CSU Rams Gameday: Football vs. Minnesota, Sept. 12

Sept. 11, 2015

Fresh off a 65-13 victory last weekend against Savannah State, the Colorado State football team welcomes Minnesota of the Big Ten. A win would not only extend the Rams' school-record home win streak to 10 games, but would also be their first home win over a team from a Power-5 conference.

Extend CSU's school-record home win streak to 10 games. The Rams haven't lost at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium since the 2013 season.
Improve CSU's record to 2-0, the first time since 2011 that the Rams would begin a season with consecutive victories.
Make head coach Mike Bobo the third coach in CSU history to begin his career 2-0. Julius "Hans" Wagner did it in 1942 and Bob Davis accomplished the feat in 1947.
Give the Rams a win over a Power-5 school for the fourth consecutive season, a streak which would rank second nationally.
Be CSU's first non-conference victory over a current member of a Power-5 conference at Hughes Stadium since defeating Louisville in 2002.
Be the Rams' first win over Minnesota. The Golden Gophers won the first two matchups in the series, in 2004 and 2005.

THE HUGHES ADVANTAGE
With Saturday's victory over Savannah State, Colorado State extended its home win streak to a school-best nine games. The streak began Nov. 9, 2013 with a victory over Nevada, and continued through the entire 2014 season (6-0) and now into 2015. Previously, the program's best streak was eight, accomplished from 1989-91 and again across the 1999-2001 seasons.

CSU has won 14 of its last 16 home games dating back to 2012, the best period of success since winning 15 of 17 from 1997-2001.
Since the inception of the Mountain West in 1999, CSU is 22-7 (.759) in non-conference games at Hughes Stadium.
Since Oct. 19, 2013, CSU has compiled a 17-5 record overall (.773), the eighth-most wins in the NCAA FBS during that period, and the third-most among Group-of-Five schools.
CSU won 18 games over the 2013 and 2014 seasons, tied for the second-best two-year win total in program history.

MILITARY DAY
Colorado State Athletics will recognize those currently and formerly serving in the military Saturday, part of the school's Military Appreciation Day. Prior to the game, the Army ROTC Color Guard will lead the team through Ram Walk and into the stadium. Ram Walk takes place prior to each home game on the south side of the stadium, approximately two hours before kickoff, and is a way for fans to welcome the team as it arrives to Hughes Stadium.

During the game, all military members - past and present - will be asked to stand up at a specified time to be recognized, and at halftime, the team will honor General Lew Walt and Lt. Col. John Mosley. Both were football players at CSU who also served on the school's student-body council. Walt, a graduate of 1936, went on to head all Marines during the Vietnam War, while Mosley, from the class of 1943, was a Tuskegee Airman who had a distinguished military career. Mosley was the first African-American football player to graduate from CSU. Walt and Mosley, both deceased, will be represented by their families on Saturday.

Additionally, complimentary tickets for the game were made available to Student Veteran Services. The game will be played one year after the 14-year anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.

500 AND COUNTING
Several firsts and records were set with Saturday's victory over Savannah State, but perhaps the most special was the fact that it gave the program its 500th all-time victory. CSU football, which began in 1893 and earned its first win on Jan. 28 of that year, is 500-553-33 (.475) all-time. The Rams became the seventh school in the Mountain West to reach the milestone.

ONE AND COUNTING
While Saturday's victory was the school's 500th all-time, it was Mike Bobo's first as a head coach. Bobo is the fifth Rams coach to win his debut, joining Julius "Hans" Wagner, Bob Davis, Jerry Wampfler and Jim McElwain.

"Any time you get a chance to play anything, I don't care if it's the first or the 50th or the 100th, I like to win," Bobo said afterward. "I like to compete. I'm 41, and 36 years probably, since I was five, I've sat in there and listed to the head coach talk, wondering what it's like to be a head coach, how I'd feel. But it really ain't about me; it's about them… Them playing together and playing for each other, and I thought they did that today."

