Early history (1893–1910) . , the program's first ever
head coach, in 1899. On December 12, 1892, a student named F.O. Congdon and 18 of the other 179 students enrolled at
Colorado Agricultural College at the time decided to form the school's first
American football team and compete with other schools in the area. The team's nickname (that would later be changed to Aggies, then Rams) was the
CACs, the school's acronym (Colorado Agricultural College). Following
Christmas break, the team found some men at a small private hybrid college/high school named
Longmont Academy who would challenge the CAC team to play the first game in each school's history. The first game in school history took place on January 7, 1893, in
Longmont, Colorado. Earlier that morning, Colorado Agricultural players and fans bought
orange and
green ribbons at a
dry goods store in Longmont, choosing the school's colors. The program returned upon Ellis's departure from the school in 1899 and named 25-year-old
University of Vermont graduate
W. J. Forbes to be the program's first ever football coach. Forbes led the
1899 team to a 0–2–1 record. On
Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1899, in the first ever game that Colorado Agricultural played outside of the state of
Colorado (and their first ever game against
Wyoming), a disagreement between
officials from the two schools resulted in a controversial ending to the first ever
Border War game. At the time, officials were provided by the schools competing in the game. The game concluded with a
Wyoming forfeit being called after Colorado Agricultural official Edward House ruled that Wyoming official E.D. McArthur and the
Wyoming team were refusing to abide by the rulebook. After the forfeit was called and the Colorado Agricultural players began leaving the field, official McArthur reportedly exclaimed that he "did not give a damn for the rules" and instructed the Wyoming team to run in a touchdown. Forbes was succeeded by
George Toomey who led the Rams to a record of 1–3 in the
1900 season. Between 1899 and 1910, the program recorded a dismal record of 14 wins and 35 losses with seven different men holding the position as
head coach throughout the period. Hughes also helped build
Colorado Field, the first sodded football field in Colorado history, replacing Durkee Field (1899–1911). Colorado Field was the home of the
Colorado Agricultural/A&M Aggies and
Colorado State Rams from 1912 to 1967. Hughes won eight conference championships in the
Rocky Mountain Conference in 1915, 1916, 1919, 1920, 1925, 1927, 1933, and 1934. He was a member of the
NCAA National Rules Committee beginning in 1926 until his retirement. Hughes coached the Aggies from 1911 to 1941 in football and remained as the athletic director until his retirement in 1953. In the early 1930s, Hughes was given the nickname "Dean of American Football Coaches" by sportswriters and fellow coaches for his many seasons at one school. He was famously known as one of the most fair and sportsmanlike football coaches in America. He coached football from 1911 to 1941 and after resigning as football coach in 1946, he remained as the school's Athletic Director until 1953. This triple pass was an end around play based on the single wing formation and helped Hughes lead his teams to national fame. Some of Hughes's greatest players were Ralph "Sag" Robinson (All-American Honorable Mention 1916), Kenneth Hyde (1925 All-American 3rd team) and Glenn Morris (1936 US Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal winner). When Colorado State University built a new football stadium in 1968, it was named
Hughes Stadium in his honor.
Bob Davis era (1947–1955) Bob Davis succeeded Hughes on January 6, 1947. Davis utilized the "T" formation and veterans returning from
World War II to turn around a 2–7 Aggies team in 1946 to an 8–2 team in 1948; placing second in the
Skyline Conference. Colorado A&M (as the school was then called) was invited to and played in the
Raisin Bowl in Fresno, California, against
Occidental College on January 1, 1949. Losing 21–20 in the last minutes of the game, Davis's 1949 team went on to a 9–1 record and placed second again. Davis utilized classroom football along with practice and game films to help his players excel. Davis also played black athletes at a predominantly white school such as Eddie Hanna, George Jones and
Alex Burl. Several of Davis's players went on to careers in the
National Football League including
Dale Dodrill,
Thurman "Fum" McGraw,
Jim David,
Don Burroughs,
Jack Christiansen, Alex Burl and
Gary Glick. Three of his players were
All-Americans: Thurman "Fum" McGraw (first team 1948, 1949), Harvey Achziger (first team 1952) and Gary Glick (second team 1955). Davis's 1955 team won the
Skyline Conference championship but following the season he resigned from coaching football to concentrate on his duties as
athletic director. Davis's record with the Rams when he left was 54–33–2.
