Weber State coach Ron McBride remembers his favorite trip to Hughes Stadium as if it were yesterday, not 12 years ago. A record 39,107 people crammed into the stadium for the most anticipated game in Western Athletic Conference history: undefeated Utah (6-0) vs. Colorado State (7-0).
The Utes led 38-31, but CSU quarterback Anthoney Hill was driving his team toward the end zone. Then, as McBride tells it: “Harold Lusk picked off the pass in the end zone and ran it out. I told him to (fall on the ball to avoid a turnover) but he kept running.”
Lusk scored on a 100-yard interception return for a 45-31 Utah victory to take the league lead. Two weeks later, Utah lost the first of back-to-back games, and the Rams regrouped to take the WAC title.
Ever since, the Utah-CSU game is rarely decided until the final quarter. McBride knows that might not be the case Saturday when his Division I-AA Wildcats open the season in Fort Collins.
“If I didn’t feel good about it, we shouldn’t go over there and play. Realistically they have the better players,” McBride said.
When his athletic director asked a year ago if he wanted to play his old league rival, McBride jumped at the chance.
“Sonny (Lubick) is one of the great guys in the profession. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for him, and he’s a good friend to boot,” McBride said.
Lubick, who wrapped up a dry run at the stadium Saturday, said: “It will be good to see Ron. I know he will have his guys ready to play.”
McBride was fired by Utah following the 2002 season and a 5-6 record, one year after beating Southern California in the Las Vegas Bowl. Under Urban Meyer, the Utes won the 2003 Mountain West Conference title and went undefeated in 2004.
McBride went into exile as a linebackers coach in Kentucky before coming home to the state of Utah last season.
Utah still has a handful of fifth-year seniors and returned missionaries recruited by McBride.
McBride harbors no ill feelings for the Salt Lake City school where he was 88-63 with six bowl games in 13 seasons.
“I feel really good about what happened after I left,” McBride said. “When we left, everything was in place. The recruiting was in place, the players, it was a stable program. All someone had to do was follow the same lines. It should sustain itself.”
McBride had an eye for talent while at Utah, reaching into tiny Mancos for future first- round draft pick Luther Elliss, searching the junior college ranks for Carolina Panthers all-pro receiver-return specialist Steve Smith and former Broncos running back Mike Anderson. McBride produced other first-round picks in offensive tackle Jordan Gross and wide receiver Kevin Dyson.
Although he didn’t get to coach him after his freshman year, there also was quarterback Alex Smith, who was the top pick in the 2005 NFL draft.
McBride knows Colorado awaits CSU after the opener. His feelings won’t be too hurt if the Rams look ahead.
“I don’t think they’ll look past us,” he said. “They look at it as a good game to prepare for Colorado. Logically they want to play someone they can beat. It’s a good test for us and will prepare them to play CU.”
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
