Colorado State University Athletics
This Week in History: Rams Take Down Aztecs
10/24/2019 1:00:00 PM | Football
Ballhawking defense leads the effort
October 20, 1979 – The 1979 CSU football season had not started off as well as Ram fans had hoped heading into the San Diego State game at Hughes Stadium. With a 2-4 record, coach Sark Arslanian had hopes to turn the season around following road wins against Wyoming and UTEP. Homecoming brought out a stellar crowd, and with starting quarterback Keith Lee still out due to surgery on his non-throwing shoulder from an injury earlier in the year, sophomore quarterback Steve Driscoll had the start for the second week in a row. Driscoll, brother of former quarterback Mark Driscoll and at the time Rams quarterback coach, had taken over as starter after Lee's injury against Utah.
The Rams defense stepped up their game against San Diego State by forcing six turnovers. The first came on SDSU's first possession when Aztec flanker Bobby Taylor coughed up the pigskin on a Kevin Sheesley hit that gave the Rams the ball at the San Diego State 32-yard line. Mickey Barilla kicked a 32-yard field goal, and the Rams were on the board early.
Later in the first quarter, Rams defensive tackle Mike Carew forced a fumble at the Aztec 21-yard-line, and five plays later CSU running back Alvin Lewis punched it in from the 1 for a touchdown. San Diego State answered the score in the second quarter on a long sustained drive that ended in a 31-yard field goal -- the only points the Aztecs would score all day.
The CSU offense answered the Aztecs' field goal by controlling the clock on a drive that lasted nearly six minutes toward the end of the first half as Mickey Barilla kicked a 47-yarder into a stiff wind to increase their lead to 13-3. San Diego State tried to score before the half ended and drove in to CSU territory to the 46-yard line. With less than a minute to play, San Diego State quarterback Mark Halda dropped back to throw a flair pass and was intercepted by Sheesley, who ran the ball 55-yards for a touchdown.
CSU was in control of the game with a 20-3 lead at halftime and the second half remained all theirs. Halda coughed up the ball again as CSU linebacker Scott Waterson pounced on it to halt the last sustained SDSU drive of the day.
In the fourth quarter, CSU scored two more touchdowns, one by the day's leading rusher Mike Faucett – son of Aggie legend Frank Faucett -- and the other by fullback Arthur Smith. As the final cannon fired the Rams came away with a 37-3 homecoming victory.
Unfortunately the 1979 season would not end well for the Rams as they only won one more game, lost three and tied against UNLV to end the season 4-7-1. Lee would be plagued by his surgery recovery the rest of the season with Driscoll platooning with him the rest of the year. By the end of 1979 Sark Arslanian's record stood at 39-37-3, the second-most wins of a CSU head coach behind Harry Hughes and Bob Davis to that date.
The Rams defense stepped up their game against San Diego State by forcing six turnovers. The first came on SDSU's first possession when Aztec flanker Bobby Taylor coughed up the pigskin on a Kevin Sheesley hit that gave the Rams the ball at the San Diego State 32-yard line. Mickey Barilla kicked a 32-yard field goal, and the Rams were on the board early.
Later in the first quarter, Rams defensive tackle Mike Carew forced a fumble at the Aztec 21-yard-line, and five plays later CSU running back Alvin Lewis punched it in from the 1 for a touchdown. San Diego State answered the score in the second quarter on a long sustained drive that ended in a 31-yard field goal -- the only points the Aztecs would score all day.
The CSU offense answered the Aztecs' field goal by controlling the clock on a drive that lasted nearly six minutes toward the end of the first half as Mickey Barilla kicked a 47-yarder into a stiff wind to increase their lead to 13-3. San Diego State tried to score before the half ended and drove in to CSU territory to the 46-yard line. With less than a minute to play, San Diego State quarterback Mark Halda dropped back to throw a flair pass and was intercepted by Sheesley, who ran the ball 55-yards for a touchdown.
CSU was in control of the game with a 20-3 lead at halftime and the second half remained all theirs. Halda coughed up the ball again as CSU linebacker Scott Waterson pounced on it to halt the last sustained SDSU drive of the day.
In the fourth quarter, CSU scored two more touchdowns, one by the day's leading rusher Mike Faucett – son of Aggie legend Frank Faucett -- and the other by fullback Arthur Smith. As the final cannon fired the Rams came away with a 37-3 homecoming victory.
Unfortunately the 1979 season would not end well for the Rams as they only won one more game, lost three and tied against UNLV to end the season 4-7-1. Lee would be plagued by his surgery recovery the rest of the season with Driscoll platooning with him the rest of the year. By the end of 1979 Sark Arslanian's record stood at 39-37-3, the second-most wins of a CSU head coach behind Harry Hughes and Bob Davis to that date.
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