Don Mullison era (1956–1961) A player for Colorado A&M under Harry Hughes,
Don Mullison was promoted from line coach to head coach when Bob Davis retired. However, the Rams freefell to a record of 19–40–1 in Mullison's six seasons, which included a winless 0–10 campaign in 1961. Mullison was not retained as head coach past the 1961 season. In 1957, Mullison would lead the Rams to a 3–7 record, with wins over
Denver,
Montana and
Air Force. The 1958 and 1959 seasons would see the Rams finish with a 6–4 record, the only two winning seasons of Mullison's tenure. In 1960, Mullison would lead the Rams to a 2–8 record, with wins over
BYU and
Drake. In 1961, the Rams would finish a winless 0–10. and under his tutelage, Colorado State, as they had switched from Colorado A & M, compiled a record of 29–51–1. In 1962, the Rams duplicated the previous year's mark of 0–10. In 1963, Lude led the Rams to a 3–7 record with wins over
Pacific,
UTEP and
Montana. In 1964, the Rams posted their best record under Lude to that point, a 5–6 mark. In 1965, CSU finished 4–6. It was in 1966 that the best season of the Lude era would come for the Rams, with a record of 7–3 with wins over
South Dakota State,
Utah State,
Air Force, No. 10
Wyoming,
New Mexico,
West Texas A&M and
Iowa State. In 1967, the Rams slipped to 4–5–1 with wins over
Utah State,
Pacific,
Emporia State and
Wichita State. In 1968, the Rams would join the
Western Athletic Conference and finish the season at 2–8. The inability for Lude to turn around the Rams led to his firing in 1969, a 4–6 campaign, after eight seasons. The Rams compiled a record of 8–25 before Wampfler resigned following the 1972 campaign. In 1970, the Rams finished 4–7. The team began the season with a victory over
New Mexico State, but then lost six straight with losses to No. 20
Arizona State,
Iowa State, No. 10
Air Force,
Wyoming,
UTEP, and
West Virginia. In Wampfler's second season, Colorado State went 3–8. The Rams lost their first eight games of the season, being beaten by
BYU,
Idaho,
Wyoming, No. 12
Arizona State,
Utah, No. 20
Air Force,
Utah State, and
Wichita State. CSU lost their first nine games of the season — losing three of the first four without scoring a single point — to
Arizona,
Iowa State,
West Texas A&M,
Utah State, No. 19
Air Force,
Wyoming,
Florida State,
BYU, and
Houston. Despite a few down years, Arslanian's record at CSU was 45–47–4. Arslanian led the Rams to a 5–6 record in his first season. After losing to
Arizona to kick off the season, then defeated
Toledo. CSU began the season with a loss to
New Mexico The Rams kicked off the season against No. 12
Texas, losing the contest. beating
UTEP That year, CSU began the season with losses to
Oregon and
BYU before defeating
Wichita State. their first such season in years. Despite the success, the Rams didn't get a bowl invite that season. In 1978, the Rams slipped to 5–6. That year, CSU lost three straight to start the year,
Utah State,
BYU and
Utah. The team's wins that season were over
Wyoming,
UTEP,
San Diego State and
Air Force. That season, CSU defeated
Air Force,
Arizona,
New Mexico,
San Diego State,
Wyoming and
UTEP.
