Colorado State Rams football

Colorado State Rams football
2015 Colorado State Rams football team
First season 1893 (1893)
Athletic director Joe Parker
Head coach Mike Bobo
1st year, 7–6 (.538)
Stadium Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium
Field Sonny Lubick Field
Year built 1968
Seating capacity 32,500
Field surface FieldTurf - (2006- )
Grass - (1968-2005)
Location Fort Collins, Colorado
NCAA division NCAA Division I FBS
Conference Mountain West
Division Mountain
All-time record 503–553–33 (.477)
Bowl record 7–7 (.500)
Conference titles 15
Consensus All-Americans 3[1]
Current uniform
Colors Green and Gold[2]
         
Fight song Alma Mater
Mascot CAM the Ram
Outfitter Under Armour
Rivals Colorado Buffaloes
Air Force Falcons
Wyoming Cowboys
Website CSURams.com

The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and Mountain West Conference (MW). Rams football teams have had relative success over the years, including winning or sharing the Mountain West title in 1999, 2000 and 2002.[3] Overall, the Rams are 473–521–33 (.477) (473 wins, 521 losses, and 33 ties),[4] and are 7–7 in bowl games.[5]

Home games have been played at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, located four miles west of the school's campus in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, since 1968. The upcoming 2016 season is the Rams' last at Hughes Stadium. The university is building a new on-campus venue tentatively known as Colorado State Stadium, and plans to complete it in time for the start of the 2017 season.[6] The Rams have long-standing rivalries with Colorado, Wyoming, and Air Force.

History

Colorado State football goes back 115 seasons, and experienced its most successful run in the 15 seasons under head coach Sonny Lubick (1993–2007).[7] During their history, the Rams have played in five different conferences:[8]

Success under Sonny Lubick

Since Sonny Lubick took control over the Rams as head coach in 1993, the Rams have made nine bowl appearances.[9] CSU had only two previous bowl appearances. Lubick won nearly 75% of home games in the stadium that would later bear his name, leading the team to six conference titles and a 108–74 record.[10] CSU was consistently a top 25 contender from 1994–2002, with a 79–32 record during that period and 3 top 25 finishes.[11] Lubick, conference coach of the year four times, coached former Denver Broncos Cecil Sapp and current Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Erik Pears, and All-Pro NFL linebacker Joey Porter.[12]

Fairchild era

On November 27, 2007, following significant drops in attendance and a 17–30 record over the past 4 seasons, including 3–9 in 2007,[11] CSU made the difficult and controversial decision to relieve Lubick of his head coaching duties. The school hired Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild to take the helm. Fairchild was a Rams quarterback from 1978–80, and served under Lubick as quarterback's coach and later as offensive coordinator from 1993–2000.[13] The Rams finished the regular season in fourth place in the Mountain West Conference and accepted a bid to the 2008 New Mexico Bowl on December 20, where they defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs. After the early success, the Rams had three 3–9 seasons under Fairchild. At the end of his fourth season with Colorado State, Fairchild was fired by Athletic Director Jack Graham.

McElwain era

On December 12, 2011, Graham hired Alabama's offensive coordinator Jim McElwain to replace Fairchild. McElwain's tenure started on a high note due to CSU's 22–17 comeback win over in-state rival Colorado on September 1, 2012. McElwain became the first CSU coach since Jerry Wampfler in 1970 to win his first game and the first in school history to win his debut against CU. The Rams finished 4–8 in McElwain's first year. In 2013, the Rams went 8–6 and defeated the Washington State Cougars in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Season 3 saw the Rams improve to 10–2 in the regular season, losing a key final game at Air Force on a field goal as time expired. Before the final game of the 2014 season, McElwain accepted the position of head coach for the University of Florida, becoming the first Rams football coach to leave the team for another. He did not coach the Rams through their final match, a loss. [14]

Bowl games

The CSU Rams' first bowl game was the California Raisin Bowl January 1, 1949 against Occidental College. The Rams lost 21–20 despite a tremendous performance from left half Eddie Hanna.

Under the coaching of Earle Bruce, Sonny Lubick and Steve Fairchild, the Rams have gone to a total of eleven bowl games since the 1990 football season.

Under Sonny Lubick, the Rams played in their two of their biggest bowl games to date. The first was the 1997 Holiday Bowl 35–24 victory over the Missouri Tigers while the second was the 2000 Liberty Bowl 22–17 victory over the Louisville Cardinals. During both of these winning seasons, the Rams were ranked in the top 25 football teams by both the coaches and AP polls.

