Colorado State University Athletics
This Week in CSU Football History -- Aggies Open Colorado Field with win vs. Denver
10/5/2018 9:53:00 AM | Football
by John Hirn
CSU Athletics Historian
October 5, 1912 – The Aggies had not won a football game in nearly three years, so when they took the field for the 1912 opener, few people in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference thought they could beat Denver despite in the inaugural game at Colorado Field. The new athletic complex located on College Avenue had been three years in the making thanks to the undying support of fourth-year College President Charles A. Lory.
Dr. Lory had tirelessly lobbied the State Board of Agriculture to move the football, track and baseball fields to a better location on the Colorado Agricultural College campus, and in the fall of 1911 it was approved. Built between May and September of 1912, Colorado Field was considered the nicest football field in the state. It was the first to be built with grass, boasted a cinder track around it and a clubhouse with hot showers and steam tables. In 1912, the concept of showers on-site at a football stadium was almost unheard of, let alone steam stables.
So on opening day, October 5, 1912, the Aggies hosted the University of Denver "Ministers" at the brand new Colorado Field. CAC had not beat DU since the 1903 season, had not scored on them since 1905 and after nearly three winless years of football in Fort Collins, they were not expected to beat Denver in 1912. Second-year head Coach Harry Hughes had whipped his Aggies into shape in the off-season and CAC became the biggest surprise of the year starting with the opening of their new home field.
Colorado Field also became the first football field in Colorado, and one of the first in the nation to be built to accommodate the new rules of football adopted for the 1912 season. Some of those new rules included a 100-yard field (previously 110-yards), four downs to make a first down in 10 yards, a uniform ball for the first time and the scoring system was established as we know it today with six-points for a touchdown and one point for a point after touchdown.
DU had a great advantage against the Aggies in having more substitutes that could keep the Ministers fresh on the field while Harry Hughes' men lacked the same depth. That did not matter in the first quarter when Aggie all-conference tackle Joe Brill intercepted a DU pass and returned it for a touchdown. The score stood 7-0 at halftime, and following the intermission CAC jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the third quarter when William Leigh, Aggie halfback scored on a 30-yard run down the sideline.
Colorado Field was so new that the 1,000-seat grandstand was not completed by game time and fans had to cram their way into the new field to stand, sit or even climb nearby trees to watch the inaugural game. The fans were jubilant with the first two-touchdowns scored since the Aggies' last win against Wyoming in 1909. DU would come back with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and on the next series of downs by Denver, the Ministers drove to the Aggie two-yard-line. At that moment the Aggie defense held DU on downs in an epic goal line stand forgotten in time.
With little time remaining in the fourth quarter, Denver scored their second touchdown of the day and it looked like the game would end in a tie. DU halfback Koonsman muffed the snap for the extra point kick and it sailed over his head, ending the game at 14-13 in favor of the Aggies. It was not only the first win at Colorado Field it would also be the first of Coach Harry Hughes' 126 wins as mentor of Aggies football.
Fans, students and even the school's administration were so happy with their first win in so very long, they all convened at the intersection of Mountain and College Avenue and a massive bon fire was built with everyone dancing around in celebration. Dr. Lory, who had worked so tirelessly to get Colorado Field built, declared Monday, October 7th a school holiday and closed the college to celebrate the win.
The next week the Aggies took another victory, the first ever over the University of Colorado in what could be considered one of the greatest upsets in school history. Dr. Lory again closed the school after the CU win and a new era of football was born in Fort Collins. For the next 15 seasons (1913 to 1927), Hughes' teams would win six conference titles, and go 71-30-7 for a .702 win percentage. The Million Dollar Days of the Hughes Era would be some of the greatest in CSU history.
CSU Athletics Historian
October 5, 1912 – The Aggies had not won a football game in nearly three years, so when they took the field for the 1912 opener, few people in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference thought they could beat Denver despite in the inaugural game at Colorado Field. The new athletic complex located on College Avenue had been three years in the making thanks to the undying support of fourth-year College President Charles A. Lory.
Dr. Lory had tirelessly lobbied the State Board of Agriculture to move the football, track and baseball fields to a better location on the Colorado Agricultural College campus, and in the fall of 1911 it was approved. Built between May and September of 1912, Colorado Field was considered the nicest football field in the state. It was the first to be built with grass, boasted a cinder track around it and a clubhouse with hot showers and steam tables. In 1912, the concept of showers on-site at a football stadium was almost unheard of, let alone steam stables.
So on opening day, October 5, 1912, the Aggies hosted the University of Denver "Ministers" at the brand new Colorado Field. CAC had not beat DU since the 1903 season, had not scored on them since 1905 and after nearly three winless years of football in Fort Collins, they were not expected to beat Denver in 1912. Second-year head Coach Harry Hughes had whipped his Aggies into shape in the off-season and CAC became the biggest surprise of the year starting with the opening of their new home field.
Colorado Field also became the first football field in Colorado, and one of the first in the nation to be built to accommodate the new rules of football adopted for the 1912 season. Some of those new rules included a 100-yard field (previously 110-yards), four downs to make a first down in 10 yards, a uniform ball for the first time and the scoring system was established as we know it today with six-points for a touchdown and one point for a point after touchdown.
DU had a great advantage against the Aggies in having more substitutes that could keep the Ministers fresh on the field while Harry Hughes' men lacked the same depth. That did not matter in the first quarter when Aggie all-conference tackle Joe Brill intercepted a DU pass and returned it for a touchdown. The score stood 7-0 at halftime, and following the intermission CAC jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the third quarter when William Leigh, Aggie halfback scored on a 30-yard run down the sideline.
Colorado Field was so new that the 1,000-seat grandstand was not completed by game time and fans had to cram their way into the new field to stand, sit or even climb nearby trees to watch the inaugural game. The fans were jubilant with the first two-touchdowns scored since the Aggies' last win against Wyoming in 1909. DU would come back with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and on the next series of downs by Denver, the Ministers drove to the Aggie two-yard-line. At that moment the Aggie defense held DU on downs in an epic goal line stand forgotten in time.
With little time remaining in the fourth quarter, Denver scored their second touchdown of the day and it looked like the game would end in a tie. DU halfback Koonsman muffed the snap for the extra point kick and it sailed over his head, ending the game at 14-13 in favor of the Aggies. It was not only the first win at Colorado Field it would also be the first of Coach Harry Hughes' 126 wins as mentor of Aggies football.
Fans, students and even the school's administration were so happy with their first win in so very long, they all convened at the intersection of Mountain and College Avenue and a massive bon fire was built with everyone dancing around in celebration. Dr. Lory, who had worked so tirelessly to get Colorado Field built, declared Monday, October 7th a school holiday and closed the college to celebrate the win.
The next week the Aggies took another victory, the first ever over the University of Colorado in what could be considered one of the greatest upsets in school history. Dr. Lory again closed the school after the CU win and a new era of football was born in Fort Collins. For the next 15 seasons (1913 to 1927), Hughes' teams would win six conference titles, and go 71-30-7 for a .702 win percentage. The Million Dollar Days of the Hughes Era would be some of the greatest in CSU history.
Thursday, May 14
Monday, May 11
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 28