A History of Colorado State Football

The Colorado State Rams football program has a long and storied history, representing Colorado State University in intercollegiate competition. As a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Mountain West Conference, the Rams have cultivated rivalries and traditions that span over a century. Currently, the team is under the leadership of head coach Jay Norvell, who was appointed in December 2021.

Early Years and Formation

The seeds of Colorado State football were sown in 1892. On December 12th, a student named F.O. Congdon, along with 18 fellow students out of the 179 enrolled at Colorado Agricultural College, established the institution's inaugural American football team. Their aim was to engage in competition with other schools in the region.

Following the Christmas break, the team arranged a match against Longmont Academy, a small private school that combined aspects of a college and a high school. This game, held on January 7, 1893, in Longmont, Colorado, marked the first official football game for both schools.

In these early years, the team competed without a formal head coach. However, in 1894, Colorado Agricultural College President Alston Ellis made the decision to disband the team after just one game into the season.

The Program's Revival and Early Coaching

The football program was reinstated in 1899 following Ellis's departure. The university appointed 25-year-old W. J. Forbes, a graduate of the University of Vermont, as the program's first official head coach.

An early rivalry with Wyoming was marked by controversy. During a game, a Colorado Agricultural official, Edward House, accused Wyoming official E.D. McArthur and the Wyoming team of not adhering to the rulebook, leading to a forfeit by Wyoming. This incident prompted Colorado Agricultural President Barton Aylesworth to declare a ban on athletic competitions with Wyoming until a written apology was received. Although the two schools resumed playing the following year, the animosity between the programs has persisted.

Tragedy struck the program when head coach W. J. Forbes died in an accident on June 18, 1900, before the start of the season. George Toomey replaced Forbes, leading the Rams to a 1-3 record in 1900.

The Harry Hughes Era: A Golden Age

Harry Hughes took over as athletic director and head football coach at Colorado Agricultural University in 1911. He transformed a struggling team into a conference-winning powerhouse by 1915. Hughes also oversaw the construction of Colorado Field, which was the first sodded football field in Colorado.

Under Hughes, the Aggies won eight Rocky Mountain Conference championships in 1915, 1916, 1919, 1920, 1925, 1927, 1933, and 1934. Hughes served on the NCAA National Rules Committee from 1926 until his retirement. He coached football from 1911 to 1941 and remained athletic director until 1953.

Hughes earned the nickname "Dean of American Football Coaches" for his long tenure at one school. Known for his fairness and sportsmanship, Hughes was a strict disciplinarian who developed the "Million Dollar Play" in 1914. This triple pass play, based on the single wing formation, brought national recognition to his teams.

The Julius Wagner Years

Wagner was the head football coach for Colorado State from 1942 to 1946.

The Bob Davis Era: Post-War Success

Bob Davis took the helm and utilized the "T" formation, along with veterans returning from World War II, to transform a 2-7 Aggies team in 1946 into an 8-2 team in 1948, finishing second in the Skyline Conference.

In 1949, Colorado A&M (as the school was then known) participated in the Raisin Bowl in Fresno, California, against Occidental College, losing 21-20 in the final moments. Davis's 1949 team achieved a 9-1 record and another second-place finish.

Davis emphasized classroom learning, using practice and game films to enhance his players' performance. Several of his players, including Dale Dodrill, Thurman "Fum" McGraw, Jim David, Don Burroughs, Jack Christiansen, Alex Burl, and Gary Glick, went on to play in the National Football League. Three of his players-Thurman "Fum" McGraw (1948, 1949), Harvey Achziger (1952), and Gary Glick (1955)-earned All-American honors.

Davis's 1955 team won the Skyline Conference championship, but he resigned to focus on his duties as athletic director.

Read also: The history of Colorado Mesa

The Mike Lude Era

Mike Lude, a line coach from Delaware, succeeded Mullison. Under Lude, Colorado State compiled a record of 29-51-1. In 1962, the Rams repeated their 0-10 record from the previous year. In 1963, Lude led the Rams to a 3-7 record with victories over Pacific, UTEP, and Montana. In 1964, the Rams achieved their best record under Lude to that point, a 5-6 mark. In 1965, CSU finished 4-6. The best season of the Lude era came in 1966, with a record of 7-3 that included wins over South Dakota State, Utah State, and Air Force.

The John Wampfler Years

In 1970, the Rams finished with a 4-7 record. The team started the season with a win over New Mexico State but then lost six straight games to Arizona State, Iowa State, Air Force, Wyoming, UTEP, and West Virginia. In Wampfler's second season, Colorado State went 3-8. The Rams lost their first eight games of the season to BYU, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona State, Utah, Air Force, Utah State, and Wichita State. The Rams finished the season on a three-game winning streak, defeating West Texas A&M, UTEP, and New Mexico State. In 1972, Wampfler's Rams finished with a 1-10 record. CSU lost their first nine games of the season - losing three of the first four without scoring a single point - to Arizona, Iowa State, West Texas A&M, Utah State, and Air Force.

