Colorado State University Athletics
Memorable Moments: Win in 1997 Part of a Magical Season
10/5/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Washington, McDougal pace Rams' rush attack vs. Nevada
It's time to break out the champagne and celebrate the silver anniversary of the CSU Hall of Fame team which went 11-2 during the 1997 season. No football team in school history has ever won as many games in a season and looking back on those Rams of Sonny's fifth season as head coach, it is not hard to understand why they were such a well-oiled machine. As the Rams head to Reno this week, we look back on the 1997 contest against Nevada and the entire season to remember.
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August 30, 1997, was a bright and sunny day at Hughes Stadium with a then opening-day record of 29,672 fans to watch the Rams take on the Wolf Pack. Nevada was ranked as the best offense in the WAC, but the Rams' running game squelched any notion the Wolf Pack had the offensive power to match CSU.
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The game was barely a contest as running back Damon Washington ran for three touchdowns and 188 yards, setting personal records. Alongside Washington was another Ram legend in running back Kevin McDougal, who ran for 131 yards and scored a touchdown as CSU obliterated Nevada 45-13.
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This somewhat easy win over Nevada launched the Rams into the AP Polls for the first time since the storied 1994 season ended. With CSU at No. 24 in the nation, they faced in-state rival Colorado in Boulder and were given a wake-up call, losing 48-3. The Associated Press gave the Rams a pass, only dropping them one spot in the polls as they went on to Logan to beat Utah State, 35-24.
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Heading back home and sitting No. 23 in the nation, the Rams faced another tough in-state rival in the Air Force Falcons. Air Force was still reeling from the great comeback in Colorado Springs the following season and wanted revenge. With 34,071 fans over-flowing at pre-expansion Hughes Stadium, the Rams were handed a crushing 24-0 defeat, the first shutout of a CSU team at home since 1973, and the first shutout since 1983, a span of 157 games.
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The Rams dropped out of the polls and moved on with their season as Hawaii came to Fort Collins for homecoming. Their shutout loss at home the previous week turned to a 63-0 crushing of the Rainbows. Lubick said after the game, "I hope the players are pretty happy and have more confidence in themselves, we'll need that confidence for the rest of the season."
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Whether it was confidence, or just the talented group of athletes the 1997 Rams were, the team did not lose another game all season. The offense racked up yards and points defeating the next seven opponents by scoring and average of 39 points per game. The only game CSU didn't score more than two touchdowns was in Laramie when CSU quarterback Moses Moreno found Corey McCoy twice for touchdowns. The Border War was built on defense in that '97 contest as CSU forced three crucial turnovers and left windy Wyo with a 14-7 win, the Bronze Boot and "back in the driver's seat," as Moreno said.
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Not only did the offense score plenty of points to win out the regular season, the defense, led by Joey Porter and Clark Haggans, only allowed an average of 10.5 points in the final seven games. As the Rams ended the regular season with a record of 9-2, and 7-1 in the conference, they faced New Mexico in the WAC Championship game in Las Vegas.
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The first playoff WAC Championship game was a no-contest knockout of the Lobos as CSU rolled its way to a 41-13 victory and became WAC champions for the third time in four seasons. Considering CSU had not won a conference championship since 1955 before Lubick's 1994 season, championships had suddenly become normal in Fort Collins.
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Ranked No. 18 in the AP Polls heading into their Holiday Bowl game with Missouri, Lubick's team continued to imbibe confidence in their ability to win and win with a potent offense. In the Holiday Bowl, the Rams and Tigers fought a good game with CSU coming out on top in a thrilling 35-24 win. It was Lubick's first bowl win as coach of the Rams and CSU finished the season ranked No. 17 in the nation.
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It is no wonder this team was chosen as one of only two football teams to be enshrined in the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame. With other Hall of Fame inductees like Moreno, Mike Newell, Anthony Cesario, Washington, McDougal, Porter and Haggans, all of which went on to NFL careers, 25 years later this team is easily ranked as one of the greatest in CSU history.
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August 30, 1997, was a bright and sunny day at Hughes Stadium with a then opening-day record of 29,672 fans to watch the Rams take on the Wolf Pack. Nevada was ranked as the best offense in the WAC, but the Rams' running game squelched any notion the Wolf Pack had the offensive power to match CSU.
Â
The game was barely a contest as running back Damon Washington ran for three touchdowns and 188 yards, setting personal records. Alongside Washington was another Ram legend in running back Kevin McDougal, who ran for 131 yards and scored a touchdown as CSU obliterated Nevada 45-13.
Â
This somewhat easy win over Nevada launched the Rams into the AP Polls for the first time since the storied 1994 season ended. With CSU at No. 24 in the nation, they faced in-state rival Colorado in Boulder and were given a wake-up call, losing 48-3. The Associated Press gave the Rams a pass, only dropping them one spot in the polls as they went on to Logan to beat Utah State, 35-24.
Â
Heading back home and sitting No. 23 in the nation, the Rams faced another tough in-state rival in the Air Force Falcons. Air Force was still reeling from the great comeback in Colorado Springs the following season and wanted revenge. With 34,071 fans over-flowing at pre-expansion Hughes Stadium, the Rams were handed a crushing 24-0 defeat, the first shutout of a CSU team at home since 1973, and the first shutout since 1983, a span of 157 games.
Â
The Rams dropped out of the polls and moved on with their season as Hawaii came to Fort Collins for homecoming. Their shutout loss at home the previous week turned to a 63-0 crushing of the Rainbows. Lubick said after the game, "I hope the players are pretty happy and have more confidence in themselves, we'll need that confidence for the rest of the season."
Â
Whether it was confidence, or just the talented group of athletes the 1997 Rams were, the team did not lose another game all season. The offense racked up yards and points defeating the next seven opponents by scoring and average of 39 points per game. The only game CSU didn't score more than two touchdowns was in Laramie when CSU quarterback Moses Moreno found Corey McCoy twice for touchdowns. The Border War was built on defense in that '97 contest as CSU forced three crucial turnovers and left windy Wyo with a 14-7 win, the Bronze Boot and "back in the driver's seat," as Moreno said.
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Not only did the offense score plenty of points to win out the regular season, the defense, led by Joey Porter and Clark Haggans, only allowed an average of 10.5 points in the final seven games. As the Rams ended the regular season with a record of 9-2, and 7-1 in the conference, they faced New Mexico in the WAC Championship game in Las Vegas.
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The first playoff WAC Championship game was a no-contest knockout of the Lobos as CSU rolled its way to a 41-13 victory and became WAC champions for the third time in four seasons. Considering CSU had not won a conference championship since 1955 before Lubick's 1994 season, championships had suddenly become normal in Fort Collins.
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Ranked No. 18 in the AP Polls heading into their Holiday Bowl game with Missouri, Lubick's team continued to imbibe confidence in their ability to win and win with a potent offense. In the Holiday Bowl, the Rams and Tigers fought a good game with CSU coming out on top in a thrilling 35-24 win. It was Lubick's first bowl win as coach of the Rams and CSU finished the season ranked No. 17 in the nation.
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It is no wonder this team was chosen as one of only two football teams to be enshrined in the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame. With other Hall of Fame inductees like Moreno, Mike Newell, Anthony Cesario, Washington, McDougal, Porter and Haggans, all of which went on to NFL careers, 25 years later this team is easily ranked as one of the greatest in CSU history.
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