CSU Football Prepares For Season Opener in Boulder

CSU vs. Colorado Release Part 1 in PDF Format
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Aug. 25, 2005

Rams Open `05 Season at Colorado Colorado State opens the 2005 football season against in-state rival Colorado Saturday, Sept. 3 in Boulder before a national television audience on TBS. Following the opener, the Rams face Minnesota in Minneapolis Sept. 10. The Rams then face Nevada in the Grand Reopening Game of Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium. Leading the returning players is WR David Anderson, a semifinalist a year ago for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver. Anderson and OT Mike Brisiel were preseason All-MWC choices. Brisiel and OC Albert Bimper enter their fourth season as starters along the offensive line. Seniors LB Courtney Jones and LB Jahmal Hall anchor the team's defense.

Rams Radio Network Rams' football is broadcast statewide on the Colorado State Sports Network presented by Nelligan Sports Marketing. Rich Bircumshaw has beent he play-by-play announcer for the past three seasons and has been a member of the network broadcast team for six seasons. Bircumshaw also handles play-by-play coverage for Colorado State's men's basketball team. Pregame coverage begins 2 hours prior to kickoff; the postgame show lasts one hour.

Coors Light Sonny Lubick Show Coach Sonny Lubick joins play-by-play announcer Rich Bircumshaw each week for a one-hour radio network call-in show. The Coors Light Sonny Lubick Show show airs each Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. (MT), originating from the Stonehouse Grill Restaurant in downtown Fort Collins. The call-in number is 866-888-5449.

Injury Report LB Luke Adkins (knee); OG Brandon Alconcel (knee); S Lukas Davis (knee); DT Shawn McGoveran (concussion); WR Dustin Osborn (collarbone); S Ben Stratton (knee-out for season); DE Terrance Carter (concussion).

Senior Quarterbacks QB Justin Holland is the sixth senior starter in Sonny Lubick's 13 seasons at CSU. The capsule for the senior signal-callers includes:

Colorado Quarterbacks Holland joins three other in-state natives to have started at quarterback for the Rams during Sonny Lubick's 13 seasons, including Ryan Eslinger, Matt Newton, and Erich Prahl.

Openers Colorado State is 51-50-2 all-time in season opening games, 8-4 under Sonny Lubick. Colorado State lost its last two season openers to Colorado, in 2003 at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver, 42-35, and last year's game in Boulder, 27-24.

Harbinger Of Success Since Sonny Lubick's arrival in Fort Collins, Colorado State has beaten in-state rival Colorado three times. In those three seasons, the Rams have averaged 9.3 wins (28-10 record), won or shared the conference title each time, and played in three bowl games. In seasons where the Rams lost to Colorado, the team averaged 7.4 victories (52-33 record), won or shared a pair of conference titles and played in four bowl games.

On The Road Colorado State was 1-4 on the road in 2004, the first time since 1993 - Sonny Lubick's first year at the CSU helm - the team did not finish with at least a .500 record away from Hughes Stadium. Prior to last season, Colorado State had a 42-21 (66.7) road record. It was also only the second time, along with 1993, the team did not win at least three road games in a season.

Series In Boulder Colorado leads the series in Boulder, 30-8-1. Colorado has won five in a row at home in the series, dating back to the Rams' 23-7 victory in 1986.

Big 12 Opponents Colorado State is 3-10 against Big 12 opponents during Sonny Lubick's 13-year tenure. All three victories have come against Colorado.

Last Win Colorado State's most recent victory over a Big 12 opponent came in 2002, a 19-14 win over Colorado at INVESCO Field at Mile High in Denver.

Last Road Win vs. Big 12 Colorado State's last road win against a Big 12 Conference member came in 1986, when the Rams won 23-7 in Boulder against Colorado.

Four 300-Passers QB Justin Holland had a career-most 403 yards passing against Colorado in last year's game, most by a Ram against the Buffs in school history. Colorado State's four 300-yard passing performances against Colorado during Sonny Lubick's tenure include:

First Year Feet Colorado State enters 2005 boasting new a new starting placekicker and punter. Annual statistics for first-year punters and kickers under Sonny Lubick include:

Rams Rushing Colorado State gained 246 rushing yards in the in-state matchup with Colorado in 2003, the most yards the Rams have gained on the ground against the Buffaloes during in nine games during Sonny Lubick's tenure. Colorado State averages 109.6 yards per game rushing overall against Colorado. In three victories, CSU has gained an average of 148.0 yards per game, and 93.1 yards in defeats.

Century Receiving WR David Anderson caught nine passes for 156 yards in last year's in-state battle, the seventh time in Sonny Lubick's 12 seasons the Rams have boasted a 100-yard receiving game against Colorado, including:

David Anderson, 2004 156 Chris Pittman, 2003 144 David Anderson, 2003 142 Pete Rebstock, 2001 103 Frank Rice, 2000 113 Darran Hall, 1997 132 Geoff Turner, 1996 157

All-Time Colorado Openers Colorado State's in-state rivalry with Colorado dates back to 1893 - the first year of competition on the Fort Collins campus. The series renews for the 77th time Sept. 3 in Boulder. The Rams are 5-11 against Colorado when the game is CSU's season-opener.