Leon Fuller era (1982–1988) Texas defensive coordinator
Leon Fuller, a
Bear Bryant and
Fred Akers disciple, took over the Rams football program in 1982. However, Fuller also struggled to find success. He went 25–55 through seven seasons and resigned under pressure after the Rams finished the 1988 season at 1–10. In Fuller's first season, the Rams finished 4–7. That year, CSU would defeat
Wyoming, Wins that year included
Utah,
San Diego State,
UTEP,
New Mexico and
Northern Colorado. Colorado State would defeat
Hawaii,
San Diego State, No. 15
BYU, No. 10
Air Force,
Hawaii and No. 4
Miami. CSU would defeat in-state archrival
Colorado in the season opener with the lone win coming against
New Mexico. The move was praised by many across the country, who saw CSU as getting a seasoned, proven head coach who could restore success to CSU. The Bruce era began in 1989, which resulted with the Rams compiling a 5–5–1 record. After losing the season opener to
Tennessee and the second game to No. 9
Colorado, the Rams would defeat
Cal State Fullerton then tie
Eastern Michigan. their first bowl appearance since 1948 and their first bowl victory ever. In his third season at Fort Collins, Bruce coached the Rams to a 3–8 record, which included wins over
Arkansas State,
Hawaii and
UTEP. Colorado State would finish the 1992 season with a 5–7 record. Bruce was fired after the 1992 season for, among other things, verbally and physically abusing his players and discouraging players from taking classes that conflicted with football practice.
Sonny Lubick era (1993–2007) served as CSU's coach for 15 years. '''1993-1998: Lubick's success & team turnaround'''
Sonny Lubick, who had previously served as defensive coordinator at
Miami under head coach
Dennis Erickson, took over the Rams as head coach in 1993. He inherited a program that had only two previous bowl appearances in their entire history before his arrival. Faced with a culture of losing, Lubick assembled a staff of assistants that included eventual
Ohio State head coach
Urban Meyer, and began aggressively recruiting and attempting to change CSU's image. While it was clear that Lubick had the Rams going in the right direction, he took the Rams to heights the program had never previously seen in 1994. they rolled to a then school-best 7–0 start, including a shocking 21–16 upset over No. 4
Arizona in
Tucson, Arizona, the biggest upset in school history at the time. Late in the second half,
Garrett Sand forced a fumble that Moran recovered and ran back 79 yards for a touchdown, a feat known among Ram fans as simply "The Play." The streak ended with a 45–31 shootout loss to undefeated
Utah before a then-record crowd of 39,107 at Hughes Stadium. The Rams recovered to win their final three games, including a dramatic 44–42 comeback win at
Fresno State that sealed CSU's first ever outright
WAC championship and first-ever trip to the
Holiday Bowl in
San Diego. Although the Rams lost 24–14 to
Michigan, they still finished with a 10–2 record, setting a new school record for victories in a single season. The 10–2 campaign was the start of 10 straight winning seasons under Lubick, and also earned him National Coach of the Year honors from
Sports Illustrated. and safety
Greg Myers earning All American honors for a second straight year, CSU finished the 1995 season with an 8–4 mark and a share of the WAC title. The Rams were once again invited to the Holiday Bowl, but this time they were downed by the
Kansas State Wildcats by a score of 51–24. In 1996, the Rams posted another winning season, finishing 7–5 and tied for second place in the WAC. However, a lack of quality wins, and losses to
Colorado,
Nebraska, and
Wyoming kept the Rams out of a bowl game. The Rams sputtered again to start 1997, losing 31–21 to archrival Colorado after leading at halftime and falling to
Air Force 24-0 a week later. the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, running back
Kevin McDougal, and future
Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers
Joey Porter and
Clark Haggans, the Rams were only seriously threatened once for the rest of the season, a 14–7 victory at
Wyoming on October 18. After defeating New Mexico in the WAC Championship game, the Rams once again went to the Holiday Bowl, this time facing the
Missouri Tigers. Down three at halftime, CSU scored 21 second half points to defeat the Tigers 35–24, In 1998, Lubick's Rams were left out of the postseason despite finishing 8–4 and third in the WAC.
