There’s a secret to the play that still has many Colorado fans buzzing. In the Buffs’ 2017 home opener — a blowout win against Texas State — cornerback Isaiah Oliver chased down receiver Elijah King on a deep ball up the middle. Oliver leaped over King’s head to tip the ball to himself, intercept it with one hand, and then —in a split second — turn his body 180 degrees to begin a full sprint for a 41-yard return.



“How good is that?!” the Pac-12 Network’s Jim Watson yelled in disbelief on the telecast. “That’s why that guy is going to play in the NFL.”



But there’s more to this story.



“It was a lot like the Colorado State play the week before, against Michael Gallup,” Oliver said.



In the Rocky Mountain Showdown at the Broncos’ stadium, Oliver had the not-so-small task of trying to shut down Gallup, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound receiver with a physicality to...