- Colorado State Rams football
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Colorado State Rams football 
Current season
First season 1893 Athletic director Paul Kowalczyk Head coach Steve Fairchild 4th year, 13–24 (.351) Home stadium Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium Field Sonny Lubick Field Year built 1968 Stadium capacity 34,400 Stadium surface FieldTurf - (2006- )
Grass - (1968-2005)Location Fort Collins, Colorado League NCAA Division I FBS Conference Mountain West All-time record 477–530–33 (.475) Postseason bowl record 5–7 Conference titles 15 Consensus All-Americans 2[1] Current uniform 
Colors Green and Gold Fight song Alma Mater Mascot CAM the Ram Nickname Rams Rivals Colorado Buffaloes
Wyoming Cowboys
Air Force FalconsWebsite CSU Rams 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 the Mountain West Conference (MWC) under head coach Steve Fairchild. Rams football teams have met with relative success over the years, including winning or sharing the Mountain West title in 1999, 2000 and 2002.[2] Overall, the Rams are a 473–521–33 (.477) (473 wins, 521 losses, and 33 ties),[3] and are 5–7 in bowl games.[4]
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 Rams have long-standing rivalries with Colorado, Wyoming, and Air Force.
Contents
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).[5] During their history, the Rams have played in five different conferences.[6]
- 1892–1892: Independent
- 1893–1908: Colorado Football Association
- 1909–1937: RMAC (previously named Colorado Football Association)
- 1938–1961: Skyline
- 1962–1967: Independent
- 1968–1998: WAC
- 1999–present: Mountain West Conference.
Success under Sonny Lubick
Since Sonny Lubick took control over the Rams as head coach in 1993, the Rams have made nine bowl appearances.[7] 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 an overall record of 108-74.[8] CSU was consistently a top 25 contender from 1994–2002, with a 79-32 record during that period and 3 top 25 finishes.[9] Lubick, conference coach of the year four times, coached current Denver Broncos Cecil Sapp and Erik Pears, and all-pro NFL linebacker Joey Porter.[10]
Fairchild Era
Main article: 2008 Colorado State Rams football teamOn November 27, 2007, following significant drops in attendance and a 17–30 record over the past 4 seasons, including 3–9 in 2007,[9] 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.[11] 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.
Bowl Results
Under the coaching of Earle Bruce, Sonny Lubick and Steve Fairchild, the CSU Rams have gone to a total of eleven bowl games since the 1990 football season.
Under Sonny Lubick, the CSU 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 CSU Rams were ranked in the top 25 football teams by both the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll.
In the first season under new head coach Steve Fairchild, the CSU Rams were able to beat the Fresno State 40–25 in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl. During this game, running back Gartrell Johnson rushed for over 286 yards and received five passes for 90 yards setting a record for the second most all-purpose yards ever in a single FBS bowl game.
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in 2006
Year Coach Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP° 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 MWC: 3–4 Total: 5–6 National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title †Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll. Rivalries
Rocky Mountain Showdown
Eight times since 1998, Colorado State and in-state rival Colorado have faced one another in the annual football battle in Denver at Invesco Field at Mile High. The rivalry started in 1893 and was played annually until 1958. After being resurrected in 1984, the game moved to Denver in 1998. Since moving to Invesco 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 will bring the game back to Invesco Field at Mile High from 2010 to 2019. The game is scheduled to be played at Hughes Stadium in 2020.
Border War
The Border War featuring CSU and Wyoming - the longest rivalry in each school's history - dates back to 1893. Since 1968, the schools have battled for possession of the Bronze Boot traveling trophy. The bronzed battle boot was worn in Vietnam by CSU alumnus Dan Romero.
CSU battles Air Force in October 2003Ram-Falcon Trophy
The Ram-Falcon Trophy originated in 1980 to highlight the series between CSU and the U.S. Air Force Academy, located 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.
Logos and uniforms
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 2010Pro Football Hall of Fame
References
- ^ "NCAA Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2010. pp. 12–17. Retrieved September 6, 2010.
- ^ "Colorado State University 2007 Season Review." McGraw Athletic Center, Fort Collins, CO. Release No. 13, 12/31/07. Pg 16.
- ^ "Colorado State Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/mountainwest/colorado_state/coaching_records.php. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- ^ "Colorado State Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/mountainwest/colorado_state/bowl_history.php. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- ^ CFB Data Warehouse - Colorado State - yearly results - accessed 2009-10-05
- ^ CFB Data Warehouse - Colorado State - accessed 2009-10-05
- ^ Fairchild, Rams Seek Return to College Football's National Scene. Associated Press, ESPN.com. Accessed March 5, 2008
- ^ "Colorado State University 2007 Season Review." McGraw Athletic Center, Fort Collins, CO. Release No. 13, 12/31/07. Pg 14.
- ^ a b Lyell, Kelly. "If He's Done Coaching, Lubick Will Be Missed." Fort Collins Coloradoan, 12/07.
- ^ Meisler, Natalie. "Lubick Leaving Legacy." The Denver Post. 11/27/07.
- ^ "Bills Offensive Coordinator to Be CSU Head Coach". Associated Press, 12/12/07. ESPN.com, accessed March 5, 2008.
External links
Mountain West Conference football Air Force Falcons • Boise State Broncos • Colorado State Rams • New Mexico Lobos • San Diego State Aztecs • TCU Horned Frogs • UNLV Rebels • Wyoming Cowboys
Categories:- Colorado State Rams football
- Sports clubs established in 1893
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