Memorable Moments: One Last Stop in Albuquerque

The Rams make their last stop in Albuquerque for a very long time as CSU enters the Pac-12 in 2026. Since 1935, The Aggies/Rams have a 45-25 record against the Lobos, with a 22-14 record in Albuquerque, 21-11 record in Fort Collins and 2-0 record at neutral sites of Denver (1940) and Las Vegas (1997 WAC championship game).

The Rams rivalry with their southern border school began in Albuquerque on Nov. 28, 1935, which was Thanksgiving Day at University Field, the original home of Lobos football. Coach Harry Hughes, in his 25^th season as the coach of Aggies football finished a rough season on a high note when is son, an end playing for the Aggies, caught a pass from halfback Gordon "Fire Chief" Winn for a touchdown at the end of the first half. The Aggies held on to win 7-6 thanks to a missed extra point.

The Aggies returned to Albuquerque in 1938 and 1939 after the Lobos made their first stop in Fort Collins in 1936. The 1938 and 1939 games were also Thanksgiving Day affairs, and both were losses. However, each game had unique moments in CSU football history. In 1938, Silver Spruce yearbook editor William Madsen traveled with the team and took some of the first color photos of CSU football known to exist. A cool but sunny day in Albuquerque produced rare Kodachrome images of leather helmet football in the first year at New Mexico's second football stadium, Zimmerman Field.

The 1939 contest could have been a win had the Aggies not lost their junior halfback Walter "Bud" Lyons to a non-football injury in a rather unique way. Less than one hour before the Aggies train departed Fort Collins, Lyons was confronted by his ex-girlfriend at his apartment. Lyons had broken it off with her and was now seeing another Aggie student. In a fit of rage, Lyons' ex-girlfriend shot him in the chest with a .38 pistol, claiming it was an "accident." Lyons was rushed to the hospital where Hughes greeted him to ensure his player was OK. The Aggies train left a little late for Albuquerque and Lyons would later go on to fight in WWII and live a full life.

Over the course of time, Albuquerque became a regular stop for the Aggies and later the Rams beginning in 1951, when the Lobos joined the Mountain States Conference. In the early 1960s, while the Rams floundered on the field, the Lobos became a powerhouse in the early days of the Western Athletic Conference, winning the first three WAC championships. In what may be the greatest upset over the Lobos, the Rams beat them 27-22 in Fort Collins for the 1965 contest.

In 1966 and 1968, the Rams traveled to Albuquerque and beat the Lobos in both seasons, the first time CSU had won in back-to-back games on the road against New Mexico. The 1968 game was CSU's first game played in the Western Athletic Conference. In the season opener in Albuquerque, the Rams beat the Lobos 21-13 for one of only two wins that season and one conference victory.

By the 1980s, the Lobos could not buy a win against the Rams whether it was in Albuquerque or in Fort Collins as CSU won each year from 1983 to 1987. The Lobos were the only team CSU would beat in 1987. The Rams continued to dominate the Lobos in the 1990s, winning eight of the 10 games they played against one another.

In one memorable game in Albuquerque, the Rams traveled to play the Lobos for the final game of the 1992 season. A heavy, wet snowstorm blanketed all of New Mexico the night before the game and fans woke up to slushy, wet conditions. The grass field at University Stadium was scraped of snow to reveal a soft, muddy layer below. A classic mud bowl ensued as the Rams beat the Lobos 14-10. One day later, CSU coach Earle Bruce was fired, and the Sonny Lubick era began.

The most memorable win over New Mexico did not take place in Albuquerque, but rather at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 1997, the WAC had become so large it was divided into two divisions and the winners of each division played for the conference championship. CSU, ranked 20^th in the nation at the time, beat the Lobos 41-13 to capture their third WAC title, fittingly against the first team they beat when they entered the conference.

The Rams have not lost in Albuquerque since 2009, which was also the last time they lost to the Lobos in any season. They will travel to Albuquerque one last time in 2025 with the hope of leaving the city with a win over their long-time rivals.

Albuquerque has become a favorite road trip for many CSU fans from the 1970s onwards. Only a seven-hour drive down Interstate 25, Albuquerque is a great place for CSU fans to enjoy great food, nice weather and a good football atmosphere. One unnamed CSU fan was asked about his last road trip to Albuquerque in 2025 and said, "We HAVE to go to one last game in Albuquerque, it's one of our favorite places to travel to and get some great food in the sun."

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