In the first season under new head coach Steve Fairchild, the CSU Rams were able to beat Fresno State 40–25 in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl. During this game, running back Gartrell Johnson rushed for 285 yards and received five passes for 90 yards for a total of 375 yards, setting an FBS record for most combined rushing and receiving yards in a bowl game.

Under Jim McElwain's second year of coaching the Rams, CSU went to the New Mexico Bowl. On December 21, 2013, the CSU Rams faced the Washington State Cougars. In one of the most memorable comebacks of the decade, the Rams were able to score 18 points in the last 4 minutes of regulation game play to defeat the Cougars 48–45.[15]

Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in 2006
Year Coach Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Skyline Athletic Conference (1938–1962)
1949 Bob Davis 8–3 8–2 2nd L Raisin
Western Athletic Conference (1968–1998)
1990 Earle Bruce 9–4 6–1 2nd W Freedom
1994 Sonny Lubick 10–2 7–1 1st L Holiday 14 16
1995 Sonny Lubick 8–4 6–2 1st–T L Holiday
1997 Sonny Lubick 11–2 7–1 1st W Holiday 16 17
WAC: 2–2
Mountain West Conference (1999–Present)
1999 Sonny Lubick 8–4 5–2 1st–T L Liberty
2000 Sonny Lubick 10–2 6–1 1st W Liberty 15 14
2001 Sonny Lubick 10–4 5–2 2nd W New Orleans
2002 Sonny Lubick 10–4 6–1 1st L Liberty
2003 Sonny Lubick 7–6 4–3 3rd L San Francisco
2005 Sonny Lubick 6–6 5–3 2nd–T L Poinsettia
2008 Steve Fairchild 7–6 4–4 5th W New Mexico
2013 Jim McElwain 8–6 5–3 3rd (Mountain Division) W New Mexico
2014 Jim McElwain/Dave Baldwin 10–3 6–2 T–2nd (Mountain Division) L Las Vegas
2015 Mike Bobo 7–5 5–3 T–2nd (Mountain Division) L Arizona
MWC: 4–6
Total: 6–9
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl.
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll.

Rivalries

Colorado

The game between Colorado State and in-state rival Colorado, now dubbed the Rocky Mountain Showdown, began in 1893. The rivalry series was continued annually until 1958, then was resurrected in 1983. Since 1998, the game has been held mostly in Denver.[16] Since moving to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, the teams have consistently played before the largest crowds in state history to witness a college sporting event. On August 31, 2009, Colorado State and Colorado signed a 10-year contract extension of the Rocky Mountain Showdown which brought the game back to Denver's Sports Authority Field at Mile High from 2010 to 2019. The 2020 game is scheduled to be played at Colorado State Stadium, the upcoming replacement for Hughes Stadium. Colorado leads the series 62–22–2.

Wyoming

The rivalry between Colorado State and Wyoming, another member of the Mountain West Conference, is the longest rivalry in each school's history and also known as the "Border War" or "Battle for the Bronze Boot". The rivalry began in 1899. Since 1968, the schools have battled for possession of the Bronze Boot traveling trophy. The bronzed battle boot was worn in Vietnam by Colorado State alumnus Dan Romero. The boot is currently held by Colorado State after their victory over Wyoming in October 2013. Colorado State leads the series 57–44–5.

CSU battles Air Force in October 2003

Air Force

The Ram–Falcon Trophy originated in 1980 to highlight the rivalry between Colorado State and the Falcons of the U.S. Air Force Academy, another Mountain West Conference member in Colorado that is in Colorado Springs. The wood-carved trophy was produced by local artist Bill Wrage. The Air Force ROTC detachment on the CSU campus initiated the creation of the trophy. Air Force leads the series 32–20–1.

