Nearly two weeks ago, the sports world came to a complete stop as many professional leagues and college athletics suspended their remaining games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not long after the suspensions of seasons, many leagues canceled the entirety of their seasons.
Sports fans all over the world have to figure out what to do without sports. For many, watching a game was part of their nightly routine. Now it is not. Sports allow people to escape reality for a little bit and focus on the greatest athletes in the world. So, what exactly are sports fans supposed to do without sports?
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Many sports programs have resorted to replaying classic games for fans to indulge in. NASCAR even had a virtual race with current racers to fill the void. Here are some games you can rewatch to help forget all the darkness in the world for a couple of hours and get back to watching sports.
These are not in order of greatness.
2013 New Mexico Bowl
Seven years ago, former Ram Shaquil Barrett cemented his legacy at Colorado State as he led the comeback in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl.
CSU found themselves in a 35-23 hole as Washington State dominated the first half. The Rams needed a strong second half both defensively and offensively to stop the bleeding and make something out of this game. Enter Kapri Bibbs.
Bibbs found the end zone once in the first half, a 1-yard rush with less than a minute left. Then in the third quarter, Bibbs put six more points on the board for the Rams with a 75-yard touchdown to help put the score at 38-30.
The Rams battled back to cut the deficit to 45-37. Now enter Barrett. He stripped WSU’s running back at the Cougars’ 33, which set up another 1-yard touchdown for Bibbs, tying the game up at 45 with 30 seconds left on the clock.
The Cougars fumbled the kickoff return at the 24, leading the Rams to a 41-yard field goal as the clock struck zero, capping the 22-point comeback in one of CSU’s greatest games of all time.
Remember this one?
The #CSURams scored 18 points in 3 minutes to shock Washington St. in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl! https://t.co/ngFK8YLXPT pic.twitter.com/mBcTG0nU1E
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) December 17, 2016
2018 Arkansas vs. Colorado State — Condensed game
Arkansas visited Fort Collins in September 2018. Arkansas led 13-9 at the half and had 253 total yards to the Rams’ 99 total yards. The Razorbacks scored twice early in the third, extending the lead to 27-9.
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Next, the Rams scored 25 unanswered points to come back and win 34-27 for the first win against an SEC team in CSU football history. The Rams had 330 total yards to the Razorbacks’ 184 total yards in the second half.
2020 Nevada vs. Colorado State men’s basketball — No game stream but a highlight reel
The Colorado State men’s basketball team had an exceptional year, even though the first round exit in the Mountain West tournament to rival Wyoming was disappointing. Still, it was a solid season for a team of almost all freshmen and transfers.
While there were many great games over the season, the win against Nevada is a top game for CSU men’s basketball.
It was back and forth all game. Adam Thistlewood led the Rams in scoring with 24 points, and Jalen Harris led all scoring with 31 points. CSU freshman Isaiah Stevens shot 50% from the field (4-8), grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
With 1:04 left to play, the Rams and the Wolf Pack were all tied up at 85. Nevada went nearly a minute without scoring, allowing the Rams to take an 89-85 lead with 23 seconds left. Then, a 3-pointer from Nisré Zouzoua brought Nevada within one point. Stevens hit a free throw with 10 seconds left to increase the lead 90-88. Nevada inbounded the ball to Harris, and he calmly hit a three to take a 91-90 lead with six seconds left.
The entirety of Moby Arena did not know what would happen next, as the air left the building after the three. Stevens ran the full length of the court and calmly hit a mid-range jumper as time expired to give the Rams a 92-91 win.
No question, @IsaiahStevens7 is 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙈𝘼𝙉 ❄️ pic.twitter.com/DgjmSbauzm
— Colorado State Men’s Basketball (@CSUMBasketball) January 30, 2020
Broncos vs. Panthers Super Bowl 50 — Full game
It was a huge day for the state of Colorado when the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. It was a battle between the Broncos’ defenses and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
This game helped put the Broncos’ defense in talks as one of the best of all time, especially with how the defense handled Newton.
Also featured in this game is one of the greatest Super Bowl stat lines for a quarterback, as Peyton Manning went 13/23 for 141 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception and a QBR of 8.6. This stat line is incredible because it reveals how strong and special this defense was. CSU’s Barrett was also a member of the defense.
2014 NCAA Tournament Colorado State Rams volleyball vs. Colorado — No video but highlights
The Colorado State Rams volleyball team went 31-3 that season and reached a ranking of No. 9 in the nation. The Rams only lost two regular season games against No. 4 Wisconsin early in the season and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas later in the season.
The Rams got a bid into the NCAA volleyball tournament, obviously, and got through round one fairly easy. Round two is where they met the Buffs and renewed the rivalry in Moby Arena.
The showdown resulted in a 3-2 CSU victory. The Rams won the first two sets, dropped the next two and then won 16-14 in the fifth set. Marlee Reynolds went off for 18 kills and five blocks, but it was overall a solid team victory, as CSU had five players in double-digit kills.
Longtime coach Tom Hilbert said this game was one of the greatest matches of his career.
“This has been the happiest and greatest match I have been a part of in 18 years here at CSU,” Hilbert said.
All of these games are great to revisit to take your mind off the craziness in the world. Hopefully you can find full game videos of these, but if not, a long highlight reel can do just as much.
Tyler Meguire can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @TMeguire.
