‘They hate everything about CSU’

* This story was originally published in November of 2019. Mike Bobo was fired at season's end and is now the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Georgia. Wyoming knocked off CSU 17-7 in the meeting described below

LARAMIE -- Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo shared a few of his thoughts Monday, leading up to the 111th meeting between the Cowboys and Rams.

He didn't sugarcoat much.

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"I think they hate us," Bobo said, referring to a 6-4 Wyoming team, coming off back-to-back losses at Boise State and Utah State. "There's no doubt about that. They hate everything about CSU. I want us to go out and play a game and take advantage of our opportunity is what I want us to do ... We're playing hard. We can have hatred, we can love them, I don't care. I want to kick their butt and they want to kick ours."

Bobo and the Rams haven't been kicking much butt in rivalry games in his five-year tenure in Fort Collins.

Colorado is 5-0 against the Rams. Air Force is 4-1 against its Interstate-25 rival. So is Wyoming.

Bobo's Rams have gone zero for their last 11 against those three main rivals.

"I expect our guys to be ready, excited," he said. "There's not a lot of guys in there who have experienced a victory with Wyoming. We want to win this game for a lot of reasons. This game means a ton for a bunch of people who have played in this game, that love Colorado State, that love Wyoming. We want to win it for the guys in that room. I want them to feel what it feels like to have one of those moments."

Last season, Sean Chambers made his debut under center for Wyoming and dusted CSU on the ground and through the air. Chambers finished with 116 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He also rushed for 101 yards and a score in the 34-21 win inside Canvas Stadium.

After the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Cowboys raced over the Bronze Boot and took it to the brown-and-gold clad section. There, they chanted in chorus: "It sucks to be a CSU Ram."

The moment was caught on television. It was clearly audible.

Now, it's being used as a motivational tool.

Monday, the Jumbotron at CSU's new on-campus stadium played the scene over and over again. Some tweeted that you could hear it all over campus.

You think Bobo is sending a message to his team this week?

"There's always teams you dislike as a coach and as a player," Bobo said. "I would say Wyoming and Colorado State is a we-dislike-each-other rivalry."

Bobo, who was a quarterback and coordinator at the University of Georgia, said the Bulldogs and Auburn have a "friendly rivalry." Georgia Tech, on the other hand, resembles the feelings in the Border War, he added.

Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl praised Bobo and the Rams Monday afternoon at his weekly press conference in Laramie. Wyoming has won the last three games in the series, including seven of the last 10.

Unlike his old rival at Nebraska, Oklahoma, Bohl said this game is special for a number of reasons. Longevity is right at the top of the list.

"This one's intact and it means a lot," he said. "It became very apparent to me when I first arrived that this game here you better circle it. It means a lot to the people in our state, it means a lot to our university and not only the people in our state but alums all over.

"These are the games that you live for."

Wyoming and Colorado State are set to kickoff Friday night at 7:30 p.m. from War Memorial Stadium.