All-time record vs. Mountain West teams

Opponent Won Lost Tied Percentage Streak First Last
Air Force 21 32 1 .398 Won 1 1957 2015
Boise State 0 5 0 .000 Lost 5 2011 2015
Fresno State 8 5 0 .615 Won 1 1992 2015
Hawaii 14 9 0 .609 Won 6 1925 2014
Nevada 11 3 0 .833 Lost 1 1974 2015
New Mexico 38 25 0 .603 Won 6 1935 2015
San Diego State 13 20 0 .394 Lost 5 1978 2015
San Jose State 4 4 0 .500 Won 2 1961 2014
UNLV 15 6 1 .705 Won 2 1978 2015
Utah State 37 33 2 .521 Lost 1 1902 2015
Wyoming 58 44 5 .565 Won 3 1899 2015
Totals 219 185 9 .541

Logos and uniforms

Uniform colors for the period 2003 through 2010 are pictured below:

Colorado State's uniforms worn from 2003 to 2009
Colorado State wore a 1940s-era colored throwback uniform for games against Idaho and BYU in 2010

Notable players

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Players in the NFL Draft

Key

B Back K Kicker NT Nose tackle
C Center LB Linebacker FB Fullback
DB Defensive back P Punter HB Halfback
DE Defensive end QB Quarterback WR Wide receiver
DT Defensive tackle RB Running back G Guard
E End T Offensive tackle TE Tight end
Year Round Pick in round Overall pick Player Team Position
2014 2 11 43 Weston Richburg Giants C
2014 3 35 99 Crockett Gillmore Ravens TE
2010 6 18 187 Shelley Smith Texans G
2009 4 34 134 Gartrell Johnson Chargers RB
2007 5 34 171 Clint Oldenburg Patriots T
2006 7 43 251 David Anderson Texans WR
2005 6 24 198 Joel Dreessen Jets TE
2004 6 27 192 Dexter Wynn Eagles DB
2004 7 49 250 Bradlee Van Pelt Broncos QB
2004 7 54 255 Andre Sommersell Raiders LB
2001 4 22 117 John Howell Buccaneers DB
2001 6 25 188 Rick Crowell Dolphins LB
2000 5 8 137 Clark Haggans Steelers LB
2000 7 30 236 Erik Olson Jaguars DB
1999 3 12 73 Joey Porter Steelers DE
1999 3 27 88 Anthony Cesario Jaguars G
1999 5 27 160 Jason Craft Jaguars DB
1999 6 17 186 Darran Hall Oilers WR
1998 7 43 232 Moses Moreno Bears QB
1997 6 9 172 Calvin Branch Raiders RB
1996 3 9 70 Brady Smith Saints DE
1996 4 25 120 Sean Moran Bills DE
1996 5 12 144 Greg Myers Bengals DB
1996 5 24 156 Ray Jackson Bills DB
1992 7 9 177 Selwyn Jones Browns DB
1987 1 6 6 Kelly Stouffer Cardinals QB
1987 6 3 143 Steve Bartalo Buccaneers RB
1987 7 21 189 Steve DeLine 49ers K
1986 3 11 66 Terry Unrein Chargers DE
1985 4 26 110 Keli McGregor Broncos TE
1985 12 13 321 Harper LeBel Chiefs C
1984 5 18 130 Kevin Call Colts T
1984 6 18 158 Terry Nugent Browns QB
1981 6 13 151 Bobby Bowes Coach 1981 10 22 270 Larry Jones Oilers RB
1980 5 19 129 Keith Lee Bills DB
1980 8 5 198 Dupree Branch Cardinals DB
1979 1 2 2 Mike Bell Chiefs DE
1979 4 20 102 Mark Bell Seahawks TE
1979 5 20 130 Mark Bell Cardinals WR
1979 11 17 292 Bill Leer Falcons C
1978 2 12 40 Al Baker Lions DE
1978 7 14 180 Cliff Featherstone Chargers DB
1978 8 13 207 Mark Nichols Raiders DE
1978 9 18 240 Mike Deutsch Vikings P
1978 11 21 299 Ron Harris Vikings RB
1977 3 21 77 Keith King Chargers DB
1976 1 26 26 Kevin McLain Rams LB
1976 8 11 220 Jerome Dove Raiders DB
1976 11 1 292 Melvin Washington Buccaneers DB
1976 13 21 368 Dan O'Rourke Oilers WR
1976 13 25 372 Gary Paulson Vikings DE
1976 13 27 374 Mark Driscoll Cowboys QB
1975 1 25 25 Mark Mullaney Vikings DE
1975 2 1 27 Al Simpson Giants T
1975 7 1 157 Kim Jones Colts RB
1975 12 16 302 Willie Miller Oilers WR
1975 14 23 361 John Graham Dolphins QB
1975 16 17 407 Pete Clark Cowboys TE
1974 9 25 233 Jim Kennedy Redskins TE
1974 11 9 269 Greg Battle 49ers DB
1973 4 14 92 Perry Smith Raiders DB
1973 11 22 282 Gerald Caswell Cowboys G
1972 3 18 70 Lawrence McCutcheon Rams RB
1972 3 21 73 Jim White Patriots DE
1971 11 21 281 Phil Webb Lions DB
1970 11 20 280 Earlie Thomas Jets DB
1969 5 10 114 Bill Kishman Redskins DB
1969 6 17 147 Terry Swarn Chargers WR
1969 16 24 414 Floyd Kerr Cowboys DB
1968 3 6 61 Jon Henderson Steelers DB
1968 7 2 167 Oscar Reed Vikings WR
1968 8 12 204 Al Lavan Eagles DB
1968 10 2 248 Mike Tomasini Falcons DT
1968 15 10 391 Jim Oliver Lions RB
1968 17 16 451 Gene Layton Bears DT
1964 15 3 199 Dick Evers Redskins T
1961 18 10 248 Kay McFarland 49ers RB
1961 20 8 274 Leo Reed Cardinals E
1960 11 4 124 Jim Eifrid Redskins C
1960 14 6 162 Brady Keyes Steelers DB
1959 12 4 136 Ron Stehouwer Lions T
1959 23 2 266 Freddie Glick Cardinals DB
1956 1 1 1 Gary Glick Steelers QB
1956 7 2 75 Larry Barnes 49ers B
1956 10 3 112 Jerry Zaleski 49ers B
1955 23 7 272 Jerry Callahan Giants B
1954 15 12 181 Kirk Hinderlider Lions E
1964 30 1 350 Alex Burl Cardinals B
1953 26 7 308 Harvey Achziger Eagles T
1952 22 8 261 Jim David Lions E
1951 6 5 67 Dale Dodrill Steelers G
1951 6 7 69 Jack Christiansen Lions DB
1950 2 13 27 Thurman McGraw Lions T
1949 19 7 188 Bob Hainlen Redskins B
1944 8 5 70 Roy Clay Giants B
1943 18 1 161 Chet Maeda Lions B
1943 24 3 223 Lou Dent Dodgers B[17]

