Memorable Moments: The Silver Anniversary of the 2000 Rams

January 1, 2000, came and went without incident. Planes still flew, traffic lights still worked and every computer in the world did not crash as a result of the beginning of the 21^st Century. Many Rams fans were still in shock after a loss in the 1999 Liberty Bowl on New Year's Eve, but the year 2000 (Known as Y2K) would prove to be an important one for CSU football. We look back 25 years ago at how the 2000 Rams and the events that took place in Y2K made for one of the best seasons of CSU football.

The first big change to CSU football took place in the off season. After nine years of trucking in lights for ESPN night games, CSU athletic director Tim Weiser and his staff made the decision to abandon temporary lighting at 32-year-old Hughes Stadium and install permeant light fixtures. The cost to truck in lights was greater than installing them, so over the summer, Hughes Stadium received its first major update since its opening.

Coach Sonny Lubick returned a plethora of talent, including Matt Newton at quarterback and standout running back Cecil Sapp. They opened the season in Denver against the Buffs for a rematch that was expected to bring national attention. After the blowout and tear gas incident in 1999, the 2000 contest was expected to draw attention from every corner of the nation.

Not only did the Rocky Mountain Showdown draw national attention, but the game was also a close and hard-fought contest in the final college game ever played at Mile High Stadium. The Rams got off to a 14-0 lead in the game with Newton connecting with Frank Rice and Joey Cuppari, but CU countered with 17 unanswered points. At halftime, Lubick addressed his team saying, "There's your Big 12 Boys, can you play with them, or can't you play with them?"

In the second half, CU scored again taking a 10-point lead just three minutes into the third quarter. Sapp -- "The Deisel" -- then took the ball on a ground-grinding drive, which then opened the passing game allowing Newton to connect with Rice for a 42-yard touchdown. Trailing by three and only 10 minutes left in the game, CSU capped a 64-yard drive when Newton connected with tight end Jose Ochoa on a 30-yard pass to put the Rams ahead for good. It was the first time since 1948-49 that the Rams had beaten the Buffs in back-to-back seasons.

That Rocky Mountain Showdown against the "Big 12 Boys" set the tone for the season. The Rams beat Eastern Tennessee in the home opener 41-7 on Sept. 9. Four days later, the entire CSU family lost its greatest Aggie or Ram of all time. The great Thurman "Fum" McGraw, an All-American Aggie, former coach and athletic director who bled more green and gold blood than anybody in the school's history, passed away at the age of 73 following a stroke. His uniform, No. 48, retired in 1986, became a rallying cry for the Rams. They carried a modern version of his jersey to every game afterwards, the season had unofficially been dedicated to the late, great McGraw.

After a close and emotional loss to Arizona State on Sept. 16, CSU went on a six-game win streak to bring its season record to 8-1. Despite this mark, the Rams were not ranked in the AP polls and No. 20 in the Coaches Poll. By early November, Newton and Sapp were among the offensive leaders in the conference, and it seemed the Rams could possibly win out, until a trip to the Air Force Academy on Nov. 11.

Veteran's Day proved to go the way of the Falcons, and the Rams lost their first conference game of the season in a 44-40 grudge match in a major snowstorm. The Rams then came home the next week to take on Wyoming and keep the Bronze Boot in Fort Collins for a second season, winning the Mountain West outright, no ties in 2000. Lubick won his fifth conference championship in eight seasons and his fourth conference coach of the year award. Not since Harry Hughes in the 1920s had CSU football seen such great success.

On Dec. 29, it was back to Memphis for a second Liberty Bowl game, this time against the Louisville Cardinals. With a season record of 9-2, the Rams had finally cracked the AP polls to sit at No. 23 entering the bowl game.

The Cardinals got off to an early 10-0 lead in the game but the Rams, under the guidance of Newton, came back with 16 points of their own, including touchdowns by Sapp and Rice. They entered the locker room ahead 16-10 as Sapp earned his nickname, grinding out yards all over the Liberty Bowl turf. A field goal by CSU's C.W. Hurst in the third quarter gave some breathing room, but the Cardinals came back with a touchdown to come within two points of the Rams.

The Cardinals could not muster another score, while the Rams added three points to win the game 22-17, their first bowl win since the 1997 team. Sapp proved to be the star of the show, with 160 yards on 36 carries and a touchdown. The Rams ended the season 10-2, back-to-back MWC champions and taking home a large trophy of the Liberty Bell for their best season ever played in the MW. They finished the season ranked No. 14 in the country, still the highest final ranking of any CSU football team in the AP Poll.

After only two years in the conference, the Rams had an 11-3 conference record and in 2000 saw a school record eight players named to the all-conference team. The Y2K season proved to be one of the greatest in school history and Sonny Lubick solidified himself as the greatest head football coat at CSU since Harry Hughes.

For many fans that watched the 2000 team, it is hard to believe it has been a quarter of a century since that Rams team, led by CSU legends played one of the greatest seasons in modern times.

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