1999-2002: Leaving the WAC and creation of the MWC Prior to the 1999 season, Colorado State and seven other WAC schools, upset over conference expansion that threatened to balloon travel costs and break up longstanding regional rivalries, broke away from the conference and formed a new league, the
Mountain West Conference. But 1999 would be memorable for Ram fans for another reason. Historically, the Rams had never been able to get the better of Colorado. Even with his success in rebuilding the program, Lubick had gone 0–3 in his first three games against Colorado. On September 4 the game, dubbed the
Rocky Mountain Showdown, was played at a neutral site,
Mile High Stadium in
Denver for the second straight year, and the Rams were once again considered underdogs against the ranked
Buffaloes. However, behind 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns from McDougal, the Rams blew out the Buffaloes 41–14, marking the first time in 13 years that CSU had beaten their in-state rivals. The victory was seen by many as the final step in CSU's ascension to legitimacy. Victories over
Wyoming and Air Force also completed the "
Front Range" sweep, and the Rams finished 8–4 again, this time tying for the Mountain West title. CSU was invited to the
Liberty Bowl, but lost to
Southern Miss 23–17. After the season, Lubick received a contract extension from CSU. In 2000, Lubick's Rams, led primarily by Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Matt Newton, defeated
Colorado for the second straight season by a score of 28–24. The victory was the catalyst for a 10–2 season that included an outright Mountain West title and a 22–17
Liberty Bowl victory over
Louisville. With the graduation of several key seniors, and the preseason loss of starting running back
Cecil Sapp to injury, Lubick faced a rebuilding year in 2001. The Rams still managed a 7–5 finish and a 45–20
New Orleans Bowl victory over
North Texas. 2001 was also notable for the emergence of quarterback
Bradlee Van Pelt. A transfer from
Michigan State, Van Pelt's dual threat capability as a running and passing quarterback would make him a two-time conference player of the year. But it was his game in 2002 against Colorado that made Van Pelt a cult hero in Fort Collins. After losing to CU in 2001, Van Pelt and the Rams, bolstered by the return of Sapp, went into their Rocky Mountain Showdown heavy underdogs against a
Buffaloes team ranked sixth in the nation. Trailing 14–13 late in the fourth quarter, Van Pelt broke loose on a 26-yard touchdown run. As he neared the goal line, Van Pelt turned and spiked the football off of CU cornerback
Roderick Sneed's helmet as he scored what would be the game-winning touchdown. Following the game, Van Pelt called CU "the sorriest sixth-ranked team in the nation he had ever faced".
2003-2006: Struggles and underperforming expectations The 2003 Ram football team was considered by many to be the best team in Lubick's tenure, if not all of CSU history, prior to the season. Though Sapp was gone, Van Pelt and many other seniors returned, and high-profile Colorado-transfer
Marcus Houston was added to the mix. The Rams entered the season ranked 24th in the nation and with hopes of cracking the
Bowl Championship Series. Those hopes were quickly dashed when the Rams were upset in their opener by
CU 42–35. The Rams recovered to finish 7-6 and make a bowl game for the fifth year in a row. Although it was not apparent at the time, Lubick's tenure had crested. With Van Pelt gone, CSU faced another rebuilding year in 2004. A particularly devastating loss at
Folsom Field against
Colorado on September 4, in which Lubick later admitted to mismanaging CSU's final series that ended in the Rams failing in three plays from CU's one yard line to score what would have been a game-winning touchdown in a 27–24 loss, led to a 4–7 finish, the worst year in Lubick's tenure. The 2005 season started once again with another devastating loss at
Colorado on September 3. Leading 21–10 after three quarters, and buoyed by the surprising emergence of thousand yard sophomore running back
Kyle Bell, CSU finished the regular season 6–5 and tied for second place in the Mountain West. However, a blowout 56–32 loss to
