Colorado State Rams football

Colorado State Rams
Current season
First season	1893
Athletic director	Paul Kowalczyk
Head coach	Steve Fairchild
	1st year, 7–6
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
Past conferences	WAC - (1968-98) Independent - (1962-67) Skyline - (1938-61) RMAC - (1909-37)[1]
All-time record	468–508–33 (.480)
Postseason bowl record	5–7
Conference titles	15
Consensus All-Americans	2[2]
Current uniform
Colors	Green and Gold
Fight song	Alma Mater
Mascot	CAM the Ram
Nickname	Rams
Rivals	Colorado Buffaloes, Wyoming Cowboys, Air Force Falcons
Website	CSU Rams

The Colorado State University Rams football program, established in 1893, is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference (MWC) under first-year 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.^[3] Home games are played at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, located four miles west of the school's campus, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Early 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).^[4]

Success under Sonny Lubick

Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in 2006

Since Sonny Lubick took control over the Rams as head coach in 1993, the Rams have made nine bowl appearances.^[5] 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.^[6] CSU was consistently a top 25 contender from 1994-2002, with a 79-32 record during that period and 3 top 25 finishes.^[7] Lubick, conference coach of the year four times, coached current Denver Broncos Cecil Sapp and Erik Pears, and all-pro NFL linebacker Joey Porter.^[8]

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,^[7] 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.^[9] 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 just 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.

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 2003

Ram-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.

Mascots and pageantry

The A

The prominent white "A" displayed on the foothills overlooking Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium is the oldest ongoing tradition associated with CSU. The "A" stands for Aggies. The "A" evolved after World War I, when a trend began among colleges to display the school insignia on a hill near campus. At a special assembly on Dec. 4, 1923, the students of the State Agricultural College (as CSU was then known) agreed it was time to erect such an emblem. A group of military volunteers formed the "AL" club and donated vehicles for transporting supplies, and female students provided food for the workers.

CSU lines up against Navy in 2005

The college declared December 12 a special holiday, and students worked from that morning until mid-afternoon to form the "A." Construction was completed in just six hours. One small detail was missing: the school didn't own the land on which the insignia sat. The college and governing board members met with landowner R.G. Maxwell and negotiated a long-term lease for the sum of $1.

The following year, students lengthened and widened the "A" to its present size of 450 feet high and 210 feet across. For many years, the class carried out the annual tradition of whitewashing the "A." Today, the "A" is an official landmark. Each fall, various fraternity members and new freshmen on the football team join forces to give the "A" a fresh coat of white paint.

During that annual tradition, students have the opportunity to hike to the "A." Before the hike begins, students are given a small white pebble to carry with them. The half-mile hike takes students on a scenic trek leading them to the tip of the "A" where they are met by members of the Student Alumni Connection and learn about the significance of the "A." As students prepare to make their descent back down the hill, they are encouraged to reflect upon the mark they will leave at CSU and are asked to each leave their pebble as a symbol of that mark.

CAM the Ram

The official mascot of Colorado State University is CAM the Ram. His name reflects CSU history in that the letters of his name stand for Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College, the university's former name. The current CAM is a Rambouillet Ram and the 22nd CAM to serve Colorado State. He travels to cheer on the Rams football team and has his own troop of student "Ram Handlers" and a traveling trailer and a traveling trailer.

Was there life before CAM? Yes, and even before the Aggies. The school's first mascot was an English bulldog named Peanuts. Later, in 1919, a black bear cub became the mascot for a short while, but throughout most of the Aggies era, the University had no mascot at all

Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Jack Christiansen

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Colorado State University

• Official Athletics website of Colorado State University
• Complete unofficial list of CSU football schedules and results (1902-present)

References