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1999 Colorado State Season In Review
Rams to ring in New Year against Southern Mississippi in Liberty Bowl.
Dec. 13, 1999 When Sonny Lubick was named Colorado State’s head football coach in December of 1993, he set as a primary goal to establish a winning tradition in Fort Collins. Seven years later, Lubick and his staff have established many traditions at Colorado State. Chief among them: a championship tradition and nearly annual apperances on the nation’s bowl game landscape. For the fourth time in six seasons, Colorado State enters postseason play having won or shared a conference championship. In 1999, the Rams forged a tie for the first-ever Mountain West Conference title, thus earning a spot opposite C-USA champion Southern Mississippi in the 41st Annual AXA Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Colorado State fought its way to the title using a five-game win streak to end the season, tying for the sixth-longest win streak in school history. With the team’s record at 3-3 on the year, Lubick patiently guided his team back into the thick of the conference race. “I am so proud of this football team,” said Lubick, twice - including 1999 - named conference coach of the year. “Winning a championship is always a great feeling. I told our guys that some teams play all their lives, some coaches coach all their lives and never win a title. This is something to be proud of. “The key to our success was that we had a group of players who really liked each other - on and off the field. The most special part about this team was chemistry, the way that the seniors really held things together. "They have succeeded with class and with effort. This has been a great group to coach.” Colorado State opened the season with a 41-14 win over in-state rival Colorado before a sellout crowd at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Kevin McDougal ran for 189 yards and defensive end Clark Haggans sparked an attack which forced six turnovers. The Rams then found themselves ranked among the nation’s top 25. Five games later, with a 3-3 record, Colorado State began its run to the MWC title. The Rams began the streak with a 24-13 win at Wyoming on ESPN2, erasing a 10-7 deficit on Matt Newton’s scoring pass to Dallas Davis. Aaron Sprague’s 41-yard interception return for a touchdown iced the game. Five days later, Dallas Davis became the first player in school history to return two punts in one game for scores, the last coming with two minutes to play and helping the Rams to a 31-24 win over Wyoming on ESPN. Following a 36-22 win at New Mexico, the Rams continued their title run with a convincing 41-21 win over rival Air Force, on ESPN during a prime-time telecast behind McDougal, who gained 200 yards. Linebacker Ula Tuitele was impressive again in leading Colorado State’s defense. The Rams then earned a share of the league title win a win at UNLV, holding the Rebels scoreless in the second half led by safety Erik Olson. Following the regular-season, Lubick was named the conference coach of the year and McDougal was chosen offensive player of the year. Stalwart offensive tackle Blane Saipaia and McDougal were first-team all-conference selections on offense. Haggans, Tuitele, and Olson earned similar honors on defense.
* CSU’s 8-3 season in 1999 ranks among the top in school history. The team put together some of the top offensive statistical performances, including 43 touchdowns scored, fourth most in Ram history, the team averaged 5.7 yards per play, fourth highest ever, CSU’s 19 passing touchdowns is the third most ever, and the Rams’ 4.3 yards per rush average ties for fifth best in school history. * During its five-game winning streak, the Rams averaged 31 penalty yards per game. In the first six games, CSU averaged 67.2. * Also during the winning steak, CSU averaged just one turnover per game. Ironically, in the first six games, they had 17 turnovers (2.83 per game). * The Rams were 8-1 when not throwing more than two interceptions, but just 0-2 when throwing two or more interceptions. * CSU has at least shared its fourth conference football title in the ’90s, all under seventh-year coach Sonny Lubick, with a win over UNLV on Nov. 27. * In 1999, the Rams completed 26 pass plays for 20 or more yards. Of those 26 plays, 13 had been for touchdowns. Five of the plays have been for 40 or more yards and two have been for 59 or more yards. * CSU has gone 18-2 overall in games played in November under Lubick, including victories over New Mexico, Air Force and UNLV in November 1999. * Kevin McDougal has gained 2,898 career yards, which is fifth most in school history. His 1,164 yards in ’99 is the fourth most in a single-season at CSU, and his 13 career 100-yard rushing games is third most in school history. McDougal rushed for 200 yards in the Ram’s 41-21 victory against Air Force in a nationally televised ESPN game. It is the second-highest rushing total in the brief history of the Mountain West Conference. * CSU’s defensive unit has forced 31 quarterback sacks in 1999. By contrast, the Rams’ offense has yielded only nine sacks. The 31 sacks ranks 10th on the school’s single-season leaders list. * Clark Haggans has 34 sacks in his career (8 in 1999, 11 in both ’98 and ’97, 4 in ’96). The senior defensive end finished tied for fourth in the conference in quarterback sacks. He also finished fifth in the league with 14 tackles for loss. * The Colorado State offensive line allowed just nine sacks in 11 games. The line did not allow a sack in seven of 11 games. In a span of two weeks against New Mexico State and Fresno State, CSU quarterbacks were sacked six times. CSU gave up only three sacks in seven league contests, one at Wyoming and two vs. Utah. * Deone Horinek finished the regular season ranked second on the school’s career punting list with 43.4 average. Horinek connected on the longest punt in conference history on Nov. 6 at New Mexico. His 72-yard bomb was credited by both coaches as the key to a Rams’ rally in Colorado State’s defeat of New Mexico, 36-22. * In 1999, the Rams finished with at least eight wins for the fifth time under Lubick and the 11th time in school history. Colorado State won a school-record 11 games in 1997 with the help of a 35-24 victory over Missouri in the Holiday Bowl. * Erik Olson has moved into a 10th place tie on the school’s career tackles list with 304. Olson finished fifth in the conference with 9.9 tackles per game. He also led the league in interceptions with six, and twice during the season collected two interceptions in a single-game. * Ula Tuitele recorded a conference-best 23 tackles in the Rams’ 38-33 victory over visiting Nevada, Sept. 11. Tuitele finished second in the league with 11 tackles per game. * Matt Newton has enjoyed one of the top seasons in school history. He passed for 2,368 yards in ’99, the ninth-highest season total in CSU history and second most by a first-year starter. * Dallas Davis set a new school record for best punt return average in a single season. Davis averaged 16.9 yards per return, surpassing Greg Myers’ record formerly held since 1995 (15.9). In a 31-24 victory against Utah in front of a national television audience on ESPN, Davis returned two punts for touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter which broke a 24-24 tie. * CSU has defeated Colorado, Wyoming and Air Force in 1999. This is the first time CSU has defeated all three Front Range teams in the same season. * Coach Lubick has led the Rams to a 6-1 record in final regular season games and 5-0 in final games on the road. * Matt Newton has enjoyed one of the top seasons in school history. He passed for 2,368 yards in 1999, the ninth-highest season total in school history and second most by a first-year starter. Only Scooter Molander, who threw for 3,168 yards in 1987, passed for more yards in his first full year as a starter. Newton has thrown for 2,614 career yards in his career, ninth most in school history. He led the Rams with 2,303 yards of total offense in 1999, which is the ninth-highest season figure.
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