Navy in the
Poinsettia Bowl seemed to be another setback. Following the 2005 season, Lubick signed a three-year contract extension that would have made him CSU's coach through the 2009 season. It was the second contract extension Lubick received at CSU. Unfortunately, the Lubick family was dealt a difficult blow in the off-season. In February, Lubick's youngest son, Marc, was diagnosed with
Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer. The younger Lubick had just finished his first season as Colorado State's wide receivers coach, a position he took over after his brother Matt left the program in 2005 after spending the previous four seasons coaching that position under his father. A sophomore in 2005, Bell had run for over 1,000 yards and figured to be the centerpiece in CSU's offense. but lost another starter prior to their game against archrival
Colorado on September 9, this time due to scandal. Several players, including preseason All-MWC cornerback Robert Herbert, were suspended indefinitely from the program after being charged with fraud in a campus check-cashing scandal. After dropping a 28–10 decision at
Nevada the following week, CSU rebounded with a road win at
Fresno State and a
homecoming win against
UNLV to go to 4–1. Playing at in-state rival
Air Force on October 12, the Rams opened up a 21–3 halftime lead and appeared to be well on their way to a fifth victory. However, the Falcons rallied for 21 unanswered points and came back to defeat CSU 24–21. The loss was the beginning of one of the worst slides in Lubick's tenure. The following week Colorado State was shut out 24–0 at
Wyoming in the annual Border War series. Home losses to
New Mexico and
BYU followed, and the Rams ultimately never recovered. Losses to
Utah,
TCU, and
San Diego State concluded a season-ending, seven-game losing streak, leaving CSU 4–8 and tied for last place in the Mountain West, by far the worst year in Lubick's tenure and leading some fans and followers to question whether Lubick should be retained or let go, however, CSU decided to stick with its longtime coach.
2007: The end of the Lubick era Lubick's 14th season got an immediate boost with the return of Bell. With their all-conference halfback in the fold, as well as the most seniors returning in Lubick's tenure, the Rams had a team that figured to rebound from the dismal 2006 season. But a difficult early schedule challenged CSU. Opening against
Colorado at
Invesco Field at Mile High, the Rams had a familiar finish against their in-state rival. Even worse, the bizarre chain of season-ending ACL injuries to key players continued when Sperry was lost with a torn ACL during the game. It was the 3rd straight season a key player for the Rams had been lost to the injury. Losses continued to mount. Dating back to 2006, CSU lost 11 straight games before defeating UNLV at mid season. Colorado State finished the season 3–9, a new low in the Lubick tenure. The lone bright spot of the year came at the end of the season when the Rams regained the Bronze Boot with a 36–28 win over
Wyoming at Hughes Stadium. Colorado State University athletic director
Paul Kowalczyk announced that Lubick has been offered a
public relations position as senior associate athletic director, focused on fundraising and serving as a goodwill ambassador for Rams athletics. Lubick was replaced by
Steve Fairchild, a former Lubick assistant who returned after serving as offensive coordinator for the
NFL's Buffalo Bills. On February 2, 2008, the Rocky Mountain News reported that Lubick had declined the university's offer to remain in a fundraising role. The paper quoted a source as saying Lubick, 70, had talked with
Florida coach Urban Meyer about joining the Gators's staff. Meyer served as wide receivers coach under Lubick in the early 1990s. CSU was consistently a top 25 contender from 1994 to 2002, with a 79–32 record during that period and 3 top 25 finishes. Lubick, conference coach of the year four times, coached former
Denver Broncos Cecil Sapp and current
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle
Erik Pears, and All-Pro NFL linebacker
Joey Porter.
