Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Dan Byers
A look back at the significance of CSU’s 2013 win over Air Force
10/24/2017 6:57:00 PM | Football
Victory made Rams bowl eligible for first time since 2008
With their win at New Mexico on Friday night, the Colorado State Rams became bowl eligible for the fifth consecutive season. The current streak began in 2013, and bowl eligibility was clinched that season with a 58-13 win over Air Force at Hughes Stadium on Nov. 30 of that year.
The win earned CSU its first bowl berth since 2008. From 1994-2003, CSU had a winning record for 10 consecutive seasons and reached eight bowls in that span. From 2004-12, however, the Rams had just two years with .500 or better records and only a pair of postseason appearances.
The 2013 squad was led by junior quarterback Garrett Grayson, who had four receiving targets that would wear an NFL jersey in the near future – wide receivers Rashard Higgins (a freshman in 2013) and Joe Hansley (junior) and tight ends Crockett Gillmore (senior) and Kivon Cartwright (junior).
At running back, sophomore Kapri Bibbs was on his way to smashing several CSU single-season rushing records and leading the nation in rushing touchdowns.
The team also boasted the league's Defensive Player of the Year (and future Super Bowl-winning Denver Bronco), Shaquil Barrett.
CSU entered its 2013 season finale against Air Force with a 6-6 record, but still needing one more win to secure bowl eligibility (the Rams had five wins against FBS opponents and one win against FCS foe Cal Poly). The Rams had opposite offensive performances the prior two weeks, scoring 66 points in a win over New Mexico followed by being shut out 13-0 at Utah State.
Coincidentally, the Rams led 13-0 over the Falcons after one quarter of play. Bibbs toted a pair of short TD runs to put CSU up two scores early.
The Rams offense didn't let up. Higgins took his turn at rattling off a pair of touchdowns, and senior kicker Jared Roberts (who would later set the CSU record for PATs in a season) nailed a 54-yard field goal as time expired to give the Rams a 30-0 halftime lead.
CSU would eventually go up 58-0 before Air Force notched a pair of late touchdowns, but the Rams had accomplished their goal with a resounding 58-13 win. CSU outgained Air Force 629-279, with the defense headed by a 12-tackle day for defensive back Bernard Blake and 10 from linebacker Max Morgan.
The New Mexico Bowl would end up being CSU's postseason destination, and the result lives in CSU Football lore. CSU defeated Pac-12 foe Washington State 48-45, scoring 11 points in the final 33 seconds for the comeback victory.
The 2013 squad set school records in several offensive categories, including total yards and total points. Bibbs set new top marks in season rushing yards (1,741) and TDs (31, tied for the NCAA lead). Bibbs' 31 touchdowns put him in rare company, joining Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (37 in 1988), Wisconsin's Montee Ball (33 in 2011) and Navy's Keenan Reynolds (also 31 in 2013) as the only players in FBS history with 30-plus rushing touchdowns in a season.
Bibbs would end up signing with the Denver Broncos after going undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. Barrett would join him, and the duo would help Denver win Super Bowl 50.
Grayson was taken in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints after breaking several career and single-season CSU passing records as a senior in 2014. His most frequent target in the 2014 campaign was Higgins, who was a consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist after a 1,750-yard, 17-touchdown season. Higgins, a future Cleveland Brown, would leave for the NFL Draft after his junior season in 2015.
Other Rams drafted from the 2013 team included center Weston Richburg and Gillmore (2013), tackle Ty Sambrailo (2014) and linebacker Cory James (2015).
The win earned CSU its first bowl berth since 2008. From 1994-2003, CSU had a winning record for 10 consecutive seasons and reached eight bowls in that span. From 2004-12, however, the Rams had just two years with .500 or better records and only a pair of postseason appearances.
The 2013 squad was led by junior quarterback Garrett Grayson, who had four receiving targets that would wear an NFL jersey in the near future – wide receivers Rashard Higgins (a freshman in 2013) and Joe Hansley (junior) and tight ends Crockett Gillmore (senior) and Kivon Cartwright (junior).
At running back, sophomore Kapri Bibbs was on his way to smashing several CSU single-season rushing records and leading the nation in rushing touchdowns.
The team also boasted the league's Defensive Player of the Year (and future Super Bowl-winning Denver Bronco), Shaquil Barrett.
CSU entered its 2013 season finale against Air Force with a 6-6 record, but still needing one more win to secure bowl eligibility (the Rams had five wins against FBS opponents and one win against FCS foe Cal Poly). The Rams had opposite offensive performances the prior two weeks, scoring 66 points in a win over New Mexico followed by being shut out 13-0 at Utah State.
Coincidentally, the Rams led 13-0 over the Falcons after one quarter of play. Bibbs toted a pair of short TD runs to put CSU up two scores early.
The Rams offense didn't let up. Higgins took his turn at rattling off a pair of touchdowns, and senior kicker Jared Roberts (who would later set the CSU record for PATs in a season) nailed a 54-yard field goal as time expired to give the Rams a 30-0 halftime lead.
CSU would eventually go up 58-0 before Air Force notched a pair of late touchdowns, but the Rams had accomplished their goal with a resounding 58-13 win. CSU outgained Air Force 629-279, with the defense headed by a 12-tackle day for defensive back Bernard Blake and 10 from linebacker Max Morgan.
The New Mexico Bowl would end up being CSU's postseason destination, and the result lives in CSU Football lore. CSU defeated Pac-12 foe Washington State 48-45, scoring 11 points in the final 33 seconds for the comeback victory.
The 2013 squad set school records in several offensive categories, including total yards and total points. Bibbs set new top marks in season rushing yards (1,741) and TDs (31, tied for the NCAA lead). Bibbs' 31 touchdowns put him in rare company, joining Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders (37 in 1988), Wisconsin's Montee Ball (33 in 2011) and Navy's Keenan Reynolds (also 31 in 2013) as the only players in FBS history with 30-plus rushing touchdowns in a season.
Bibbs would end up signing with the Denver Broncos after going undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. Barrett would join him, and the duo would help Denver win Super Bowl 50.
Grayson was taken in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints after breaking several career and single-season CSU passing records as a senior in 2014. His most frequent target in the 2014 campaign was Higgins, who was a consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist after a 1,750-yard, 17-touchdown season. Higgins, a future Cleveland Brown, would leave for the NFL Draft after his junior season in 2015.
Other Rams drafted from the 2013 team included center Weston Richburg and Gillmore (2013), tackle Ty Sambrailo (2014) and linebacker Cory James (2015).
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