CSU wasn't overly successful in Lubick's three years as offensive coordinator, winning only 12 games total and only once getting to .500 in WAC play.

[5] While at Miami, Lubick molded a tough and physical Hurricane defense that featured the likes of Cortez Kennedy and Russell Maryland.

Faced with a culture of losing, Lubick assembled a staff of assistants that included eventual Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and began aggressively recruiting and attempting to change CSU's image.

Known for their vaunted "Desert Swarm" defense, Arizona had been picked by several publications, including Sports Illustrated, to win the national championship, but it was CSU that took a stunning 14–6 lead.

With Arizona driving to the CSU 21 in the second half, Garrett Sand forced a fumble that Moran recovered and ran back 79 yards for a touchdown.

A victory the following week over UTEP set up a nationally televised showdown with Utah, also undefeated, at Hughes Stadium.

With extra bleachers brought into the 30,000 seat facility, a crowd of 39,107, the largest in Hughes Stadium history, witnessed a heartbreaking 45–31 shootout loss.

The victory earned Colorado State their first-ever trip to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, where the Rams lost a hard-fought 24–14 affair to Michigan.

The 10–2 campaign was the start of 10 straight winning seasons under Lubick, and also earned him National Coach of the Year honors from Sports Illustrated.

Led by quarterback Moses Moreno, the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, running back Kevin McDougal, and future Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans, Colorado State stormed through the rest of league play, with a 14–7 victory at Wyoming October 18 the closest they came to defeat.

During this period of success, Lubick reportedly received interest and coaching offers from several other high-profile programs, including Miami and USC.

But the commitment to his program, and intense efforts from fans to keep the lovable coach in Fort Collins, lead to Lubick staying at CSU each time.

On September 4 the game, dubbed the Rocky Mountain Showdown, was played at a neutral site, Mile High Stadium in Denver for the second straight year, and the Rams were once again considered underdogs against the ranked Buffaloes.

However, behind 189 rushing yards and two touchdowns from McDougal, the Rams blew out the Buffaloes 41–14, marking the first time in 13 years that CSU had beaten their in-state rivals.

Victories over Wyoming and Air Force also completed the "Front Range" sweep, and the Rams finished 8–4 again, this time tying for the Mountain West title.

In 2000 Lubick's Rams, led primarily by Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year Matt Newton, defeated Colorado for the second straight season 28–24.

With the graduation of several key seniors and the preseason loss of starting running back Cecil Sapp to injury, Lubick faced a rebuilding year in 2001.

A transfer from Michigan State, Van Pelt's dual-threat capability as a running and passing quarterback would make him a two-time conference player of the year.

After losing to CU in 2001, Van Pelt and the Rams, bolstered by the return of Sapp, went into their Rocky Mountain Showdown heavy underdogs against a Buffaloes team ranked sixth in the nation.

As he neared the goal line, Van Pelt turned and spiked the football off of CU cornerback Roderick Sneed's helmet as he scored what would be the game-winning touchdown.

Though CSU did make a bowl game for the fifth straight season, the Rams' 7–6 finish was the start of a down period for Lubick and his program.

Leading 21–10 after three quarters, three interceptions allowed CU to tie the game, and Mason Crosby kicked a game-winning 47-yard field goal with five seconds left to give the Buffs a 31–28 win.

Behind school record-setting wide receiver David Anderson, and buoyed by the surprising emergence of thousand yard sophomore running back Kyle Bell, CSU finished the regular season 6–5 and tied for second place in the Mountain West.

Just three days prior to the season-opening game against Weber State on September 2, preseason all-conference back Kyle Bell was lost for the season with a torn ACL during a practice.

The Rams defeated Weber State 30–6 but lost another starter prior to their game against archrival Colorado on September 9, this time due to a scandal.

Several players, including preseason All-MWC cornerback Robert Herbert, were suspended indefinitely from the program after being charged with fraud in a campus check-cashing scandal.

On September 9, after three years of frustratingly close losses, the Rams defeated their in-state rival CU 14–10 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.

With their all-conference halfback in the fold, as well as the most seniors returning in Lubick's tenure, the Rams had a team that figured to rebound from the dismal 2006 season.

The lone bright spot of the year came at the end of the season when the Rams regained the Bronze Boot with a 36–28 win over Wyoming at Hughes Stadium.

Lubick is married to wife Carol Jo and has three children: daughter Michelle, and sons Matt and Marc, both of whom have been assistant coaches under their father before continuing onto their own careers.