Colorado State University Athletics
Memorable Moments: Home Openers Through the Years
8/31/2023 2:00:00 PM | Football
Rams have seen highs and lows starting a season
The Rams are back for the 131st season on the gridiron. After months of practice, tweaking of players and conditioning, Colorado State faces the Washington State Cougars at Canvas Stadium for the 2023 season and home opener. The first game of a season can set the pace for the rest of the year, especially when the season opens in Fort Collins before the player's fellow students and many fans. Here is a look back at some of the great and not-so-great home openers for the Aggies and Rams.
The first triumphant home opener in school history occurred on Oct. 5, 1912, which also coincided with the first game played at Colorado Field. After months of grooming the first football field in Colorado history to be built with grass turf, the Aggies and their second-year head coach, Harry Hughes hosted the University of Denver Ministers (Pioneers today). The Aggies had not scored even one point on their home field since Oct. 16, 1909. That was also the last time the Aggies had won a football game.
Not only had a new football field energized the Aggies team, but Hughes was in the midst of transforming Colorado Aggies football into what would soon become the powerhouse in the state for the next 20 years. The game of football had made a transformation from its rugby roots to the game we know today. Rule changes in 1912 allowed for four downs to make a first down within 10 yards. The scoring also changed where a touchdown was now worth six points, an extra-point kick was one point and a field goal being worth three points. All of these rules may be normal to fans of the 21st century, but these changes were extremely new to football teams of 1912. The Aggies fought a tough game, and CAC beat DU for the first time since 1905 by a score of 14-13.
Fast forward to Sept. 18, 1948, when the Rams opened the season against Colorado College in the first night game at Colorado Field. The Aggies took care of the Tigers easily, winning 25-6 and setting the pace for what was later called the "Cinderella Rams" team that went on to the first Raisin Bowl. Second-year head coach Bob Davis had a bevy of talent with CSU legends like Dale Dodrill, Jack Christiansen, Bob Hainlen, Eddie Hanna and Fum McGraw.
Not all home openers are wins or are they memorable. On Sept. 28, 1968, CSU opened Hughes Stadium by losing to North Texas State 12-7. Not only would they finish the season 2-8, the Rams had to wait until a year later to win their first game at the new stadium by the foothills. The 1981 home opener was not just a 30-14 loss to San Diego State, it started the worst season in school history when the Rams went 0-12 on the season.
As time has marched onward, several great home openers have set the pace for legendary football seasons. In 1990, a lopsided win over Montana State led to the first bowl game since 1949. Not only did the 1990 Rams go 8-4 on the regular season, they never lost a game at Hughes Stadium. The 1994 Rams kicked off arguably the finest season in school history with a 41-16 win over the Utah State Aggies. That season, Sonny Lubick's second year as head coach, saw the Rams win their first WAC Championship.
The 2000 season, which began on neutral ground in Denver against in-state rival CU, kicked off at Hughes Stadium a week later with an easy 41-7 win over East Tennessee State. The win over CU in Denver may have propelled the Rams to an amazing 10-2 record and conference championship, CSU again didn't lose a game at home.
In recent years, the most memorable home openers have also ended in exciting victories. Most memorable was on Aug. 26, 2017, when CSU opened its new on-campus football stadium, later named Canvas Stadium. The Rams came out to win and beat Oregon State in a lopsided 58-27 drubbing of the Pac 12 team. With 37,583 fans in the new stadium, CSU christened their new football palace in style.
In what can be described as the strangest home opener in school history, the Rams played their first home game of the 2020 season before a crowd of zero fans. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented CSU fans from attending the Border War, the longest continuous rivalry west of the Mississippi. In the November 5th opener, the Rams beat their rivals from Laramie 34-24 to recapture the Bronze Boot. It would end up being the only home game played at Canvas Stadium that season.
As coach Jay Norvell kicks off his second year with the Rams on Sept. 2, another season of Rams football begins and another chapter in CSU football history will be written.
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The first triumphant home opener in school history occurred on Oct. 5, 1912, which also coincided with the first game played at Colorado Field. After months of grooming the first football field in Colorado history to be built with grass turf, the Aggies and their second-year head coach, Harry Hughes hosted the University of Denver Ministers (Pioneers today). The Aggies had not scored even one point on their home field since Oct. 16, 1909. That was also the last time the Aggies had won a football game.
Not only had a new football field energized the Aggies team, but Hughes was in the midst of transforming Colorado Aggies football into what would soon become the powerhouse in the state for the next 20 years. The game of football had made a transformation from its rugby roots to the game we know today. Rule changes in 1912 allowed for four downs to make a first down within 10 yards. The scoring also changed where a touchdown was now worth six points, an extra-point kick was one point and a field goal being worth three points. All of these rules may be normal to fans of the 21st century, but these changes were extremely new to football teams of 1912. The Aggies fought a tough game, and CAC beat DU for the first time since 1905 by a score of 14-13.
Fast forward to Sept. 18, 1948, when the Rams opened the season against Colorado College in the first night game at Colorado Field. The Aggies took care of the Tigers easily, winning 25-6 and setting the pace for what was later called the "Cinderella Rams" team that went on to the first Raisin Bowl. Second-year head coach Bob Davis had a bevy of talent with CSU legends like Dale Dodrill, Jack Christiansen, Bob Hainlen, Eddie Hanna and Fum McGraw.
Not all home openers are wins or are they memorable. On Sept. 28, 1968, CSU opened Hughes Stadium by losing to North Texas State 12-7. Not only would they finish the season 2-8, the Rams had to wait until a year later to win their first game at the new stadium by the foothills. The 1981 home opener was not just a 30-14 loss to San Diego State, it started the worst season in school history when the Rams went 0-12 on the season.
As time has marched onward, several great home openers have set the pace for legendary football seasons. In 1990, a lopsided win over Montana State led to the first bowl game since 1949. Not only did the 1990 Rams go 8-4 on the regular season, they never lost a game at Hughes Stadium. The 1994 Rams kicked off arguably the finest season in school history with a 41-16 win over the Utah State Aggies. That season, Sonny Lubick's second year as head coach, saw the Rams win their first WAC Championship.
The 2000 season, which began on neutral ground in Denver against in-state rival CU, kicked off at Hughes Stadium a week later with an easy 41-7 win over East Tennessee State. The win over CU in Denver may have propelled the Rams to an amazing 10-2 record and conference championship, CSU again didn't lose a game at home.
In recent years, the most memorable home openers have also ended in exciting victories. Most memorable was on Aug. 26, 2017, when CSU opened its new on-campus football stadium, later named Canvas Stadium. The Rams came out to win and beat Oregon State in a lopsided 58-27 drubbing of the Pac 12 team. With 37,583 fans in the new stadium, CSU christened their new football palace in style.
In what can be described as the strangest home opener in school history, the Rams played their first home game of the 2020 season before a crowd of zero fans. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented CSU fans from attending the Border War, the longest continuous rivalry west of the Mississippi. In the November 5th opener, the Rams beat their rivals from Laramie 34-24 to recapture the Bronze Boot. It would end up being the only home game played at Canvas Stadium that season.
As coach Jay Norvell kicks off his second year with the Rams on Sept. 2, another season of Rams football begins and another chapter in CSU football history will be written.
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