Colorado State University Athletics
This Week In History: Hughes Captures Crown in 1934
11/27/2019 1:00:00 PM | Football
November 24, 1934 – Coach Harry Hughes completed his 24th season as head coach of Aggies football in 1934 and was in a position to win a share of the conference championship. The scenario was very contrived for the title, and many teams had to win or lose on Thanksgiving Day so the Aggies could claim a piece of the championship pie.
For the first time in seven years, the Utah Utes were out of contention for the conference championship. Utah's coach Ike Armstrong had taken the conference title or a share of it since 1928, but losses to Colorado State and Colorado kicked them out of the running. Heading into the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Aggies were tied for second place with Colorado, and the Colorado Teachers. The Teachers had upset CU, and their lone conference loss to Colorado State put them in the same position as the other Colorado schools.
The Aggies traveled to Colorado Springs to take on the Colorado College Tigers for their last game of the 1934 season. There would be no Thanksgiving game for the Aggies this year, so they had to beat CC and hope for Utah State to lose to Utah on Thanksgiving Day.
The game in Colorado Springs was not even close as Wilbur "Red" White, playing the last game of his stellar career, ran rough-shod all over Washburn Field. White ran 66 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Later in the first quarter, White passed to Chester Cruikshank, also a senior, for the second touchdown. Once the first quarter ended, the Aggies were on the Tigers' 7-yard line, and Hughes inserted eight backup players to start the second quarter.
Even with backup players, the Aggies continued the score on the Tigers with Sam Campbell, Leonard Volz, and two more by White to bring the final score to 40-6. Despite the snow that pummeled down in the second half, White's last touchdown of the day was a 56-yard run. The Aggies came out on top finishing the year 6-2-1 and just needed to wait on Thanksgiving Day games to decide the championship.
On November 29, Utah beat Utah State knocking them out of first place with their only conference loss. It was the Utah State tie with Colorado State on November 10th which knocked the Utes out of contention, because they did not have enough conference games to qualify on a win-percentage basis. Colorado barely edged out Denver, and since the Colorado Aggies' lone loss was to CU, that put the two rivals in first place with the Colorado Teachers. The three-way tie for the conference championship is the only time three schools from Colorado have tied to win a championship.
The 1934 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship did not come without controversy. The Teachers did not play either Utah team, but since they played other small Colorado schools in the conference and were able to upset the Buffaloes, they qualified on a percentage basis to tie for the championship. Both CU's coach Bill Saunders and Hughes opposed the fact the Teachers could win the title without playing the toughest teams in the conference.
Other schools agreed with Hughes and Saunders and saw the RMAC as being too large with too many small schools like Western State, Colorado College, Colorado Mines and Regis playing against them. By the end of the 1937 calendar year, Colorado State led the charge to form a new conference of the larger schools and leave the smaller schools in the RMAC. Beginning in 1938 the Mountain States Conference (AKA Skyline Conference) was formed consisting of Colorado State, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Utah State, Denver and Brigham Young University. That conference lasted until 1961, when the Western Athletic Conference was formed.
Hughes had won his eighth and final conference championship in 1934, and in 1935, received the nickname Dean of American Football Coaches by his peers because he had served more years at one school than any other coach in the NCAA. He remains the only coach to win eight conference championships in football at CSU, and his legacy continues to be honored decades after his final season.
For the first time in seven years, the Utah Utes were out of contention for the conference championship. Utah's coach Ike Armstrong had taken the conference title or a share of it since 1928, but losses to Colorado State and Colorado kicked them out of the running. Heading into the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Aggies were tied for second place with Colorado, and the Colorado Teachers. The Teachers had upset CU, and their lone conference loss to Colorado State put them in the same position as the other Colorado schools.
The Aggies traveled to Colorado Springs to take on the Colorado College Tigers for their last game of the 1934 season. There would be no Thanksgiving game for the Aggies this year, so they had to beat CC and hope for Utah State to lose to Utah on Thanksgiving Day.
The game in Colorado Springs was not even close as Wilbur "Red" White, playing the last game of his stellar career, ran rough-shod all over Washburn Field. White ran 66 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Later in the first quarter, White passed to Chester Cruikshank, also a senior, for the second touchdown. Once the first quarter ended, the Aggies were on the Tigers' 7-yard line, and Hughes inserted eight backup players to start the second quarter.
Even with backup players, the Aggies continued the score on the Tigers with Sam Campbell, Leonard Volz, and two more by White to bring the final score to 40-6. Despite the snow that pummeled down in the second half, White's last touchdown of the day was a 56-yard run. The Aggies came out on top finishing the year 6-2-1 and just needed to wait on Thanksgiving Day games to decide the championship.
On November 29, Utah beat Utah State knocking them out of first place with their only conference loss. It was the Utah State tie with Colorado State on November 10th which knocked the Utes out of contention, because they did not have enough conference games to qualify on a win-percentage basis. Colorado barely edged out Denver, and since the Colorado Aggies' lone loss was to CU, that put the two rivals in first place with the Colorado Teachers. The three-way tie for the conference championship is the only time three schools from Colorado have tied to win a championship.
The 1934 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship did not come without controversy. The Teachers did not play either Utah team, but since they played other small Colorado schools in the conference and were able to upset the Buffaloes, they qualified on a percentage basis to tie for the championship. Both CU's coach Bill Saunders and Hughes opposed the fact the Teachers could win the title without playing the toughest teams in the conference.
Other schools agreed with Hughes and Saunders and saw the RMAC as being too large with too many small schools like Western State, Colorado College, Colorado Mines and Regis playing against them. By the end of the 1937 calendar year, Colorado State led the charge to form a new conference of the larger schools and leave the smaller schools in the RMAC. Beginning in 1938 the Mountain States Conference (AKA Skyline Conference) was formed consisting of Colorado State, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Utah State, Denver and Brigham Young University. That conference lasted until 1961, when the Western Athletic Conference was formed.
Hughes had won his eighth and final conference championship in 1934, and in 1935, received the nickname Dean of American Football Coaches by his peers because he had served more years at one school than any other coach in the NCAA. He remains the only coach to win eight conference championships in football at CSU, and his legacy continues to be honored decades after his final season.
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 2 (2025)
Monday, September 01
Colorado State Football: Long (L) and Warren (R) Postgame (Washington, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Post-Game (Washington, 2025)
Sunday, August 31
Colorado State Football: Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference - Week 1 (2025)
Monday, August 25