Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.

Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.

For Nos. 50 to 1, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati coordinated a 19-member committee to rank in order what they considered the top moments. The No. 1 moment will be revealed July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.

No. 39 — Sept. 5, 1986

Colorado State football records its first win over rival Colorado since 1958 with a 23-7 win in Boulder. The Rams took advantage of six CU turnovers with Steve Bartalo rushing for 145 yards and a touchdown. CSU built a 23-0 lead by the end of the third quarter and CU avoided being shut out, scoring with 29 seconds left in the game. CU was coming off its first winning season since 1978 and had high aspirations; CSU was 5-7 the previous year and the win was the impetus for the Rams’ first winning season since 1980. Colorado would lose its next three by a combined 10 points before rallying to win six Big Eight games, as both finished 6-5 in the 1986 regular season. Bartalo would go on to rush for 1,419 yards in 1986 and 4,813 for his career, both CSU records at the time with the career mark still first.

—Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian