Colorado State University Athletics
Memorable Moments: Once Upon a Time, September Games Were Rare
10/3/2020 12:00:00 PM | Football
In first September game, CSU drilled Wyoming
Realizing this is the first September in which no CSU football has been played since 1944 is rather difficult. Modern day Rams fans are used to September football to end their summers and begin the fall.
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However, on September 30, 1916, the Aggies and Wyoming Cowboys faced off against one another for the first-ever CSU football game to be played in the month of September. It took place at Colorado Field in Fort Collins when the defending 1915 champions took on a rather weak Wyoming football team.
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The Aggies had gone undefeated in 1915, destroying their competition 243-31 in scoring over the seven games they played that year. The biggest factor in their success had been in the triple-pass known as the "Million Dollar Play." Coach Harry Hughes had designed the play where the ball would be directly snapped to the halfback who would then pitch it to his fullback. Just as the fullback hit the line of scrimmage, he would pitch the ball out to the end who would likely make excellent yardage and many times a touchdown.
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All during the 1915 season, teams tried and failed at figuring out Hughes' Million Dollar Play. Although no other school would take on the Aggies in a post-season game, many CSU fans have looked upon the 1915 season as an unofficial national championship year.
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The 1916 team was to be a carbon-copy of the 1915 Aggies, as many of the players returned, including Ralph "Sag" Robinson, who ran the Million Dollar to perfection.
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Just why the Aggies had not played a September game prior to 1916 shows how different the landscape of college football was at the time. There was no television or summer camp for players to practice before the school year began. In many cases, football practice began once classes started, which was usually after Labor Day.
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Also, keep in mind that America was still a very agricultural society and young college men were needed either on the college farm or their farms back at home. Football was not important until after the harvest and when the weather cooled off.
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When the Aggies and Cowboys met in 1916, it was just a little more than one week earlier than the 1915 season opener. The game itself was nothing but Aggies Football at its finest. Sag Robinson scored using the Million Dollar within the first five minutes of the game and the Aggies ran away with a 40-0 win over Wyoming.
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The 1916 team went on to a 6-0-1 record, tying Colorado Mines and remaining unbeaten for two years. They would win the school's second conference title and four Aggies would be named to the all-conference team, including Robinson.
The Aggies did not play September football consistently until the 1920s and even then, it would only be on the last Saturday of the month. It was not until 1946 that Colorado A&M Football played two games in the month of September and in 1961, they played three games in September for the first time in school history.
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In 1972, CSU played four games in the month of September and not until 1989 did the Rams play every Saturday in September when first-year head coach Earle Bruce guided the Rams on the field. Today, we are used to the seasons beginning in the last week in August or over the Labor Day weekend, but in 1916, it was a feat to have just one game in September.
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However, on September 30, 1916, the Aggies and Wyoming Cowboys faced off against one another for the first-ever CSU football game to be played in the month of September. It took place at Colorado Field in Fort Collins when the defending 1915 champions took on a rather weak Wyoming football team.
Â
The Aggies had gone undefeated in 1915, destroying their competition 243-31 in scoring over the seven games they played that year. The biggest factor in their success had been in the triple-pass known as the "Million Dollar Play." Coach Harry Hughes had designed the play where the ball would be directly snapped to the halfback who would then pitch it to his fullback. Just as the fullback hit the line of scrimmage, he would pitch the ball out to the end who would likely make excellent yardage and many times a touchdown.
Â
All during the 1915 season, teams tried and failed at figuring out Hughes' Million Dollar Play. Although no other school would take on the Aggies in a post-season game, many CSU fans have looked upon the 1915 season as an unofficial national championship year.
Â
The 1916 team was to be a carbon-copy of the 1915 Aggies, as many of the players returned, including Ralph "Sag" Robinson, who ran the Million Dollar to perfection.
Â
Just why the Aggies had not played a September game prior to 1916 shows how different the landscape of college football was at the time. There was no television or summer camp for players to practice before the school year began. In many cases, football practice began once classes started, which was usually after Labor Day.
Â
Also, keep in mind that America was still a very agricultural society and young college men were needed either on the college farm or their farms back at home. Football was not important until after the harvest and when the weather cooled off.
Â
When the Aggies and Cowboys met in 1916, it was just a little more than one week earlier than the 1915 season opener. The game itself was nothing but Aggies Football at its finest. Sag Robinson scored using the Million Dollar within the first five minutes of the game and the Aggies ran away with a 40-0 win over Wyoming.
Â
The 1916 team went on to a 6-0-1 record, tying Colorado Mines and remaining unbeaten for two years. They would win the school's second conference title and four Aggies would be named to the all-conference team, including Robinson.
The Aggies did not play September football consistently until the 1920s and even then, it would only be on the last Saturday of the month. It was not until 1946 that Colorado A&M Football played two games in the month of September and in 1961, they played three games in September for the first time in school history.
Â
In 1972, CSU played four games in the month of September and not until 1989 did the Rams play every Saturday in September when first-year head coach Earle Bruce guided the Rams on the field. Today, we are used to the seasons beginning in the last week in August or over the Labor Day weekend, but in 1916, it was a feat to have just one game in September.
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