1997 WAC Championship Game

College football game

1997 WAC Championship Game

2nd WAC Championship Game
| New Mexico Lobos | Colorado State Rams

|

(9–2) | (9–2)
13 | 41
Head coach:
Dennis Franchione | Head coach:
Sonny Lubick
| AP| Coaches

|

RV| 25
| AP| Coaches

|

20| 18
|  | 1| 2| 3| 4 | Total

|
|
|
|
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New Mexico | 3| 7| 3| 0 | 13
Colorado State | 0| 10| 7| 24 | 41
Date| December 6, 1997
Season| 1997
Stadium| Sam Boyd Stadium
Location| Whitney, Nevada
Attendance| 12,706
United States TV coverage
Network| ABC
|  WAC Championship Game

< 1996 |  1998 >
1997 Western Athletic Conference football standings

* v
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* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

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Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
Mountain Division
New Mexico x  |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 4  |
Rice |  | 5  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
SMU |  | 5  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Utah |  | 5  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
BYU |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
UTEP |  | 3  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Tulsa |  | 2  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 9  |
TCU |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 10  |
Pacific Division
No. 17 Colorado State x$  |  | 7  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 11  | - | 2  |
Air Force |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 10  | - | 3  |
Fresno State |  | 5  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 6  |
Wyoming |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 6  |
San Diego State |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 7  |
San Jose State |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
UNLV |  | 2  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |
Hawaii |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 9  |
Championship: Colorado State 41, New Mexico 13

* $ - Conference champion
* x - Division champion/co-champions

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1997 WAC Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 6, 1997, at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada. This was the 2nd and penultimate WAC Championship Game and determined the 1997 champion of the Western Athletic Conference. The game featured the New Mexico Lobos, champions of the Mountain division, and the Colorado State Rams, champions of the Pacific division. Colorado State would win the game 41–13.[1][2]

## Teams

[edit]

### Colorado State

[edit]

Main article: 1997 Colorado State Rams football team

### New Mexico

[edit]

Main article: 1997 New Mexico Lobos football team

## Game summary

[edit]

1997 WAC Championship Game

Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3| 4| Total

|
|
|
|
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New Mexico | 3 | 7 | 3| 0| 13
No. 20 Colorado State | 0 | 10 | 7| 24| 41

at Sam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, Nevada

* Date: December 6, 1997
* Game attendance: 12,706
* TV: ABC
* WAC game summary

Game information

First quarter

* (4:40) UNM – Colby Cason 37 yard field goal (UNM 3-0)

Second quarter

* (12:43) CSU – Derek Franz 47 yard field goal (Tied 3–3)
* (8:01) UNM – Reginal Johnson 7 yard run, Colby Cason kick (UNM 10–3)
* (3:44) CSU – Damon Washington 51 yard run, Derek Franz kick (Tied 10–10)

Third quarter

* (11:02) CSU – Kevin McDougal 44 yard run, Derek Franz kick (CSU 17–10)
* (8:22) UNM – Colby Cason 36 yard field goal (CSU 17–13)

Fourth quarter

* (9:11) CSU – Derek Franz 26 yard field goal (CSU 20–13)
* (8:01) CSU – Kevin McDougal 42 yard run, Derek Franz kick (CSU 27–13)
* (3:32) CSU – Derrek Uhl 19 yard pass from Jaime Blake, Derek Franz kick (CSU 34–13)
* (1:48) CSU – Kevin McDougal 66 yard run, Derek Franz kick (CSU 41–13)

### Statistics

[edit]

Statistics  | UNM  | CSU

|
|

First downs |  |
Plays–yards |  |
Rushes–yards |  |
Passing yards |  |
Passing: comp–att–int |  |
Time of possession |  |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics

|
|
|

New Mexico  | Passing | Graham Leigh | 17–27, 172 yds, 1 INT
Rushing | Eric Jaworsky | 9 car, 104 yds
Receiving | Pascal Volz | 4 rec, 53 yds
Colorado State  | Passing | Moses Moreno | 9–20, 92 yds, 3 INT
Rushing | Kevin McDougal | 20 car, 255 yds, 3 TD
Receiving | Eli Workman | 3 rec, 29 yds

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Colorado State 41, New Mexico 13". UPI. December 6, 1997. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
2. ^ "Western Athletic Conf. Championship". Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. December 7, 1997. p. C9. Retrieved March 8, 2019 - via newspapers.com.

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* t
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1997 NCAA football conference championship games

* Big 12
* MAC
* SEC
* WAC

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Western Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

Years|

* 1996
* 1997
* 1998

Venues|

* Sam Boyd Stadium (1996–1998)

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* e

Colorado State Rams football

Venues|

* Durkee Field (1899–1911)
* Colorado Field (1912–1967)
* Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium (1968–2016)
* Canvas Stadium (2017–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Air Force (Ram–Falcon Trophy)
* Colorado: Rocky Mountain Showdown
* Wyoming: Border War

Culture & lore|

* CAM the Ram
* Fight Song
* Marching Rams

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders
* School records
* Consensus All-Americans
* Hall of Fame inductees

Seasons|

* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895–1898
* 1899
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New Mexico Lobos football

Venues|

* University Field (1892–1937)
* Zimmerman Field (1938–1959)
* University Stadium (1960–2019, 2021–present)
* Sam Boyd Stadium (2020)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Arizona
* New Mexico State: Rio Grande Rivalry

Culture & lore|

* Lobo
* "Hail, New Mexico"
* Spirit Marching Band
* Red Menace

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895–1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
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* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
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* 1938
* 1939
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* 1946
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* 1954
* 1955
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
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*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[No.]: Number
*[comp]: Completions
*[att]: Attempts
*[int]: Interceptions