Future Non-Conference Opponents

Announced schedules as of August 27, 2015

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
vs Colorado (at Denver, CO) vs Colorado (at Denver, CO) vs Colorado (at Denver, CO) vs Colorado at Denver, CO) vs Colorado
vs UTSA at Alabama vs UTEP
at Minnesota at Florida
vs Northern Colorado

[18]

References

  1. ↑ "NCAA Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2014. pp. 13–18. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Colorado State Football Quick Facts" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-03-28.
  3. ↑ "Colorado State University 2007 Season Review." McGraw Athletic Center, Fort Collins, CO. Release No. 13, 12/31/07. Pg 16.
  4. ↑ "Colorado State Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  5. ↑ "Colorado State Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  6. ↑ White, Rob (September 12, 2015). "CSU breaks ground on new football stadium". Coloradoan (Fort Collins, CO). Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  7. ↑ CFB Data Warehouse - Colorado State - yearly results - accessed 2009-10-05
  8. ↑ CFB Data Warehouse - Colorado State - accessed 2009-10-05
  9. ↑ Fairchild, Rams Seek Return to College Football's National Scene. Associated Press, ESPN.com. Accessed March 5, 2008
  10. ↑ "Colorado State University 2007 Season Review." McGraw Athletic Center, Fort Collins, CO. Release No. 13, 12/31/07. Pg 14.
  11. 1 2 Lyell, Kelly. "If He's Done Coaching, Lubick Will Be Missed." Fort Collins Coloradoan, 12/07.
  12. ↑ Meisler, Natalie. "Lubick Leaving Legacy." The Denver Post. 11/27/07.
  13. ↑ "Bills Offensive Coordinator to Be CSU Head Coach". Associated Press, 12/12/07. ESPN.com, accessed March 5, 2008.
  14. ↑ Frei, Terry (4 December 2014). "Jim McElwain leaves CSU, named Florida head football coach". Denver Post (Denver Post). Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  15. ↑ O'Keefe, Katie (2013-12-21). "CSU Football WagesComeback to Defeat Washington State in New Mexico Bowl". Collegian. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  16. ↑ "Colorado versus Colorado State". sports-reference.com/cfb. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ DraftHistory.com
  18. ↑ "Colorado State Rams Football Schedules and Future Schedules". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2012-02-25.

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