Steve Fairchild era (2008–2011) In December 2007, Colorado State University announced that the
National Football League's
Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Steve Fairchild would be returning to his alma mater to serve as head coach. CSU surprised in its first year under Fairchild. After a 38–17 loss to Colorado in his debut, Fairchild got his first win with CSU, a home victory over
Sacramento State 23–20 thanks to a
Ben DeLine field goal. The Rams followed that up with a 28–25 win over
Houston one week later. However, CSU would lose 5 of their next 7 games, including tight home losses to conference powers
TCU (13–7) and
BYU (45–42). CSU rallied to win their final two games, with their 31–20 victory at
Wyoming, securing their sixth win and a berth in the
New Mexico Bowl. Underdogs to
Fresno State, CSU won a 40–35 thriller for their first bowl victory since the 2001 New Orleans Bowl. The star of the game (and most of the season) was senior RB
Gartrell Johnson, who ran for a career-high 285 yards and added 90 receiving yards. His 375 total yards were the most for one player in bowl history. Fairchild became the first coach in CSU history to post a winning season in his first year with the program. Despite graduating Johnson and several other seniors, 2009 started much the way 2008 ended. The Rams opened the season September 6 at arch-rival Colorado. With a bevy of returning starters, and the game being played in Boulder for the final time (both schools had agreed to play the next decade's worth of games at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium), the Buffs were heavy favorites. However, CSU led from start to finish, beating Colorado 23–17, marking their first victory at Folsom Field since 1986. and
Nevada, the 3–0 Rams appeared headed to postseason yet again. However, the season would derail quickly. Following a 42–23 loss at BYU, the Rams dropped a 31–29 decision at
Idaho followed by 24–17 home defeat to
Utah. They were the first of four losses that would come by seven points or less. The Rams would not win another game for the rest of the season. A loss to previously winless
New Mexico (29–27) assured CSU of a last place finish, and a 17–16 home defeat to
Wyoming the day after
Thanksgiving not only cost the Rams the
Bronze Boot (and their first home loss to Wyoming in 12 years), but made CSU just the 3rd team in Mountain West Conference history to go winless in conference play (Wyoming having done so in 2000 and 2001). CSU finished the season with a 3–9 record. 2010 was just as miserable. The Rams finished with an identical 3–9 record with their lone wins home victories over lowly
Idaho,
New Mexico and
UNLV. Blowouts were frequent and the most embarrassing came in the season's final two games. On senior day the Rams were shelled by
BYU 49–10. The following week they concluded their season with a 44–0 drubbing by rival
Wyoming in the
Border War. Wyoming hadn't won a single conference game until that dominating win over Colorado State. the Rams started 3–1 highlighted by a dramatic 35–34 comeback win in double overtime at
Utah State on September 24. It would be CSU's final win. The following week CSU fell 38–31 to
San Jose State on homecoming, the start of an 8-game losing streak. Fairchild was fired by new athletic director Jack Graham on December 4, 2011, one day after his Rams lost to the Wyoming Cowboys in the Border War. It was their third straight loss to Wyoming and the third straight time CSU finished their season 3–9.
Jim McElwain era (2012–2014) was appointed as coach in 2011, serving for two seasons. On December 12, 2011,
Alabama offensive coordinator
Jim McElwain was formally introduced as Fairchild's replacement. The hiring was well-received, as McElwain had won two national championships at Alabama as offensive coordinator under head coach
Nick Saban. McElwain's tenure, dubbed by the school's athletic department as "A Bold New Era", began the 2012 season on a high note. McElwain's Rams rallied from an 11-point deficit to defeat arch-rival
Colorado by a score of 22–17 at
Sports Authority Field in
Denver on September 1. McElwain became the first CSU coach to win his debut since
Jerry Wampfler in 1970 and the first to ever win his debut against CU. The momentum didn't last long, though, as CSU suffered a 22–7 setback in their home opener one week later to defending
FCS national champion
North Dakota State, the start of a six-game losing skid. The program showed improvement towards the end of the season, winning three of their final five games to finish 4–8 in McElwain's first season. McElwain's second season with CSU was much more successful. CSU began the season losing their first two games, both of which they had led in the 4th quarter. Colorado State would also lose to
Alabama by a score of 31–6 on September 22. However, CSU finished the season winning 8 of its final 11 games. McElwain finished his second season with a record of 8–6 after CSU's miraculous comeback win over
Washington State in the
New Mexico Bowl. CSU's third season under McElwain led to even greater accomplishments. After a Week 2 loss at
Boise State, the Rams, led by star quarterback
Garrett Grayson and star wide receiver
Rashard Higgins, reeled off 9 straight wins, climbing as high as No. 21 in the national rankings, and being in the conversation for a possible New Year's Day bowl bid. Those hopes were dashed, however, in their final regular season game at
Air Force, when the Falcons hit a game-winning field goal as time expired, defeating the Rams. The loss capped CSU's regular season at 10–2. As a result of the successful transformation of the program, McElwain was named the
Mountain West Conference's coach of the year on December 2, 2014. Before the final bowl game after the 2014 regular season, McElwain accepted the position of head football coach at
Florida, becoming the first Rams football coach to leave the team for another. Offensive coordinator
Dave Baldwin, former head coach at
San Jose State, was named as the Rams interim head coach for the bowl game. McElwain did not coach the Rams in their final match, a loss in the
Las Vegas Bowl to
Utah.
