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Rams Hold on to Top Cougars, 28-25
Billy Farris throws for 276 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Sept. 20, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) - Billy Farris threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns and Klint Kubiak preserved the win with an interception in the end zone as Colorado State held off Houston 28-25 Saturday. Farris was 24-for-33 throwing, without an interception. Dion Morton caught five passes for 126 yards and a score for Colorado State (2-1). Case Keenum finished 37-for-54 passing with three touchdown passes and three interceptions. The last pick ended the Cougars' drive to overcome a 21-point deficit. Houston (1-3) lost for the third straight time despite producing 422 yards of total offense. Trailing 21-3, the Cougars scored on their initial possession of the second half, going 85 yards on 10 plays, capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass to Mark Haffner. Two possessions later, Keenum threw a 15-yard TD pass to Tyron Carrier to cut it to 21-17 with 2:07 left in the third quarter. Colorado State came right back with a 15-play, 73-yard scoring drive. Farris found Kory Sperry all alone in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard scoring pass to make it 28-17 with 9:27 left in the game. The Cougars held after Mike Pagnotta gave the Rams the ball back at the 42 with an interception. Houston was within 28-25 with 2:31 left after a 3-yard TD pass from Keenum to L.J. Castile and Keenum converted a two-point conversion pass to Castile. The Rams ran three running plays to Johnson that netted two yards and then punted the ball away to the Cougars 32. Taking over with 1:06 remaining, Houston reached the 15-yard line with eight seconds to go. Instead of going for a tying field goal, the Cougars elected to go for the win.
But Kubiak stepped in front of Castile in the end zone to seal the win. The Rams led 7-0 after one quarter, but failed to convert on two other scoring chances. On the second play of the game, Farris hit Morton in stride for a 79-yard touchdown pass to put Colorado State ahead 7-0. Kyle Bell capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard dive with 10:07 left in the second quarter to put Colorado State ahead 14-0. The Cougars got their offense moving after Bell's score but faced a 4th-and-12 at the Colorado State 36. Pagnotta sacked Keenum on a safety blitz for a 15-yard loss. The Rams cashed in and were poised for what would have been a 47-yard field goal attempt by DeLine. Holder Nick Oppenneer dropped the snap bur ran 14 yards to the Cougars 16. Two plays later Johnson gave Colorado State a 21-0 lead with a 7-yard TD run. Ben Bell made it a 21-3 game with a 17-yard field goal for the Cougars as time expired in the first half. |
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