Colorado State University Athletics
Memorable Moments: Hawaii
11/23/2023 2:00:00 PM | Football
Rams have had closing games to remember
As the Rams travel to our 50th state this week to take on Hawaii, thoughts of other key season finale games and how they affected a season are brought back into the minds of CSU fans. The most memorable one which was played in Hawaii is undoubtedly the 1990 season finale in which Earle Bruce's Rams played a hard-fought game against the Rainbow Warriors, winning a come-from-behind game 30-27. This win was important to help the Rams, who had already been invited to the Freedom Bowl 12 days earlier, gain the momentum they needed to beat Oregon a month later in Anaheim.
In many cases before the NFL took over Thanksgiving football, the last game of the Aggies' season occurred on Thanksgiving Day. In 1923, The Aggies and Colorado played for the conference title long before conference championship games were ever invented. The winner-take-all Turkey Day game in Fort Collins drew what is believed to be the largest pre-WWII crowd at Colorado Field made up of fans from four different states. Although the Aggies lost this game by a thin margin, it marks the only time the two schools ever played head-to-head for a championship on the last day of the season.
In 1934, the Aggies beat Colorado College in Colorado Springs by a lopsided 40-6 score. While the game itself was not special, its outcome allowed Harry Hughes to win his eighth and last conference championship in his illustrious career at CSU. It also marked the first time three schools from Colorado tied for the RMAC championship, CSU, CU and UNC. (Colorado Mesa, CSU Pueblo and Colorado Mines did it in 2016.)
Another big win over Colorado occurred in the 1948 season finale when Bob Davis's "Cinderella Rams" beat the Buffs in Boulder to earn the first bowl invitation in school history. Two days after beating CU, Colorado A&M was invited to the Raisin Bowl, the only January 1st bowl game in school history.
Some of the best season finale's happened during Sonny Lubick's era at CSU. The first monumental win in a season finale for Lubick was in 1994, when CSU traveled to Fresno to take on the Bulldogs. In another great come-from-behind victory, the Rams were crowned champions of the Western Athletic Conference for the first time under Lubick. It had been 40 football seasons since CSU had won a conference championship, and 1994 led to another five championships under Lubick.
A year later, the wackiest WAC conference championship finish occurred thanks to the Rams beating San Diego State in San Diego. When CSU beat the Aztecs, it created the first and only 5-way tie for the conference title in WAC history. The Rams tied with Air Force, BYU, Utah and San Diego State, but CSU came out on top for the Holiday Bowl berth based solely on their strong attendance at the 1994 Holiday Bowl.
The finale in 1997 and a win over San Diego State was the first time CSU has had to play two games after the season ended. After beating SDSU, the Rams only won the WAC Pacific championship and had to go to Las Vegas to play New Mexico for the outright championship, which CSU won. Then they played in the third Holiday Bowl in four seasons, beating Missouri.
In 2000, the Rams ended their regular season on a high note in a rivalry game against Wyoming, sealing their Mountain West Championship and berth in the Liberty Bowl where CSU beat Louisville. Ending the season on a win is always important, but winning the conference championship makes it more special.
In some cases, the euphoria of ending a season on a win has helped carry into the next year. The 1993 win over Wyoming in Laramie was one of those times when even in a losing season the team felt the momentum carried into the next year. The Rams ended 1993 with three consecutive wins and picked right up where they left off in 1994 to have one of the greatest seasons in CSU history. How will the season finale help carry the Rams in 2024? That is the biggest question not only for Saturday, but as the next eight months see the Rams progress.
Â
In many cases before the NFL took over Thanksgiving football, the last game of the Aggies' season occurred on Thanksgiving Day. In 1923, The Aggies and Colorado played for the conference title long before conference championship games were ever invented. The winner-take-all Turkey Day game in Fort Collins drew what is believed to be the largest pre-WWII crowd at Colorado Field made up of fans from four different states. Although the Aggies lost this game by a thin margin, it marks the only time the two schools ever played head-to-head for a championship on the last day of the season.
In 1934, the Aggies beat Colorado College in Colorado Springs by a lopsided 40-6 score. While the game itself was not special, its outcome allowed Harry Hughes to win his eighth and last conference championship in his illustrious career at CSU. It also marked the first time three schools from Colorado tied for the RMAC championship, CSU, CU and UNC. (Colorado Mesa, CSU Pueblo and Colorado Mines did it in 2016.)
Another big win over Colorado occurred in the 1948 season finale when Bob Davis's "Cinderella Rams" beat the Buffs in Boulder to earn the first bowl invitation in school history. Two days after beating CU, Colorado A&M was invited to the Raisin Bowl, the only January 1st bowl game in school history.
Some of the best season finale's happened during Sonny Lubick's era at CSU. The first monumental win in a season finale for Lubick was in 1994, when CSU traveled to Fresno to take on the Bulldogs. In another great come-from-behind victory, the Rams were crowned champions of the Western Athletic Conference for the first time under Lubick. It had been 40 football seasons since CSU had won a conference championship, and 1994 led to another five championships under Lubick.
A year later, the wackiest WAC conference championship finish occurred thanks to the Rams beating San Diego State in San Diego. When CSU beat the Aztecs, it created the first and only 5-way tie for the conference title in WAC history. The Rams tied with Air Force, BYU, Utah and San Diego State, but CSU came out on top for the Holiday Bowl berth based solely on their strong attendance at the 1994 Holiday Bowl.
The finale in 1997 and a win over San Diego State was the first time CSU has had to play two games after the season ended. After beating SDSU, the Rams only won the WAC Pacific championship and had to go to Las Vegas to play New Mexico for the outright championship, which CSU won. Then they played in the third Holiday Bowl in four seasons, beating Missouri.
In 2000, the Rams ended their regular season on a high note in a rivalry game against Wyoming, sealing their Mountain West Championship and berth in the Liberty Bowl where CSU beat Louisville. Ending the season on a win is always important, but winning the conference championship makes it more special.
In some cases, the euphoria of ending a season on a win has helped carry into the next year. The 1993 win over Wyoming in Laramie was one of those times when even in a losing season the team felt the momentum carried into the next year. The Rams ended 1993 with three consecutive wins and picked right up where they left off in 1994 to have one of the greatest seasons in CSU history. How will the season finale help carry the Rams in 2024? That is the biggest question not only for Saturday, but as the next eight months see the Rams progress.
Â
Colorado State Football: Tyson Summers Weekly Press Conference - Week 10 (2025)
Monday, November 10
Colorado State Football: Dupree (L) and Bellah (R) Postgame (UNLV, 2025)
Saturday, November 08
Colorado State Football: Tyson Summers Post-Game (UNLV, 2025)
Saturday, November 08
Colorado State Football: Tyson Summers Weekly Press Conference - Week 9 (2025)
Monday, November 03