The Feb. 11, 1893, edition of the Boulder Daily Camera informed readers of a big game going down later that day.

The game preview read, in its entirety: “Today the foot ball giants of the ‘U’ go to Fort Collins to knock out, kick and bruise the husky farmers of the Agricultural college.”

CU did just that. Reports of the final score vary, although both schools now mark it down as a 70-6 win for CU, which was unquestionably the superior squad.

With that, the Colorado vs. Colorado State rivalry was born. What started as a challenge game has turned into the Rocky Mountain Showdown, with Saturday slated to be the 93rd meeting — and the last one until 2029.

Over time, CU has dominated the series, with 68 wins, 22 losses and two ties. The Buffs have also won the past six meetings, although the Rams aren’t nearly as easy to beat as they were in the early days. In fact, two of the past six meetings have gone to overtime, including the Buffs escaping with a 43-35 double overtime win a year ago in Boulder.

CU head coach Deion Sanders and the current Buffaloes may not be well versed in the history or the passion of the rivalry, but they know enough that they can’t look past the Rams.

“They know. They know,” Sanders said of his players understanding the importance. “I mean, all these kids have social media handles, and I’m pretty sure they know. They spend a quantity of time on social, so they know what time it is. When they came here, it was explained from the former players, the players that we retained from last season, about how important these rivalry games are.

“But honestly, to tell you the truth, these games are truly important but every game is a huge game for us.”

There’s no question about that.

While there have been some exceptional and meaningful games throughout the history of the Rocky Mountain Showdown, it doesn’t really matter to the 2024 Buffs that it’s CSU on the other side of the field this week. Following a 28-10 loss at longtime rival Nebraska last week, CU needs a win — regardless of who it’s against — this week.

“They’re all just nameless, faceless opponents,” said Buffs linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, who is new to the rivalry. “We’re going to prepare the same way. We’re going to have that focus, bring that fire. We’re going to start fast. That’s what we’ve been preaching all week on defense. And you know, we’re going to do our job. It’s just another job that we got to do.”

CU is a week away from the start of Big 12 Conference play, a nine-game slate that includes four opponents currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

The Buffs can’t afford to drop a game against a Rams team they are favored to beat, and Coach Prime knows the importance of this week for the Buffs to get back on track.

“We are holding everybody accountable, including myself, in a sense of urgency,” he said.

Two games in, the Buffs have been great on defense in the second halves of games but not so good in the first half. They’ve also been up and down on offense, and they’re coming off a dismal performance at Nebraska.

Saturday offers CU a chance to reassert its dominance over an in-state rival, but more importantly, it’s a chance to put together a strong performance to wrap up nonconference play.

Defensive end BJ Green, an Arizona State transfer who is also new to the Showdown, said, “We have to take that (rivalry) very seriously, but I feel like the biggest thing we have to do is play like us and play like how we know we can play. Play, kind of, Colorado brand of football.”