Mike Bobo era (2015–2019) On December 23, 2014,
Georgia offensive coordinator
Mike Bobo was named the head football coach at Colorado State University. His hiring marked the second straight
SEC offensive coordinator to lead the Rams football program.
2015-2017: Three 7–6 seasons In Bobo's first season, the Rams compiled a record of 7–6, which culminated in a loss to
Nevada in the
Arizona Bowl. After demolishing
Savannah State by a score of 65–13 to kick off the season, the Rams lost to
Minnesota and
Colorado in overtime in consecutive weeks. After defeating
UTSA, the Rams suffered another two-game skid, losing at
Utah State and No. 25
Boise State. CSU then defeated
Air Force and lost to
San Diego State before embarking upon a four-game winning streak. The Rams defeated
Wyoming,
UNLV,
New Mexico and
Fresno State before losing in the
Arizona Bowl. In 2016, the Rams again finished 7–6. After losing to
Colorado by a score of 44–7 to kick off the season, the Rams defeated
UTSA and
Northern Colorado. CSU would follow that up with losses to
Minnesota Bobo led the Rams to a victory over
Utah State the following week, but the Rams suffered a defeat at the hands of No. 15
Boise State the next week. Wins over
UNLV and
Fresno State would follow before CSU lost at
Air Force. Colorado State would then defeat
New Mexico and
San Diego State by large margins before losing to
Idaho in the
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl by a score of 61–50. The 2017 season began on August 26 when the Rams hosted
Oregon State for the
grand opening of CSU's new on-campus
Canvas Stadium (called "Colorado State Stadium" for the 2017 season). The Rams beat the
Beavers 58–27 in front of a crowd of 37,583, which remains the highest attendance for a football game at
Canvas Stadium as of the 2021 season. On September 1, 2017, CSU lost to
Colorado 17–3 in the year's
Rocky Mountain Showdown matchup. On October 14, 2017, CSU won a close
homecoming game against
Nevada, 44–42, behind
Michael Gallup's 263 receiving yards. On December 16, 2017, CSU lost the
New Mexico Bowl to
Marshall, 31–28. After achieving an impressive 6–2 record through eight games, the Rams lost four of their last five games, including the
New Mexico Bowl, to finish the season with a 7–6 record for the third consecutive year. '''2018-2019: Struggles and Bobo's departure''' The 2018 season began with losses to
Hawaii and
Colorado. On September 8, 2018, CSU beat
Arkansas at
Canvas Stadium after scoring 25 unanswered points to come back and win 34–27. CSU then lost games against
Florida and
Illinois State and won games against
San Jose State and
New Mexico before losing five straight games to conclude the season. The Rams finished the 2018 campaign with a 3–9 record and missed out on a bowl game for the first time in 5 years. The 2019 season began with a 52–31 loss against
Colorado in what would end up being the final
Rocky Mountain Showdown until September 16, 2023. The following week, CSU beat
Western Illinois and then proceeded to lose four games in a row. CSU split their final six games 3–3, and finished the 2019 season with a 4–8 record. On December 4, 2019, it was announced that head coach
Mike Bobo and the Colorado State team had mutually agreed to part ways, ending Bobo's five-year run at CSU.
