Colorado State University Athletics
Memorable Moments: Nugent Guides Improbable Victory
11/23/2022 2:00:00 PM | Football
Coach Leon Fuller, in his second season at the helm of Colorado State football continued to rebuild a program that just two years prior had not seen a win all year. By the October 29, 1983, game against New Mexico, his football team had a 3-5 record and were scrapping for wins along the way. They knew the rebuild would take time and effort and saw many legendary Rams coming of age. Quarterback Terry Nugent, wide receiver Jeff Champine, running back Steve Bartalo and tight end/H-back Keli McGregor had all begun to become stars.
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The team was improving, but the New Mexico tilt would prove to be one of the greatest-come-from-behind victories in modern CSU football. While the game had little meaning on the season, it had more meaning on the team's ability to fight for a win and forget the 0-12 season of 1981.
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Foregoing the previous 59:20 of the game in which New Mexico never lost the lead and skip to 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter with the Rams starting a drive at their own 20 and no timeouts left. CSU trailed 24-17 and had been fighting the Lobos tooth and nail all day, but it was these 40 seconds which would determine the outcome during an otherwise mediocre season.
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Nugent took the ball and completed three passes to wide receiver Champine, the first for 19 yards, the second for 6 and last for 16. That took the Rams to the Lobo 39-yard line. Nugent then completed his fourth pass to McGregor, 17 yards to the 22-yard line. The clocked stopped to set the ball and Nugent knew he had to watch the time carefully.
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On the next play, Nugent was rushed by the Lobo defense and rather than take a sack, he intentionally grounded the ball giving up the penalty for 15 yards. Nugent said after the game, "There was no way I was going to be sacked, if I got sacked, time would have run out. It was a good call. Hey, I'll take that call any day."
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Now backed up to the Lobo 37-yard line and only seconds on the clock, Nugent called for the Hail Mary. The play is designed so that it is tipped in the air and an offensive player catches the ball. In this case, Nugent lofted the ball to the end zone, the 6-foot-7 McGregor tipped it and the Rams' Ron Jenkins dove to catch the ball on the 1-yard line. A great play, but not good enough with only 1 second left on the clock.
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With fans cheering and hoping for the best, Nugent knew that as soon as the ball was set it needed to be put in play. Nugent, who had called his own plays on the drive didn't huddle and yelled at the top of his lungs so that the New Mexico defense and reporters in the back of the end zone could hear him, "quarterback sneak!" The play wasn't so sneaky, but the Lobos were caught off-guard, and Nugent plunged in for the touchdown.
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Fuller said after the game, "With 40 seconds left, Terry had to call his own plays." Pausing for a quick smile, Fuller went on to say, "Maybe it's a good thing we didn't have time to send the plays in. What you just saw was a good example of how to run a 2-minute drill in 40 seconds."
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The Rams still trailed by a point and Fuller wasn't going to go for the tie in the days before overtime in college football. The Rams lined up and Nugent dropped back to pass, he double pumped and then fired a strike into the arms of McGregor with no time left on the clock to win 25-24. Fans were jubilant; the players almost couldn't believe what they had just pulled off.
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Fuller said after the game, "Our players never gave up. We knew we would pull it out."
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The great ending overshadowed a career day for Nugent who completed 32-of-41 passes for 434 yards. Champine broke his own personal best by catching 14 passes for 192 yards. The 1983 Rams went on to a 5-7 record, a far cry from the 0-12 record in 1981 and in three years would put in their best performance of the decade. The New Mexico rivalry dates to 1935, but this game is likely the closest and best finish to a football game against the Lobos in the long history between these two teams.Â
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The team was improving, but the New Mexico tilt would prove to be one of the greatest-come-from-behind victories in modern CSU football. While the game had little meaning on the season, it had more meaning on the team's ability to fight for a win and forget the 0-12 season of 1981.
Â
Foregoing the previous 59:20 of the game in which New Mexico never lost the lead and skip to 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter with the Rams starting a drive at their own 20 and no timeouts left. CSU trailed 24-17 and had been fighting the Lobos tooth and nail all day, but it was these 40 seconds which would determine the outcome during an otherwise mediocre season.
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Nugent took the ball and completed three passes to wide receiver Champine, the first for 19 yards, the second for 6 and last for 16. That took the Rams to the Lobo 39-yard line. Nugent then completed his fourth pass to McGregor, 17 yards to the 22-yard line. The clocked stopped to set the ball and Nugent knew he had to watch the time carefully.
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On the next play, Nugent was rushed by the Lobo defense and rather than take a sack, he intentionally grounded the ball giving up the penalty for 15 yards. Nugent said after the game, "There was no way I was going to be sacked, if I got sacked, time would have run out. It was a good call. Hey, I'll take that call any day."
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Now backed up to the Lobo 37-yard line and only seconds on the clock, Nugent called for the Hail Mary. The play is designed so that it is tipped in the air and an offensive player catches the ball. In this case, Nugent lofted the ball to the end zone, the 6-foot-7 McGregor tipped it and the Rams' Ron Jenkins dove to catch the ball on the 1-yard line. A great play, but not good enough with only 1 second left on the clock.
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With fans cheering and hoping for the best, Nugent knew that as soon as the ball was set it needed to be put in play. Nugent, who had called his own plays on the drive didn't huddle and yelled at the top of his lungs so that the New Mexico defense and reporters in the back of the end zone could hear him, "quarterback sneak!" The play wasn't so sneaky, but the Lobos were caught off-guard, and Nugent plunged in for the touchdown.
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Fuller said after the game, "With 40 seconds left, Terry had to call his own plays." Pausing for a quick smile, Fuller went on to say, "Maybe it's a good thing we didn't have time to send the plays in. What you just saw was a good example of how to run a 2-minute drill in 40 seconds."
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The Rams still trailed by a point and Fuller wasn't going to go for the tie in the days before overtime in college football. The Rams lined up and Nugent dropped back to pass, he double pumped and then fired a strike into the arms of McGregor with no time left on the clock to win 25-24. Fans were jubilant; the players almost couldn't believe what they had just pulled off.
Â
Fuller said after the game, "Our players never gave up. We knew we would pull it out."
Â
The great ending overshadowed a career day for Nugent who completed 32-of-41 passes for 434 yards. Champine broke his own personal best by catching 14 passes for 192 yards. The 1983 Rams went on to a 5-7 record, a far cry from the 0-12 record in 1981 and in three years would put in their best performance of the decade. The New Mexico rivalry dates to 1935, but this game is likely the closest and best finish to a football game against the Lobos in the long history between these two teams.Â
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