Border War a meaningful rivalry for CSU players, coaches
Dequan Jackson knows what it feels like to be on the winning side of the Border War. He also knows what it feels like to be on the losing side.
Having been on both ends of the outcome, the graduate linebacker would much rather be hoisting the Bronze Boot on Saturday night instead of watching Wyoming celebrate with it at Canvas Stadium.
“To me personally, it means a lot,” Jackson said. “It gets my blood going and I feel inclined to go play my best games when the competition rises. It would mean a lot to me, especially it being my last time to get a shot at it, so I don’t want to say too much, but we’ll be there.”
Colorado State and Wyoming will meet for the 113th time this weekend. Several players, like Jackson, have been a part of the game for a few years and know the history, the tradition and the feelings that come with winning and losing.
For many others, including first-year head coach Jay Norvell, this will be the first time to experience the rivalry.
“We are excited to be playing in a game that has so much history and importance to so many people,” Norvell said. “The rivalry games are so important because they are really about who you are and what you work to be every day. I’ve heard a lot of stories from players about playing for the boot, winning the boot, losing the boot, the feeling it’s like going across the field and getting the boot.”
Monday, Norvell and the Rams welcomed former coach Sonny Lubick to practice for some inspiration leading up to Saturday’s 5 p.m. battle. Lubick knows all about the Border War rivalry, having coached in it 15 times.
Lubick was 11-4 against Wyoming during his 15-season tenure. He never lost consecutive games to the Cowboys and his last game on the CSU sideline was a Border War victory in 2007.
“We asked coach Lubick to come in and talk to the team about the history of this rivalry and some of his experiences with it,” Norvell said. “I can’t thank coach enough for just sharing that time with our team and our coaches. He’s been really supportive of us and everything we’ve asked of him, he’s been receptive.”
With his legacy built deep within the history of CSU football, when the former coach comes to speak, the players listen. His appearance at practice this week was special to the veterans and the new faces on the team this year alike.
Words like humble and honor are frequent when players speak of the former coach, who knows better than most what the Border War is all about.
“It’s always a crazy feeling, you get the chills when you come in there and talk about it, what he has meant to this program and what he has done for this program,” Jackson said. “I always get excited whenever he comes in, try to go over and make sure I shake his hand and whatever else afterward, so that’s a great thing and I think he is so humble when he gets up there that it feels like it is an honor for him to be able to come up there and for us it is the same thing,”
Lubick told stories about the Border War, including his first one, in 1993 when the Rams went to Wyoming and won, 41-21.
That year, the Rams were in a similar situation that they are now. That story about when CSU was 2-6 with three games remaining and won its final three games, including the season-ending Border War contest, stuck with transfer running back Avery Morrow.
“It’s an honor,” Morrow said. “Even when he was talking to us, he knew my name. Him being one of the greatest coaches to come out here, his name being on the field, just even hearing him say my name is a complete honor. I’m just blessed to be able to listen to him speak to us. He gave us some wisdom. How basically, it was his first season, they had basically the same situation as us. They were 2-6. They finished out the season 5-6 and that carried on into the next season and how everything built up from there.”
The Rams went 10-2 the next year, won the Western Athletic Conference, losing to Michigan in the Holiday Bowl. If CSU wants that kind of success in Norvell’s second year, hoisting the Bronze Boot on Saturday would be a good place to start.
Scouting the Cowboys
Wyoming is 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the Mountain West Conference. The Cowboys have won their last three games, including last week’s 27-20 victory over Hawaii.
The Cowboys are led on offense by quarterback Andrew Peasley, who has passed for 1,280 yards and nine touchdowns. Running back Titus Swen leads the team in rushing with 679 yards and seven touchdowns. Joshua Cobb is the team’s leading receiver with 346 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Cowboys are led by Wyett Ekeler, who has 43 tackles. Devonne Harris leads the team with seven sacks. Cam Stone leads the group with two interceptions.
“Wyoming is a physical team,” Norvell said. “They play a lot of man-coverage, try to take the air out of the defense and really do a good job defensively. They play a similar style that we play and so it is something that we should have some familiarity with and they will have familiarity with as well.”
CSU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 58-49-5. Wyoming won last year’s meeting in Laramie, 31-17. The last win by the Rams came two seasons ago, 34-24 in Fort Collins.
Horton named to Biletnikoff Watch List
CSU receiver Tory Horton has been named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List this week. The award is given annual to the nation’s best pass catcher.
Horton is the Mountain West’s leader in receiving yards (797), receptions (50), touchdowns (6), and receiving yards per game (88.6). The Rams have frequently had players on the award’s watch list.
All-american tight end Trey Mcbride appeared on the list last season, receiver Warren Jackson was named to the list in 2019, and Michael Gallup and Rashard Higgins have both been finalists for the award.
In his first season with the Rams, Horton is on pace to post the program’s 15th 1,000 yard receiving season, extending a streak that dates back to 2014 (excluding the fourgame 2020 season). He is also the lone receiver in the conference this season to post three or more games of 125 receiving yards.