The Rocky Mountain Showdown is one of the greatest rivalries in college football. The hate between Colorado and Colorado State is nonstop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it one of the best atmospheres on game day.

The lows are low when you lose, and the highs are high when you win; CSU has had some pretty great highs. Out of the 22 wins CSU has had, here a few that stand out among the rest. These all-time great moments have a reason for being remembered.

1. 2002: CSU takes down No. 7 Colorado.

On Aug. 31, 2002, CSU walked into a packed Mile High Stadium as underdogs when they faced No. 7 Colorado. In 2001, CU finished the season ranked No. 9 after a loss in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon. CSU came into this game looking for revenge after CU beat the Rams in 2001. At the time, the Rams were ranked No. 24 in the nation and were looking to improve their ranking; however, the Buffaloes dashed those hopes, beating the Rams 41-14.

In 2002, CSU held the Buffs scoreless after three quarters and was able to put up 13 points to control the game. The Rams and the Buffs went scoreless in the third quarter, meaning that the Rams were up 13-0 with 15 minutes to go. Disaster then struck the Rams when they gave up a punt return touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Rams gave up another touchdown when Chris Brown, a running back for the Buffaloes, scored on a short run with 9:46 left in the game, giving CU a 14-13 point lead over CSU.

The Rams then drove down the field and set themselves up for a score. With 6:30 left in the game, the Rams snapped the ball on the 23-yard line, and some mile-high magic happened. Bradlee Van Pelt took the ball on a quarterback keeper play to the left and rushed down the field at full speed to score a go ahead touchdown for the Rams. As Van Pelt crossed the goal line, he turned to Roderick Sneed, a Colorado defender, and spiked the ball off his head to celebrate, creating one of the most iconic moments in the rivalry. CSU got their revenge over the Buffs and did it in style with a final score of 19-14.

2. 1999 CSU walks all over Buffs

The last 20th century meeting between the Buffs and the Rams was in 1999, and CSU left its mark in glorious beat-down fashion. The Buffs came into the game ranked No. 14, but they played like the worst team in the nation. The Rams thrashed the Buffs 41-14, and CSU running back Kevin McDougal rushed for almost 200 yards and scored two touchdowns.

CSU scored 14 points in the first quarter and scored another 14 points in the second, giving CSU a 28-0 lead. At halftime, CSU put up 117 rushing yards and recovered four turnovers given up by the Buffs. CSU smashed CU and still had another 30 minutes to continue to lay the beat down. CSU scored 13 more points by the end of the game, and Colorado finally scored its first points of the game with less than nine minutes remaining. CSU had nine sacks in this game, absolutely dominating the Buffs O-line.

3. 2014 Dee Hart and Treyous Jarrells run over Boulder

CSU football has had some recent troubles with Colorado in the past 10 years, but the last win in 2014 was a sweet one. Alabama transfer Dee Hart showed up to this game ready to prove why he was a four-star recruit in high school. He ran for 139 yards and two touchdowns and averaged 6.3 yards per carry. CSU also had Treyous Jarrells in the backfield to help run it down the Buffs’ throat. He ran 121 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry on 17 rushing attempts and a touchdown to top off a stellar performance.

The Rams were down most of the game until the fourth quarter, when Rashard Higgins caught a 16-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. CSU scored 24 unanswered points to win the game, making it CSU’s second win over Boulder in three years.

Will CSU be able to add another elusive win over Colorado to continue on the great Rocky Mountain Showdown history? Only time will tell.

Reach Alex Graser at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter at @AlexGraser5354.

Interested in more sports content? Sign up for Ram Report here for weekly CSU sports updates!