Colorado State University Athletics
Canvas Stadium 10 Year Anniversary: Against the Wall, Rams Rally Past ‘Backs
7/16/2026 3:11:00 PM | Football, General
A 10-part series celebrating and revisiting the 10-year anniversary of the state of the art on-campus facility, Canvas Stadium
The season had not started well, and neither had the third game of the 2018 season.
Then again, it was an SEC opponent visiting Canvas Stadium and the Colorado State football program had never taken down a team from the conference in Fort Collins.
With 7:28 remaining in the third quarter and looking at a 27-9 deficit to Arkansas, it didn't seem like anything was about to change. Not without a direct approach.
"We talked about it all week—not words, but action. Action every single day in how we approach the day," then-coach Mike Bobo said. "In everything: Not just practice, not just meetings, but how we approach the day, trying to make an impact and doing what we need to do with actions and not just words."
Action indeed.
Colorado State had only produced three field goals as the offense sputtered, two of them set up by interceptions by Jordan Fogal and Manny Jones. Then something clicked offensively in what would become a 34-27 stunner.
Scoring on their final four possessions of the game, the Rams produced 25 unanswered points and the second win in program history against an SEC school. The first came on the road, beating LSU in 1992.
Quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels, who threw for 389 yards in the contest, started the rally with a 4-yard connection with Preston Williams, then found Cam Butler for the 2-point try. The two connected again on the next drive, the scoring pass covering 10 yards.
With 2:38 remaining, CSU took over at its own 41, needing six plays to grind out 59 yards. Williams had two receptions during the drive, covering 38 yards as he finished the game with 12 catches for 154 yards; Butler adding 107 on four receptions. The capper came as Izzy Matthews barreled in from the 1 with just :08 remaining to produce one of the most memorable CSU wins in the new facility.
Since that game, only three other Power Four schools have played at Canvas Stadium – Vanderbilt (2019), Washington State (2023) and Colorado (2024). BYU will play at Canvas this season on Sept. 19.
Then again, it was an SEC opponent visiting Canvas Stadium and the Colorado State football program had never taken down a team from the conference in Fort Collins.
With 7:28 remaining in the third quarter and looking at a 27-9 deficit to Arkansas, it didn't seem like anything was about to change. Not without a direct approach.
"We talked about it all week—not words, but action. Action every single day in how we approach the day," then-coach Mike Bobo said. "In everything: Not just practice, not just meetings, but how we approach the day, trying to make an impact and doing what we need to do with actions and not just words."
Action indeed.
Highlights from this memorable game 👇pic.twitter.com/7kkcrs4s4Q https://t.co/1k1PW9BXlV
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) July 16, 2026
Colorado State had only produced three field goals as the offense sputtered, two of them set up by interceptions by Jordan Fogal and Manny Jones. Then something clicked offensively in what would become a 34-27 stunner.
Scoring on their final four possessions of the game, the Rams produced 25 unanswered points and the second win in program history against an SEC school. The first came on the road, beating LSU in 1992.
Quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels, who threw for 389 yards in the contest, started the rally with a 4-yard connection with Preston Williams, then found Cam Butler for the 2-point try. The two connected again on the next drive, the scoring pass covering 10 yards.
With 2:38 remaining, CSU took over at its own 41, needing six plays to grind out 59 yards. Williams had two receptions during the drive, covering 38 yards as he finished the game with 12 catches for 154 yards; Butler adding 107 on four receptions. The capper came as Izzy Matthews barreled in from the 1 with just :08 remaining to produce one of the most memorable CSU wins in the new facility.
Since that game, only three other Power Four schools have played at Canvas Stadium – Vanderbilt (2019), Washington State (2023) and Colorado (2024). BYU will play at Canvas this season on Sept. 19.
Thursday, July 02
Wednesday, July 01
Tuesday, June 30
Wednesday, June 17