The Sark Arslanian Era

Arslanian led the Rams to a 5-6 record in his first season. After losing to Arizona to start the season, the Rams defeated BYU and New Mexico State. State then lost to Arizona State before defeating Idaho. After losses to Utah State and Wyoming, Colorado State scored 76 points in a dominant win against UTEP then defeated Toledo. Arslanian's Rams closed the season with losses to Air Force and Wyoming. In Arslanian's third season, the Rams finished 6-5. The Rams kicked off the season against Texas, losing the contest. CSU then reeled off four straight wins, defeating BYU, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Oregon State. The Rams lost to Arizona State before defeating Air Force, losing to Tennessee, beating UTEP, and losing to Wyoming. The highlight of the Arslanian era came in 1977, when the Rams beat all odds and compiled a 9-2-1 record, their first such season in years. Despite the success, the Rams didn't get a bowl invite that season. In 1979, CSU went 4-7-1. The team's wins that season were over Wyoming, UTEP, San Diego State, and Air Force. In 1980, Arslanian led the Rams to a 6-4-1 record for his fourth winning season at CSU. That season, CSU defeated Air Force, Arizona, New Mexico, San Diego State, Wyoming, and UTEP. A poor start to the 1981 season cost Arslanian his job.

The Leon Fuller Years

Leon Fuller, a Texas defensive coordinator, took over the Rams football program in 1982. In Fuller's first season, the Rams finished 4-7. That year, CSU defeated Wyoming, New Mexico State, Air Force, and UTEP. In 1983, Fuller led the Rams to a 5-7 record. Wins that year included Utah, San Diego State, UTEP, New Mexico, and Northern Colorado. Fuller's third season saw the Rams finish 3-8. Colorado State defeated Hawaii, New Mexico, and UTEP. 1985 brought a 5-7 record with wins over UTEP, New Mexico, Wyoming, Southern Miss, and Utah. Losses included Colorado, LSU, San Diego State, BYU, Air Force, Hawaii, and Wyoming.

The Earle Bruce Era

The Bruce era began in 1989, which resulted with the Rams compiling a 5-5-1 record. After losing the season opener to Tennessee and the second game to Colorado, the Rams defeated Cal State Fullerton then tied Eastern Michigan. After losing to Air Force, CSU defeated New Mexico then lost to BYU. The Rams then defeated Hawaii and Utah the next two weeks. A loss to Wyoming and a shutout win over UTEP concluded the season. In his second season, Bruce led the Rams to a 9-4 record and a victory over Oregon in the Freedom Bowl, their first bowl appearance since 1948 and their first bowl victory ever.

