’Pokes freeze Rams Late touchdown lifts Wyoming over Colorado State in cold Border War
LARAMIE» RAIN that fell at game time Saturday turned to snow after halftime with flakes so big and so rapid, brave volunteers in puffy coats ran with shovels down yardline markers between series at War Memorial Stadium. A Border War? More like a Blizzard War.
And through the majority of four quarters before 22,840 fans in wintry November weather between Colorado State and Wyoming — Mountain West rivals still in reach of a division championship — the Rams appeared the more resilient program. But one touchdown drive made all the difference in a 16-13 victory for the Cowboys.
“I like the fight of the team today. They played their tails off,” CSU coach Mike Bobo said. “We just didn’t make enough plays.”
Wyoming (6-3, 4-1 Mountain West) trailed 13-9 late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Josh Allen led a seven-play, 69yard touchdown drive capped by a 3-yard scoring run from tailback Kellen Overstreet. CSU (6-4, 4-2) was afforded just one offensive series to respond and sputtered with a three-and-out before punting, and the Cowboys ran out the clock.
CSU no longer is in control of its destiny in the hunt for its first Mountain West championship since 2002, and the Rams now prepare for a conference game against Boise State in Fort Collins next Saturday night.
What’s worse? In consecutive seasons, CSU now is 0-6 in rivalry games against Colorado, Air Force and Wyoming.
“You want to win every ballgame and you definitely want to play well against your rivals and win,” Bobo said. “I heard it from that team in there (the CSU locker room). They’re hurting. But we’re going to win our fair share, I promise you that.”
CSU scored its only touchdown in the second quarter when tailback Izzy Matthews took a goalline dive into the end zone to finish a 12-play, 75-yard drive. But the snow would play a factor in the Rams’ demise.
CSU senior Michael Gallup entered the game as the nation’s leading receiver, but he was not targeted once in the second half and finished with just 29 yards on four catches.
Junior holder Nathan Lucas mishandled a third-quarter fieldgoal snap on the slick surface and was tackled for a loss for a turnover on downs — a glaring error in a three-point CSU loss.
“It was really hard footing out there for both sides,” Bobo said. “I think it just turned into an inside running game for both teams. … I think the (mishandled) snap may have been a little bit high. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t execute that field-goal attempt. But we had a chance to put the ball in the end zone too.”
It was Wyoming’s only touchdown that cut deepest, and no player was more dominate in its pursuit than Allen, who finished the game 10-of-20 passing for 138 yards in addition to a team-high 12 carries for 60 yards.
Allen began the fourth-quarter drive at the 7:09 mark with a 17yard completion through the falling snow to senior fullback Drew Van Maanen.
Four plays later, facing thirdand-3 inside the CSU 15-yard line, Allen bulldozed his way to a firstdown rush, then followed it with another bruising run to get inside the 10.
“The difference was the quarterback being able to run the ball,” Bobo said of Allen.
The Rams returned to Fort Collins as losers of two straight and will try to quickly relieve the frostbite of bitter defeat in Laramie.
“(It’s) extremely tough,” said CSU quarterback Nick Stevens. “Obviously, we still have to win the next two games. We have to put ourselves in position of something happening (to win the division). You always want to control your own destiny. Our goal from the beginning since January has been to win the Mountain
West.
“This loss help that.” definitely doesn’t