Colorado State University Athletics
This Week in CSU Football History -- Rams Beat Cowboys in epic 1986 clash
10/24/2018 1:13:00 PM | Football
Jim King's last-minute interception sealed win for Rams
by John Hirn
CSU Athletics Historian
The 1986 season had already begun with a huge bang when the Rams upset Colorado in Boulder 23-7 to open the season. Led by three legendary seniors in fullback Steve Bartalo, kicker Steve DeLine and quarterback Kelly Stouffer, the Rams had also crushed Northern Colorado and upset BYU as they headed into the annual Border War clash at Hughes Stadium on Oct. 25, 1986 with a 4-2 record; 2-1 in the WAC. The smell of a WAC title and Holiday Bowl was in the air, but beating Wyoming was to be the biggest hurdle toward those goals. CSU had not won six games in a season since their last push to the WAC championship in 1980 and had not won more than six games in a season since 1977.
The Border War always brought a large crowd to Hughes Stadium and this battle ended up with a capacity attendance of 31,856, at the time the second-largest crowd to see a game at Hughes behind the 1976 Border War game. This meant the overflow of people had to sit in the grassy area of the north side of the stadium where 18 years later seats would eventually be installed. It was not uncommon for fans to sit on the north side grass, but as it would turn out this would be the last time it happened at Hughes Stadium.
Wyoming was led by head coach Dennis Erickson and a potent passing attack from quarterback Scott Runyan, who wasted no time in the first quarter driving his Cowboy offense 80-yards capping it off with a 7-yard pass to tight end Bill Hoffman for the touchdown. The extra point failed but before the fans could get comfortable in their seats it was 6-0. The Rams' opening drive may not have been as impressive, but senior kicker Steve DeLine woke up the crowd with a 58-yard field goal to put CSU on the board. Another 30-yard field goal by DeLine with 20-seconds left in the first quarter tied the score.
In the second quarter Rams quarterback Kelly Stouffer and fullback Steve Bartalo connected on a 9-yard pass to put CSU up 13-6 and Wyoming countered the Rams touchdown with a field goal just before halftime to make it 13-12 in favor of the Rams at intermission.
On Wyoming's first possession of the second half, Scott Runyan, who broke Wyoming school records for attempts and completions that day, threw one of his five interceptions on the day. Rams safety Ron Cortell picked the ball and returned it 32-yards to the Wyoming 9-yard-line. Bartalo then rushed in for his second touchdown and in doing so broke the WAC record for all-time scoring. With CSU up 20-12 early in the second half, the crowd was fueled up with football energy and a little liquid courage from the concession stands.
Cheap beer and a Colorado law allowing people ages 18-20 to drink 3.2% alcohol caused what is infamously known as beer fights in the Hughes Stadium stands. Nobody was immune to having full beers, or even full trays of beer thrown on them in the east side student section during the 1980s and an exciting game and bitter rivalry multiplied these events in a packed stadium of over 31,000 fans with only enough seats to hold 27,000 people. The grass end zone hills were the "overflow" area and with more than 1,000 students sitting on the north side grass and plenty of beer flowing from the taps, it was a recipe for disaster.
As the second half wore on, and Wyoming mounted a field goal to bring the score to 20-15 by the fourth quarter, the grass on the north side where students were watching the game somehow was being torn up and thrown at one another. Maybe they had run out of beer, but the so-called "sod wars" began as students turned their attention away from the field and at playing a game of pitching grass and dirt at one another.
Meanwhile on the playing field, the game was far from over and the Rams desperately tried to get some insurance points with the lead less than a touchdown. CSU drove to the Wyoming 37-yard-line with 56-seconds left to play. Facing a fourth-and-two, Rams head coach Leon Fuller called a timeout to strategize with his team. This is when the sod wars by the students on the north side of the stadium affected the game.
While pitching sod at one another, one of the students tumbled down the steep hill and was seriously injured on the concrete at the base of the hill when it met with the field. His injury was severe enough that the Rams' time out was extended while an ambulance had to be driven across the field to attend to the student and take him to the hospital. Students even continued to throw the sod at the ambulance as it drove away from the north side of Hughes Stadium.
After the extended time out and still only 56-seconds on the clock, Fuller decided to go for it on fourth-and-two; Bartalo's run failed and Wyoming took over on downs. Scott Runyan's career day continued as he promptly through a 38-yard pass to Cowboy running back Gerald Abraham setting Wyoming up on the CSU 23-yard line with seconds remaining. With the knowledge Wyoming would have to pass to get the needed winning touchdown, the Rams' defense was ready for the aerial attack.
Senior cornerback Jim King had been reading the Wyoming pass well all day with three of the Rams' four interceptions so far. He had promised his mother he would get an interception for her 50th birthday that day, but he did not realize his last and Hughes Stadium record fourth interception of the day would save the game. King read Runyan perfectly on an underthrown pass and stepped in front of the ball, securing it neatly to seal the victory for CSU.
The Rams held onto hope for their first WAC title and continued to have the precious Bronze Boot in Fort Collins. The game marked the last time anyone was allowed to sit on the north end zone grassy hill, even during the 1994 attendance record-setting Utah game. The actions also created new rules regulating beer sales to students until the Colorado 3.2 liquor law was changed 1987.