Steve Addazio era (2020–2021) On December 11, 2019, former
Temple and
Boston College head coach
Steve Addazio was named the new head coach of the Rams. Addazio brought his classic, conservative
smashmouth offensive style to Colorado State, putting an emphasis on the run game.
2020: COVID-19 season Addazio's first season as the head coach of the Rams was anything but predictable as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. After the
Mountain West Conference indefinitely postponed all fall sports on August 10, 2020, the conference agreed to play a modified eight-game, conference-only football season. Despite eight games being scheduled, Colorado State played only four games due to
COVID-19 outbreaks leading to game cancellations. In August 2020, the
university temporarily suspended the football program and initiated investigations into accusations of racism and verbal abuse of players by the coaching staff. However, the subsequent investigation found that the majority of athletes and staff disputed these accusations, and in October 2020, the investigation concluded and the team was cleared. On November 5, 2020, Colorado State beat
Wyoming 34–24, winning the
Border War Bronze Boot back from
Wyoming for the first time since the 2015 football season. Colorado State finished the 2020 season with a 1–3 record, with their only victory being against
Wyoming. Colorado State lost to
Fresno State,
Boise State and
San Diego State, while games against
New Mexico,
UNLV,
Air Force and
Utah State were canceled. There were no fans allowed at
CSU's Canvas Stadium at any point of the season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 season The 2021 football season was a welcome change after the unusual previous season resulted in playing only four games and without fans. Fans were welcomed back to
Canvas Stadium on September 3, 2021, when the Rams hosted
South Dakota State in front of an electric crowd of 32,327. However,
SDSU spoiled the occasion, winning 42–23. After another embarrassing home loss to
Vanderbilt the following week and beginning the season 0–2, the Rams went on the road and beat
Toledo 22–6. Star
TE Trey McBride recorded nine catches for 109 receiving yards on a team-total 110 passing yards; only two passes were completed to other receivers, and one was for a three-yard loss. On September 25, 2021, the following weekend, CSU nearly upset #5
ranked Iowa - Rams led 14–7 at half - but ultimately lost 24–14. On October 9, 2021, CSU hosted 2020
Mountain West Champion San Jose State for the Rams'
homecoming game. CSU won 32–14 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 34,780, and
kicker Cayden Camper made six
field goals on six attempts, breaking the school's single game record for made field goals. The following week, CSU beat
New Mexico on the road 36–7 with a dominant defensive performance, allowing the
Lobos just 76 yards of offense, the second fewest allowed by the Rams in a game in school history. On October 22, 2021, CSU lost to
Utah State 26–24 in the final seconds of the game due to a substitution mishap that forced Rams'
kicker Cayden Camper to rush a field goal rather than stopping the clock to let him set up the kick. Following the game, head coach
Steve Addazio deflected blame onto his players, saying that no coach had instructed the
Special teams unit to substitute into the game. This loss became the first of a six-game losing streak as the Rams failed to win another game that season, finishing the season 3–9, 2–6 in
Mountain West Conference play. In Addazio's final game as head coach of the Rams, he was ejected from a game against
Nevada after receiving two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, becoming the second ever
FBS coach to be ejected since the unsportsmanlike conduct rules were updated in 2016.
Nevada beat Colorado State 52–10, handing the Rams their worst loss of the season. On December 2, 2021, Colorado State fired
Steve Addazio after he posted a 4–12 record over two years as head coach.
Jay Norvell era (2022–present) in 2017 as head coach of
Nevada On December 6, 2021, Colorado State hired
Nevada head coach
Jay Norvell to be their 24th head coach and first Black head coach in program history. In a stark contrast to previous head coach
Steve Addazio's run-heavy
smashmouth offense, Norvell was known for leading an explosive, pass-heavy offense. Norvell led
Nevada quarterback
Carson Strong to back-to-back
Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year awards in 2020 and 2021. ==Conference affiliations==