It is a college football rivalry for the ages. It is a series played in three different centuries, dating back to the first meeting in 1899. And for both of this week’s teams — the Wyoming Cowboys and the Colorado State Rams — it is the oldest rivalry in their histories.

Saturday will see the Cowboys and Rams meet on a football field for the 113th time in The Border War. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. from War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.

Wyoming enters Saturday’s game with a 4-4 overall record and an 0-4 record in the Mountain West. Colorado State is 3-5 overall and 2-2 in the Mountain West.

The Border War dates back to Nov. 30, 1899, when CSU won the first meeting 12-0 in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Since 1968, the two schools have battled for the “Bronze Boot” traveling trophy, making this the 54th time the Pokes and Rams have played for the prize; it was  created from an actual boot worn in Vietnam by Dan Romero, a CSU ROTC instructor. Wyoming leads the Bronze Boot portion of the series 28-25.

Following the end of World War II, Wyoming and CSU have played every season for 76 consecutive years. Dating back to the 1946 season, Wyoming leads 43-32-0, but Colorado State leads the overall series 59-48-5.

Valladay close to record

Wyoming running back Xazavian Valladay will enter this Saturday’s game having rushed for 2,895 career rushing yards to rank No. 4 in Wyoming history.   

He trails only Brian Hill (4,287 rushing yards from 2014-16); Devin Moore (2,963 yards rushing from 2005-08); and Ryan Christopherson (2,906 rushing yards from 1991-94) on Wyoming’s career rushing list. Valladay needs only 11 more rushing yards to tie Christopherson and 68 to reach Moore.

With 105 more rushing yards, Valladay will join Hill as the only two Cowboys to ever rush for 3,000 career rushing yards. He’s already one of only 12 to rush for more than 2,000 career yards.

Valladay rushed for 396 yards as a redshirt freshman, 1,265 rushing yards as a sophomore and 550 yards in only five games in 2020. This season, he has rushed for 684 yards. 

Muma in elite company

Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma was named one of 16 semifinalists for the prestigious Butkus Award on Monday. The award, now in its 37th year, honors the nation’s best linebackers. Finalists are expected to be announced Nov. 22 and winners by Dec. 7.

Muma was the only Mountain West player named a semifinalist this year. (This is the second time in three years that Wyoming has had a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. Former Cowboy linebacker Logan Wilson, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, was named a semifinalist in 2019.)

That wasn’t the only national honor that Muma received this week. Also on Monday, the Maxwell Football Club named him as a semifinalist for the 27th Chuck Bednarik Award, powered by Mammoth Tech. The Bednarik Award is presented annually to the outstanding defensive player in college football. Muma was one of only two Mountain West players named as semifinalists.

Fantastic freshman

In another Monday honor, Wyoming freshman punter Ralph Fawaz was selected as the Mountain West’s Freshman of the Week for his Saturday performance against San Jose State. It was the second time this season that Fawaz earned the honor. He averaged 48.8 yards per punt on four punts at San Jose State, including three punts of 50 or more yards (50, 51 and 55).

The Rams also have an outstanding punter in Ryan Stonehouse, who has been named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List every year of his college career. The Guy Award is presented annually to the nation’s best punter. This season he is averaging 51.3 yards per punt to rank No. 2 in the nation, behind only San Diego State’s Matt Araiza.

CSU’s offense is paced by one of the nation’s top tight ends in Trey McBride. He has 65 catches for 740 yards and one touchdown on the season. McBride has been named one of the semifinalists for this year’s Mackey Award, which honors the nation’s top collegiate tight end each season.

Special meaning

The Border War series with Colorado State holds a special meaning for 23 Wyoming Cowboys who played their high school football in the state of Colorado. Seven of those Pokes have started for Wyoming this season, including: center Keegan Cryder, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt, linebacker Chad Muma, safeties Esaias Gandy and Braden Smith, place-kicker John Hoyland and wide receiver Wyatt Wieland 

There are also 13 players on the Wyoming roster from Wyoming, who have grown up with the Border War rivalry. Five have started for the Pokes this season: defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole, tight end/fullback Parker Christensen, offensive tackle Frank Crum, fullback Caleb Driskill and offensive guard Logan Harris.

A reunion

Several members of the 1996 Wyoming Cowboy football team will be returning for a team reunion this weekend. The team will be recognized Saturday on the field during the game.

It was 25 years ago that the ‘96 Cowboys, led by their late head coach Joe Tiller, posted a 10-2 season, had the nation’s longest winning streak, earned a spot in the inaugural Western Athletic Conference Championship Game and ended the season ranked No. 22 in the nation in both The Associated Press and Coaches Poll final rankings.

Wide receiver Marcus Harris won the 1996 Biletnikoff Award and earned Consensus All-America honors while setting an NCAA record for career receiving yards, with 4,518 yards.

The Cowboys were the No. 1 ranked passing offense in the nation in ‘96, averaging 359.2 passing yards per game, and quarterback Josh Wallwork was No. 1 in total offense, averaging 350.8 yards per game.

Three members of that 1996 team earned First Team All-America honors: Harris, offensive tackle Steve Scifres and place-kicker Cory Wedel. Harris, Wallwork, Scifres and Wedel were joined on the 1996 WAC All-Conference team by linebacker Jim Talich and defensive back Lee Vaughn.

Tiller was selected as the 1996 WAC Coach of the Year and was honored by the American Football Coaches Association as the Region 4 Coach of the Year.

For fans unable to attend Saturday’s game versus Colorado State, there are several ways to watch and listen. Every Cowboy Football game is broadcast live on the 26 affiliates of the Cowboy Sports Network while Saturday’s contest will be televised on CBS Sports Network.