Homecoming 1996 Produced an Important Win for Rams

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Homecoming weekend is not only a time for alumni to get back to the Colorado State campus, but it has been centered around a football game for more than a century. The Rams play their 97^th intercollegiate homecoming game since the first recorded contest in 1922, and the first since 2019, the only break in homecoming games since WWII occurred, due to the pandemic.

The 2021 Homecoming tilt against San Jose State University will mark the fourth time the Rams have faced the Spartans on homecoming day. The only time CSU has beaten SJSU on homecoming occurred in 1996, at the height of the Sonny Lubick era when sophomore Damon Washington and senior Calvin Branch tore up the Hughes Stadium turf for a 36-13 victory before 27,041 fans.

The 1996 season had already proved to be a rebuilding year for Lubick's defending back-to-back WAC champions. Going into the homecoming game, the Rams sat at 3-4 on the season with losses to CU, Oregon, Tulsa and a crushing defeat in Lincoln to the Huskers. None of those losses had taken CSU out of the conference battle for the newly expanded WAC. With only one conference loss to Tulsa, a win over San Jose State would put the Rams back on track.

After nearly a month on the road, the Rams were ready to blast out the cobwebs and provide an offensive effort that was much needed. Quarterback Moses Moreno did not let the CSU faithful down as he put 580 total yards on the field, including a 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeremey Calhoun on the very first offensive play for the Rams.

Spartan head coach John Ralston commented that, "The Rams offense was just too much for the defense." Branch, rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns, while Damon Washington, a 2012 CSU Hall of Fame inductee and second on the all-time school rushing list, ran for 106 yards. Sophomore Derek Uhl also had a breakout day with six catches for 85 yards; he would continue to prove a worthy target for Ram quarterbacks after this game.

Moreno's passing success in the pocket was credited by Lubick to the Rams' offensive line, which gave Moreno plenty of time to find his receivers. Moreno said, "I don't think they shut me down, I think I shut myself down."

Moreno indicated that he could have had an even bigger day, as did Washington, who said he could have rushed for 200 yards.

The Rams defense did not let down either, shutting down Spartans wide receiver Windrell Hayes. Ram safety Myron Terry said, "We had a few letdowns (on defense) but when it came time for the gut check, we sucked it up and made the play when it counted."

The homecoming win put CSU's record to 4-4 as they started a four-game win streak to push for their third WAC championship. They beat San Diego State, Fresno State and had an amazing comeback win against Air Force heading into the Border War game on the final game of the season. The Rams came up one point short to Wyoming in one of the hardest fought Border War contests in years. That loss to Wyoming knocked the Rams out of the WAC divisional title and prevented any hope for a bowl game.

Although the 1996 season ended with a 7-5 record, it helped propel the Rams toward the amazing 1997 season in which they would go 11-2 and win their third WAC championship in four years.

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