Combined Records Colorado State's 2005 opponents had a cumulative 67-61 record in 2004, including a perfect 12-0 record by Utah, which defeated Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl as the Mountain West Conference's first-ever BCS bowl game participant. Five of the 11 opponents won at least seven games.

Bowl Opponents Colorado State's 2005 schedule includes five opponents who participated in bowl games a season ago: Colorado (Houston Bowl), Minnesota (Music City Bowl), New Mexico (Emerald Bowl), Utah (Fiesta Bowl), and Wyoming (Las Vegas Bowl). All but New Mexico won postseason games last season.

Before And After Prior to QB Justin Holland's injury in 2004, WR David Anderson - who would go on to become a semifinalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award - had caught 39 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns. Once Holland was sidelined, Anderson the rest of the season caught 18 passes for 375 yards and no touchdowns.

Holland Returns Senior QB Justin Holland returns for his final season of competition. Holland, from Lakewood, Colo., was on a record-setting pace in 2004 before he suffered an ankle injury which required surgical repair in the sixth game of the season at San Diego State. He threw for 1,622 yards and six touchdowns to that point. Holland had thrown for more yards through five games than any quarterback in school history. His backup, true freshman Caleb Hanie, threw for 1,204 yards and eight touchdowns.

Two Times Turf Colorado State played one game - at Utah - on an artificial surface in 2004. In 2005, Colorado State has two games on artificial turf: at Minnesota, and at UNLV. In Sonny Lubick's 12 seasons the Rams are 10-11 all-time in games played on an artificial surface.

Special Teams Streaks Colorado State will be out to break two special team streaks in 2005. The Rams have returned 146 kickoffs without running one back for a score. The last touchdown return came Sept. 29, 2001 when Dexter Wynn scored on a kickoff return at Wyoming. Wynn was the last Ram to return a punt for a touchdown, Sept. 14, 2002 against Louisville. The Rams have since returned 84 punts without a score.

Special Teams Streaks, Part II Ram opponents, by comparison, have returned 673 kickoffs without a touchdown, dating back to Sept.10, 1988 against Hawaii.

Second Longest Coach Sonny Lubick, the winningest coach in school history, enters his 13th year at the helm in 2005. He has a record of 95-51-0, a winning percentage of 65.2. Only Harry Hughes coached more years at CSU - 31 - that Lubick. Lubick is one of but four coaches in school history with a winning percentage. Bob Davis (9 years, 54-33-2, 61.8) is second behind Lubick, followed by Hughes (31 seasons; 125-93-18, 56.8) and C.J. Griffith (3 years; 7-7-2, 50.0).

MWC Coaches Lubick is second behind Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry in terms of longevity. DeBerry has coached 20 seasons at AFA, followed by Lubick's 12. Next on the list is Rocky Long of New Mexico (8 years), TCU's Gary Patterson (3 years) San Diego State's Tom Craft (3 seasons), Joe Glenn of Wyoming (2 seasons), and first-year coaches Bronco Mendenhall of BYU, Mike Sanford of UNLV, and Utah's Kyle Whittingham, respectively.

Rams' Schedule Challenging Colorado State faced arguably the most difficult nonconference schedule in school history in 2004. The Rams played the University of Colorado in Boulder, at Southern California, and hosted Minnesota in three of the team's nonleague games. Colorado won the Big 12 Conference North Division title then lost in the championship game to Oklahoma then played in the Houston Bowl. USC won the national championship for a second year in a row by defeating Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, while Minnesota defeated Alabama in the Music City Bowl. The Rams' conference schedule also included a date at Utah, which defeated Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl, the first BCS bowl bid in Mountain West Conference history. The 2005 season offers little respite. The Rams open the season at Colorado, and two weeks later play Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Rams At Home Colorado State is 45-18 (71.4 percent) in home games during Lubick's tenure. The Rams are 24-5 (82 percent) in home nonconference games since 1993. The nonconference losses have been at the hands of Oregon (1993), Colorado (1996), Fresno State (2001), Miami of Ohio (2003), and Minnesota (2004).

Rams On The Road Colorado State is 42-26 (61.7 percent) in 68 road games since Sonny Lubick's arrival in 1993. The Rams were 1-4 on the road in 2004.

Eighteen Return Colorado State loses six departing seniors from the 2004 squad who have exhausted their playing eligibility. The Rams will welcome back 18 starters from this season's team for 2005, 10 on offense, eight on defense.

MWC Record Colorado State is 29-13 in 41 MWC games since 1999 when the conference was formed. The Rams are 15-6 at home, 14-7 on the road in MWC action.

Opening Drives Since Sonny Lubick's arrival at Colorado State in 1993, the Rams are 31-10 in games the Rams have scored on the opening drive of the game. CSU is 12-25 in games the opponent has scored on the opening drive.

First Scores Colorado State is 65-12 since 1993 when the Rams score first in a game. The Rams are 29-36 since 1993 when the opponent scores first.

League Play Colorado State has an impressive 65-25 (72 percent) record in 89 conference games since Sonny Lubick's arrival as head coach in 1993.

Rushing Defense Colorado State has allowed 59 individual 100-yard rushing performances since 1993. The Rams are 31-24 in games where an opponent rusher has gained 100 or more yards and 57-22 when an opponent does not have a 100-yard rusher.

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