Growing up, Derek McCartney used to go next door to his grandfather’s house to listen to his stories. He never tired of them.

Derek soaked up the tales about Salaam winning the Heisman Trophy and how Colorado beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl to cement the national title. His grandfather had a picture of the famous play at Michigan and a button to push to hear the broadcast audio.

When playing for Colorado, hardly a day would go by when someone didn't ask Derek if he was somehow related to the coach.

“I like when that happens,” Derek said.

Jokic, Westbrook have triple-doubles and Nuggets beat Nets 124-105

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 35 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds in his return to the lineup, Russell Westbrook had 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists and the Denver Nuggets beat the Brooklyn Nets 124-105 on Friday night.

It was the 145th career triple-double for Jokic, who missed Denver's previous two games due to an illness.

It was Westbrook's 202nd career triple-double. It was the second time this season they have had triple-doubles in the same game, and according to the NBA they are the first teammates in NBA history to have triple-doubles in the same game multiple times in a single season.

Westbrook has the most career NBA triple-doubles and Jokic is third. Oscar Robertson is second with 181.

Ben Simmons played for the first time since Jan. 1 and had 10 points and six assists for Brooklyn, which has dropped four straight and 12 of its last 15. Keon Johnson had 22 points and Tyrese Martin had 19 points for Brooklyn.

The Nuggets used a late second-quarter run to take the lead for good, then opened the second half with a 25-9 spurt that made it 90-68.

The Nets got within 97-92 before Denver pulled away.

Takeaways

Nets: Played with just eight players against Detroit on Wednesday but Simmons returned from a four-game absence. Cam Johnson (right ankle sprain) and D’Angelo Russell (right shin contusion) are still out.

Nuggets: Jamal Murray didn’t play in the second half due to right knee soreness. Jokic entered Friday leading the NBA in scoring at 31.5 points a game.

Key moment

Johnson’s corner 3-pointer made it 101-95 midway through the fourth but Denver recovered and went on a 16-5 run to lead 117-100 with 2:48 left.

Key stat

The Nuggets committed nine turnovers by 2:09 into the second quarter and just five in the last 35:51.

Up next

The Nets continue their six-game road trip at Utah on Sunday night. The Nuggets play two straight games in Dallas, starting Sunday.

Josh Allen won't be the only athletic and elusive QB when the Bills host Bo Nix, Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Josh Allen won't be the only athletic, elusive, mobile quarterback at Highmark Stadium this weekend when the Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos in an AFC wild-card game.

Rookie Bo Nix reminds plenty of observers of a young Josh Allen, including some members of the Bills coaching staff.

"He’s the real deal,” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said. “Not only can he hurt you with his arm, he can hurt you with his legs. I think he’s a smart player. I think he’s a poised player. I think you see command, and it’s not too big for him, you know. So I think you see all those things and, you know, he’s definitely a handful, that’s for sure.

“And you know, I think what you’ve seen as the season’s gone on, as we’ve seen a maturation process like any rookie would have and to where the game’s slowing down for him and he’s in more control."

Nix didn't quite put up numbers like the All-Pro Allen did this season, but he came close.

Nix had more passing yards than Allen (3,775 to 3,731), more touchdown throws (29-28) and a better completion percentage (66.3 to 63.6). But he was sacked twice as much as Allen (12) was and he threw a dozen interceptions to Allen's six.

Nix is fleet of foot, too, although his 430 yards and four touchdowns pale in comparison to Allen’s 531 yards and a dozen scores.

Nix started 61 games at Auburn and Oregon, most by a quarterback in NCAA history, before the Broncos made him the 12th overall pick and the sixth quarterback selected in last April's NFL draft.

Yet, he and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels are the only ones who led their team to the playoffs. Daniels and the Washington Commanders (12-5) visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) Sunday for an NFC wild-card game.

It's Nix's surprising speed that's been a bonus to the Broncos (10-7), whose visit to Orchard Park, New York, to face the Bills (13-4) on Sunday marks their return to the playoffs after an eight-year drought.

“Maybe there’s a little bit more there than we didn’t see, because you know, he didn’t run the shuttles and everything (at the NFL scouting combine),” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “But he can run and that’s kind of spaghetti sauce sometimes when the pocket isn’t clean.”

Nix set several franchise rookie records and won several NFL honors for his performances during the season. His 29 touchdown throws were two shy of Justin Herbert's NFL rookie record.

“Bo isn’t your average rookie," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. “He comes in to work like a veteran. If no one knew that Bo was a rookie this year, and you just saw how he worked, and saw how he played on the field, no one would say, ‘That’s a rookie.’ I admire that about him. I admire that he doesn’t allow the outside circumstances or the outside noise to try to determine the type of player that he’s going to be. He has so much more."

Bills coach Sean McDermott, who has a terrific track record against young quarterbacks, concurs with Sutton that Nix isn't your typical greenhorn.

“It’s interesting because in this case he is a rookie, but I think he broke a record for the number of snaps played in the collegiate game,” McDermott said. “So he seems extremely poised for a young quarterback, and I’ve been very impressed with his mobility, his ability to extend plays. He makes a lot of plays with his arm as well, and I think they’ve got a real good one over there.”

That's exactly what Patrick Mahomes told Payton after Kansas City's 16-14 escape over Denver when a game-winning field goal try was blocked by the Chiefs as time expired.

“You got one,” Mahomes told Payton.

One special quarterback.

Although Nix has 17 starts under his belt, it's interesting to note that since 2019, the Bills are 24-3 against quarterbacks with 16 or fewer starts, and that includes last weekend's inconsequential loss to the Patriots' Drake Maye and Joe Milton.

Over those 27 games, the Bills have allowed just 18 touchdown passes, collected 77 sacks and 37 interceptions and forced four lost fumbles by QBs.

That mark includes wild-card wins over Miami's Skylar Thompson in 2022 and Pittsburgh's Mason Rudolph in 2023.

The Bills aim to add Nix to that list Sunday, while the Broncos trust Nix can lead them to an upset at Buffalo. After all, he surprised even his own head coach this season.

“To see a young guy have so much drive and passion for the game, it makes everyone around you better,” Sutton said. “For your quarterback to be the guy that has that energy, that has that juice, that comes to work every day with a smile on his face and a determination to get better, when your quarterback’s that guy, it makes everybody else in the entire building better.”