Bowl History

Ram Bowl Victories

Under Sonny Lubick from 1993-2007, the Rams enjoyed the most successful era in their 115-year-old history. Included in that stretch was the 1997 season, when the Rams knocked off Missouri in the Holiday Bowl. CSU went to nine bowl games in Lubick’s 15 seasons at the helm. The program went to five straight bowls from 1999-2003, an unprecedented run of success.

Colorado State put an exclamation point on a 10-2 season in 2000, Steve Fairchild’s last year with the university before leaving for the NFL, by beating Deion Branch and Louisville in the Liberty Bowl. Voters that year ranked the Rams No. 14 in the final polls.

All told, the Rams have played in 12 bowl games, including the 1994 Holiday Bowl against Michigan, completing another 10-2 season that included a win at preseason national championship contender Arizona. CSU that year also finished 14th in the final national polls.

After returning as head coach in 2008, Fairchild returned the Rams to the postseason for the first time in three years, becoming CSU’s first head coach ever to lead the Rams to a bowl game in his inaugural season. Behind Gartrell Johnson’s 375 yards of total offense, the most ever by any player in an NCAA bowl game, the Rams knocked off Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl and registered the program’s first winning season since 2003.

Bowl Results

  • 2008 - New Mexico (CSU 40, Fresno State 35)
  • 2005 - Poinsettia (Navy 51, CSU 30)
  • 2003 - San Francisco (Boston College 35, CSU 21)
  • 2002 - Liberty (TCU 17, CSU 3)
  • 2001 - New Orleans (CSU 45, North Texas 20)
  • 2000 - Liberty (CSU 22, Louisville 17)
  • 1999 - Liberty (Southern Miss. 23, CSU 17)
  • 1997 - Holiday (CSU 35, Missouri 24)
  • 1995 - Holiday (Kansas State 54, CSU 21)
  • 1994 - Holiday (Michigan 24, CSU 14)
  • 1990 - Freedom (CSU 32, Oregon 31)
  • 1948 - Raisin (Occidental 21, CSU 20)

Mountain West Conference Bowls

The Mountain West currently has agreements to send four teams to bowl games in 2008. Since 1999, the MWC has posted an 21-15 bowl record.

  • Las Vegas Bowl (MWC vs Pac-10) - Dec. 20
  • New Mexico Bowl (MWC vs WAC) - Dec. 20
  • Poinsettia Bowl (MWC vs Pac 10) - Dec. 23
  • Armed Forces Bowl (MWC vs C-USA) - Dec. 31