Colorado State University fans streamed out of Invesco Field at Mile High like milk from a rusty bucket as the Rocky Mountain Showdown turned into a smackdown Saturday at the hands of the Rams’ bitter rival, the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
“I’m not hanging around to hear it,” said Ram faithful Jeremy Oliver, making his way to the exit midway through the fourth quarter with the University of Colorado winning in a romp, 24-3. “If they gave the national championship trophy for bad winners, Boulder would get it every year.”
As the game ended, only a few token CSU fans wandered through a rowdy CU crowd.
“Go back to cow town,” a group of CU students yelled at a group from Fort Collins.
“Go back to California,” a CSU student yelled back to those who attend the school with a high out-of-state enrollment.
Some Ram fans didn’t take the loss well. At halftime in line at the Mile High Barbecue stand, with CSU trailing 17-0, they hashed out their team’s shortcomings.
“Steve Fairchild is trying to save Dan Hawkins’ job; our offensive line is getting blown out,” said one man wearing CSU colors, before he stomped off instead of providing his name.
In the first half, the 76,000-seat stadium writhed with an official attendance of 60,989. The southwest corner of the stadium undulated with fans dressed in CU’s old gold, and the northeast corner was equally matched in CSU’s Kelly green.
Immediately after the game, officers at the stadium said they knew of no significant problems with the crowd.
Alcohol was not absent, however.
“Kind of early to be drunk,” a shirtless undergraduate called out across a parking lot hours before the game.
“I’ve been drunk since last night,” his friend hollered back in raspy voice as he wrangled a pack of Marlboros from the pocket of his khaki shorts.
Lt. Matt Murray, a Denver police spokesman, said there were no significant law-enforcement issues. Eighty people were taken into custody for alcohol-related violations; 11 were issued citations. Another 44 were taken to detox for their own protection.
“We consider this a successful event,” he said.
The rivalry runs deeper than the score to this annual grudge match, which the Buffaloes have won 61 times in 84 meetings.
“We expect to lose to Nebraska and Oklahoma,” said Jared Bell, a CU graduate from Silverthorne. “If you don’t beat CSU, that hurts, which is why this feels awesome.”
Shane Co., the jewelry store, offered a free ring to any CU or CSU fan who proposed to a fan of the opposing school. No takers, said a spokeswoman shortly before kickoff.
Traditional chants of “It’s great to be a CSU Ram,” were matched with jeers along the hecklers’ row that rings the stadium, where T-shirts taunted with messages such as “If You Can’t Go to College, Go to State.”
“The game is on the field, but the entertainment value is priceless before the game,” said CSU fan Terry Martin.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler contributed to this story.
