The alcohol was less evident, the temperatures cooler and the crowd smaller than recent engagements of the Cinch Jeans Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver today.
The trash-talking spirit of Colorado’s most celebrated college football rivalry, however, was as big and hot as ever.
“The few, the proud, the Colorado State (expletive) Rams,” barked Geoff Pearl, wearing a green CSU shirt in a crowd of black-and-gold shuffling toward Sports Authority Field at Mile High before kickoff.
At the Buffaloes Forever tent for students and alumni 30 yards away, the public address system thumped to the tune of “Bad Boys.”
At kickoff, the 76,125-seat stadium about half full, but grew to perhaps two-thirds full by halftime. The Colorado State athletic department was able to sell only about half its 32,000-seat aallotment, the Fort Collins Coloradoan reported Friday.
“It doesn’t take many to whip CU,” said CSU junior Tony McGill, in a group of Ram fans who booed the CU band as it marched toward the stadium.
The crowd was proud and loud, with chants that included expletives and shouted taunts about cows and liberal politics.
“It’s all in fun,” said Ahmed Praternuh, a CU fan from Denver. “I won’t hit anybody, or at least not most of them.”
The game normally played Labor Day weekend as the season kickoff was moved to the third game this year, so summer tans were faded for autumn jackets as temperatures languished in the low 70s and, in the second half, rain clouds mugged the field like a blitzing linebacker.
“It’s still a big football game,” said CSU fan Randall Threadgill of Greeley as he played host to a tailgate party for about three dozen family, friends and fellow Rams. “We’ll fight them whenever and where ever they want.”
A pause ensued.
“Fight them in the game, I mean,” he added with a knowing smile.
Fans, like the obvious presence of law enforcement patrolling the crowd, know history of bad blood between fans of each school all too well. Law enforcement has been stiff since the 1999 game that was marred by drunkenness, brawling and, ultimately, tear gas to disperse an unruly crowd.
“Dude, that happened when I was in elementary school,” said CU student Brad Thomas of South Platte, Neb., when asked about it. “When are they going to let that go? This is college football, It’s supposed to be wild.
Last year’s game netted 91 arrests, most of them alcohol-related, according to Denver police.
This year the crowd was monitored by officers from the city of Denver, both universities and the state alcohol regulators, as well as fans who could send a text or call a hotline to report trouble.
Fans had mixed review of playing the game in Denver, instead of on their schools’ respective campuses. The games are to be played in Denver until at least 2020.
“Denver is a bigger city, and if we want to play big-time games we need to play in big-time venues,” said CU fan Arnie White of Denver. “If we ever get back to a bowl game, playing in big stadiums on TV will pay off.”
Others favored tradition.
“I would like to see the game back in Boulder, because of tradition,” said Marty Graham of Thornton. “The game is played in Denver for money, not for the fans. It’s not the same. I didn’t go to school by the interstate in Denver. I went to CU.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