The Sonny Lubick Era: A Time of Transformation

Sonny Lubick's arrival marked a turning point for the Colorado State football program. Lubick made the Rams respectable fairly quickly. In his first season, the Rams overcame a 1-4 start to finish the season 5-6. While Lubick had the Rams going in the right direction, he took the Rams to heights the program had never previously seen in 1994. Led by a defense that featured future NFL players Sean Moran and Brady Smith, They rolled to a then school-best 7-0 start, including a shocking 21-16 upset over Colorado. The streak ended with a 45-31 shootout loss to undefeated Utah before a then-record crowd of 39,107 at Hughes Stadium. The Rams recovered to win their final three games, including a dramatic 44-42 comeback win at Fresno State that sealed CSU's first ever outright WAC championship and first-ever trip to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Lubick's Rams followed up their breakout campaign in 1994 with a strong 1995 season. The Rams sputtered again to start 1997, losing 31-21 to archrival Colorado after leading at halftime and falling to Air Force 24-0 a week later. However, the Rams did not lose again that season. Prior to the 1999 season, Colorado State and seven other WAC schools, upset over conference expansion that threatened to balloon travel costs and break up longstanding regional rivalries, broke away from the conference and formed a new league, the Mountain West Conference. But 1999 would be memorable for Ram fans for another reason. Historically, the Rams had never been able to get the better of Colorado. Even with his success in rebuilding the program, Lubick had gone 0-3 in his first three games against Colorado. On September 4 the game, dubbed the Rocky Mountain Showdown, was played at a neutral site, Mile High Stadium in Denver for the second straight year, and the Rams were once again considered underdogs against the ranked Buffaloes. However, behind 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns from McDougal, the Rams blew out the Buffaloes 41-14, marking the first time in 13 years that CSU had beaten their in-state rivals. The victory was seen by many as the final step in CSU's ascension to legitimacy. Victories over Wyoming and Air Force also completed the "Front Range" sweep, and the Rams finished 8-4 again, this time tying for the Mountain West title. In 2000, Lubick's Rams, led primarily by Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year Matt Newton, defeated Colorado for the second straight season by a score of 28-24. The victory was the catalyst for a 10-2 season that included an outright Mountain West title and a 22-17 Liberty Bowl victory over Louisville. With the graduation of several key seniors, and the preseason loss of starting running back Cecil Sapp to injury, Lubick faced a rebuilding year in 2001. 2001 was also notable for the emergence of quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt. A transfer from Michigan State, Van Pelt's dual threat capability as a running and passing quarterback would make him a two-time conference player of the year. But it was his game in 2002 against Colorado that made Van Pelt a cult hero in Fort Collins. After losing to CU in 2001, Van Pelt and the Rams, bolstered by the return of Sapp, went into their Rocky Mountain Showdown heavy underdogs against a Buffaloes team ranked sixth in the nation. Trailing 14-13 late in the fourth quarter, Van Pelt broke loose on a 26-yard touchdown run. As he neared the goal line, Van Pelt turned and spiked the football off of CU cornerback Roderick Sneed's helmet as he scored what would be the game-winning touchdown. Following the game, Van Pelt called CU "the sorriest sixth-ranked team in the nation he had ever faced". It was the second biggest upset in school history, and further added to Van Pelt's following in Fort Collins. Though the outspoken quarterback occasionally gave Lubick problems, the 2002 season would be another banner season. The 2003 Ram football team was considered by many to be the best team in Lubick's tenure, if not all of CSU history, prior to the season. Although it was not apparent at the time, Lubick's tenure had crested. With Van Pelt gone, CSU faced another rebuilding year in 2004. The 2005 season started once again with another devastating loss at Colorado on September 3. Leading 21-10 after three quarters, three interceptions allowed CU to tie the game, and Mason Crosby kicked a game-winning 47-yard field goal with five seconds left to give the Buffs a 31-28 win. This time the Rams regrouped. Following the 2005 season, Lubick signed a three-year contract extension that would have made him CSU's coach through the 2009 season. It was the second contract extension Lubick received at CSU. Unfortunately, the Lubick family was dealt a difficult blow in the off-season. The Rams entered the 2006 season with high hopes, but on and off field problems quickly beset the program. Despite these losses, however, the Rams started the 2006 season strong. On September 9, after three years of frustratingly close losses, the Rams defeated their in-state rival CU by a score of 14-10 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. After dropping a 28-10 decision at Nevada the following week, CSU rebounded with a road win at Fresno State and a homecoming win against UNLV to go to 4-1. Playing at in-state rival Air Force on October 12, the Rams opened up a 21-3 halftime lead and appeared to be well on their way to a fifth victory. However, the Falcons rallied for 21 unanswered points and came back to defeat CSU 24-21. The loss was the beginning of one of the worst slides in Lubick's tenure. The following week Colorado State was shut out 24-0 at Wyoming in the annual Border War series. Home losses to New Mexico and BYU followed, and the Rams ultimately never recovered. Lubick's 14th season got an immediate boost with the return of Bell. With their all-conference halfback in the fold, as well as the most seniors returning in Lubick's tenure, the Rams had a team that figured to rebound from the dismal 2006 season. But a difficult early schedule challenged CSU. Following the CU loss, Colorado State faced one of its most daun….

Recent Years

The Colorado State Rams football team represents Colorado State University in the Mountain West Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level in college football. Colorado State has played in over 1,000 games in over a century of play, including 17 bowl games. The following are the yearly results, game-by-game yearly results, and detailed bowl results of the team.

2025 Mountain West Standings* Utah State 1-0 (2-1)

UNLV 0-0 (3-0)
Fresno State 0-0 (3-1)
Hawai'i 0-0 (3-1)
New Mexico 0-0 (2-1)
Wyoming 0-0 (2-1)
Boise State 0-0 (1-1)
Colorado State 0-0 (1-1)
San Diego State 0-0 (1-1)
Nevada 0-0 (1-2)
San José State 0-0 (0-2)
Air Force 0-1 (1-1)

2025 Team Leaders* Passing Yards: Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (QB #16) - 312

Rushing Yards: Jalen Dupree (RB #21) - 50
Receiving Yards: Jaxxon Warren (TE #19) - 95

2025 Team Stats* Passing Yards: 160.5 (115th)

Rushing Yards: 157.5 (75th)
Points For: 21.0 (Tied-107th)
Points Against: 27.5 (100th)

2026 Recruits* Jacob McRae (OG) - Committed (Grade: 83)

Jaden Hernandez (TE-H) - Committed (Grade: 77)
Jermaine Santana-Diaz (S) - Committed (Grade: 77)
Cedric Ross (ATH) - Committed (Grade: 77)
Devin Hamilton (WR) - Committed (Grade: 77)

Awards* 2021: T. McBride - John Mackey Award

1995: G. Primus - Fred Biletnikoff Award

Canvas Stadium

The Colorado State Rams have played their home games at Canvas Stadium since 2017, marking a new chapter in the program's history. Prior to that, the team spent 49 seasons (1968-2016) at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium, creating countless memories and traditions.

Rivalries

The Colorado State Rams have cultivated several significant rivalries throughout their history, adding to the excitement and tradition of the program. Among the most notable are:

Colorado: The annual "Rocky Mountain Showdown" is a highly anticipated game that generates intense passion among fans of both schools.
Wyoming: The "Border War" is another long-standing rivalry fueled by geographic proximity and competitive history.
Air Force: Games against Air Force are always hard-fought contests, reflecting the unique challenges and traditions of service academy football.

tags: #colorado #state #football #history