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CSU Athletics Historian
The 1986 season had already begun with a huge bang when the Rams upset Colorado in Boulder 23-7 to open the season. Led by three legendary seniors in fullback Steve Bartalo, kicker Steve DeLine and quarterback Kelly Stouffer, the Rams had also crushed Northern Colorado and upset BYU as they headed into the annual Border War clash at Hughes Stadium on Oct. 25, 1986 with a 4-2 record; 2-1 in the WAC. The smell of a WAC title and Holiday Bowl was in the air, but beating Wyoming was to be the biggest hurdle toward those goals. CSU had not won six games in a season since their last push to the WAC championship in 1980 and had not won more than six games in a season since 1977.
The Border War always brought a large crowd to Hughes Stadium and this battle ended up with a capacity attendance of 31,856, at the time the second-largest crowd to see a game at Hughes behind the 1976 Border War game. This meant the overflow of people had to sit in the grassy area of the north side of the stadium where 18 years later seats would eventually be installed. It was not uncommon for fans to sit on the north side grass, but as it would turn out this would be the last time it happened at Hughes Stadium.
Wyoming was led by head coach Dennis Erickson and a potent passing attack from quarterback Scott Runyan, who wasted no time in the first quarter driving his Cowboy offense 80-yards capping it off with a 7-yard pass to tight end Bill Hoffman for the touchdown. The extra point failed but before the fans could get comfortable in their seats it was 6-0. The Rams' opening drive may not have been as impressive, but senior kicker Steve DeLine woke up the crowd with a 58-yard field goal to put CSU on the board. Another 30-yard field goal by DeLine with 20-seconds left in the first quarter tied the score.
In the second quarter Rams quarterback Kelly Stouffer and fullback Steve Bartalo connected on a 9-yard pass to put CSU up 13-6 and Wyoming countered the Rams touchdown with a field goal just before halftime to make it 13-12 in favor of the Rams at intermission.
On Wyoming's first possession of the second half, Scott Runyan, who broke Wyoming school records for attempts and completions that day, threw one of his five interceptions on the day. Rams safety Ron Cortell picked the ball and returned it 32-yards to the Wyoming 9-yard-line. Bartalo then rushed in for his second touchdown and in doing so broke the WAC record for all-time scoring. With CSU up 20-12 early in the second half, the crowd was fueled up with football energy and a little liquid courage from the concession stands.
Cheap beer and a Colorado law allowing people ages 18-20 to drink 3.2% alcohol caused what is infamously known as beer fights in the Hughes Stadium stands. Nobody was immune to having full beers, or even full trays of beer thrown on them in the east side student section during the 1980s and an exciting game and bitter rivalry multiplied these events in a packed stadium of over 31,000 fans with only enough seats to hold 27,000 people. The grass end zone hills were the "overflow" area and with more than 1,000 students sitting on the north side grass and plenty of beer flowing from the taps, it was a recipe for disaster.
As the second half wore on, and Wyoming mounted a field goal to bring the score to 20-15 by the fourth quarter, the grass on the north side where students were watching the game somehow was being torn up and thrown at one another. Maybe they had run out of beer, but the so-called "sod wars" began as students turned their attention away from the field and at playing a game of pitching grass and dirt at one another.
Meanwhile on the playing field, the game was far from over and the Rams desperately tried to get some insurance points with the lead less than a touchdown. CSU drove to the Wyoming 37-yard-line with 56-seconds left to play. Facing a fourth-and-two, Rams head coach Leon Fuller called a timeout to strategize with his team. This is when the sod wars by the students on the north side of the stadium affected the game.
While pitching sod at one another, one of the students tumbled down the steep hill and was seriously injured on the concrete at the base of the hill when it met with the field. His injury was severe enough that the Rams' time out was extended while an ambulance had to be driven across the field to attend to the student and take him to the hospital. Students even continued to throw the sod at the ambulance as it drove away from the north side of Hughes Stadium.
After the extended time out and still only 56-seconds on the clock, Fuller decided to go for it on fourth-and-two; Bartalo's run failed and Wyoming took over on downs. Scott Runyan's career day continued as he promptly through a 38-yard pass to Cowboy running back Gerald Abraham setting Wyoming up on the CSU 23-yard line with seconds remaining. With the knowledge Wyoming would have to pass to get the needed winning touchdown, the Rams' defense was ready for the aerial attack.
Senior cornerback Jim King had been reading the Wyoming pass well all day with three of the Rams' four interceptions so far. He had promised his mother he would get an interception for her 50th birthday that day, but he did not realize his last and Hughes Stadium record fourth interception of the day would save the game. King read Runyan perfectly on an underthrown pass and stepped in front of the ball, securing it neatly to seal the victory for CSU.
The Rams held onto hope for their first WAC title and continued to have the precious Bronze Boot in Fort Collins. The game marked the last time anyone was allowed to sit on the north end zone grassy hill, even during the 1994 attendance record-setting Utah game. The actions also created new rules regulating beer sales to students until the Colorado 3.2 liquor law was changed 1987.
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