TAKING DOWN THE POWERFUL
CSU is one of four Group-of-Five schools with a victory over a school from a Power 5 conference in three consecutive seasons. The Rams defeated Colorado in 2012, Washington State in 2013 and both Colorado and Boston College in 2014. They will have at least two chances to improve upon that streak in 2015, beginning Saturday against Minnesota and again against Colorado on Sept. 19.

BYU holds the nation's active record, extending its streak to 10 seasons with its win over Nebraska last Saturday, followed by CSU, Louisiana Monroe and Northern Illinois with three apiece.

Prior to CSU's Las Vegas Bowl loss to Utah on Dec. 20, the Rams had won three consecutive games against teams from Power 5 conferences, which was tied for the for the second-longest active streak in the NCAA FBS.

THE POWER 5 AT HUGHES
Saturday will be the first time since 2007 that a school from a Power 5 conference has played at Hughes Stadium. Dating back to the venue's opening in 1968, just 10 schools currently part of the Power 5 have played non-conference games at Hughes.

The Rams' lone wins were over Louisville in 2002 and West Virginia in 1978. Louisville (now with the ACC) at the time was a member of Conference USA, while West Virginia (Big 12) was an independent.

NOTES IN 140

A win Saturday would extend CSU's school-record home win streak to 10 games. The Rams haven't lost at home since 2013.
.@CoachBobo_CSU can become the Rams' 3rd head coach to begin his career 2-0. He's one of five to win his debut.
CSU has beaten a school from a Power 5 conference in 3 consecutive seasons, tied for 2nd nationally.
Minnesota is the first Power 5 school to play at Hughes Stadium since No. 10 Cal in 2007.
Minnesota leads the series with CSU, 2-0, beating the Rams in 2004 in Fort Collins and 2005 in Minneapolis.
Through Week 1, CSU had 16 tackles for loss, most in @NCAAFootball. Watson and Foster had 3 apiece.
CSU ranks 6th in @NCAAFootball for scoring, 10th for passing offense and 15th for total offense.
CSU, Appalachian State and San Jose State are the only 3 schools in NCAA FBS to rank in the top 15 for both total offense and total defense.
The Rams' win over Savannah State was the school's 500th all-time. CSU's first win came in January 1893.
CSU's season-opening win marked the fourth time in the past five years that the Rams have started the season 1-0.
CSU's 65 points Saturday vs. Savannah State were the 5th-most in school history and third-most at Hughes Stadium.
CSU's 52-point margin of victory over Savannah State was the program's largest since beating Hawai'i 63-0 in 1997.
CSU's 9 touchdowns in Week 1 tied for the 3rd-most in school history, and its 6 passing touchdowns were the 2nd-most.
The Rams finished Week 1 with 598 total yards of offense, the 14th time since the start of the 2013 season that CSU has been over 500.
CSU scored 47 seconds into its game against Savannah State, the 2nd-fastest score to open the season in school history.
Six of the Rams' nine touchdowns were scored in 1:00 or less, including one in 8 seconds and another on defense.
CSU's rushers averaged 6.6 yards per carry, totaling 217 yards on the ground. Oden led CSU with 11 carries for 74 yards.
18 #CSURams made their collegiate debuts last Saturday, in addition to six players who earned their first starts.
Kivon Cartwright's TD vs. SSU was just his 2nd catch since 2013. The 6th-year senior has 11 career TDs.
CSU improved to 6-0 in #OrangeOut games last week. The jerseys represent the school's original colors of pumpkin and alfalfa.
Six of CSU's opponents played in a bowl game in 2014, and four began the season ranked or receiving votes in the USAT/Coaches' top 25 poll.
CSU's first three contests will be played inside the state of Colorado. The last time that happened was to begin the 2009 season (3-0).
CSU returns 17 starters from last year's 10-win squad (7 on offense, 8 on defense, 2 on special teams).
CSU has pass catchers who have accounted for 479 career receptions for 6,606 yards (1st in NCAA FBS) and 55 touchdowns (2nd).

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