1997 WAC Championship Game

2nd WAC Championship Game

(9–2)

Head coach:
Dennis Franchione

Head coach:
Sonny Lubick

AP	Coaches
RV	25

AP	Coaches
20	18

	1	2	3	4	Total
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 t e
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

Colorado State

New Mexico

Game summary

1997 WAC Championship Game

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
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)

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

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

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

v t 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 Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders School records Consensus All-Americans Hall of Fame inductees
Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895–1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

v t e New Mexico Lobos football
Venues	University Field (1892–1937) Zimmerman Field (1938–1959) University Stadium (1960–2019 and 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 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

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v t e Western Athletic Conference Football Championship Game
Years	1996 1997 1998
Venues	Sam Boyd Stadium (1996–1998)