1997 WAC Championship Game

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.

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 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

1997 Western Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf.							Overall
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

Teams

Colorado State

Main article: 1997 Colorado State Rams football team

New Mexico

Main article: 1997 New Mexico Lobos football team

Game summary

1997 WAC Championship Game

Quarter	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)

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