Briefs GILBERT LEADS HARASSING EFFORT FOR DEFENSE

boulder» Oregon State quarterback Darell Garretson rolled to his right on third down late in the first quarter Saturday and spotted a receiver around the first-down marker near midfield.

Already trailing 13-3 after two big CU pass plays, the Beavers needed a spark. Jimmie Gilbert wasn’t going to let them find one.

CU’s senior pass rusher came burning off the end and struck Garretson just before he threw the ball, forcing a fumble that bounced into the backfield. The ball rolled out of bounds for a 20-yard loss, killing Oregon State’s hope of mounting a scoring drive.

It was part of a banner day for Gilbert and the CU defense, which held a conference opponent without a touchdown for the first time since shutting out Oklahoma CU’s Jimmie Gilbert gets his hands on Oregon State quarterback Darell Garretson. The Buffs held the Beavers without a touchdown. Andy Cross, The Denver Post State exactly 11 years ago.

“I was able to do things that the past three years I wasn’t able to do,” Gilbert said, adding it was “by far” his best performance

It was another game full of big pass plays from CU’s high-tempo offense, but the Buffs credited early success on the ground with setting a high-tempo pace.

Kyle Evans ran the ball six consecutive times for 24 yards on CU’s second possession. On the seventh play, with Oregon State’s secondary inching forward to defend

Redshirt freshman quarterback Steven Montez performed well for the second consecutive week in place of injured senior Sefo Liufau (ankle).

So does Montez think he should remain the starter when Liufau is fully healthy?

“That’s not for me to decide,” he said. “That’s for our coaching staff to decide. They’re going to see who gives us the best chance to win and that’s who will play.”