Defense steps up and helps win back boot

Everybody at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium took a deep

breath while their hearts skipped a beat.

The Wyoming Cowboys had just taken the opening drive of the game

80 yards down the field and scored a touchdown, giving Wyoming a

7-0 lead little more than three minutes into the game.

But the Rams defense would not bend again.

“My heart was racing early in the game after that first drive,”

said CSU head coach Sonny Lubick. “The defensive coaches called a

great game.”

For the second straight week, the CSU defense pressured the

opposing quarterback, forced turnovers and made critical stops in

the Rams’ 30-7 win over border rival Wyoming.

“The kids did a great job,” said defensive coordinator Steve

Stanard. “You have got to be absolutely thrilled.”

Wyoming threatened in the middle second quarter after the

Cowboys recovered a fumble from CSU quarterback Caleb Hanie on the

CSU 10-yard line, but the defense stopped the Cowboys from getting

into the end zone. Wyoming faked the field goal and backup

quarterback J.J. Raterink’s pass fell incomplete, giving the Rams

possession and stopping Wyoming from scoring.

It was the closest Wyoming came to scoring for the rest of the

game.

CSU’s defense stepped it up, creating three turnovers and

sacking Wyoming quarterback, Corey Bramlet five times, never

allowing him to settle into a rhythm. Although he ended the day

26-of-38 for 256 yards, Bramlet threw two interceptions, one

returned by linebacker Luke Adkins for a touchdown late in the

fourth quarter to seal the CSU win.

Wyoming running back Ivan Harrison ended the day with 88 yards

on 14 attempts, but he only gained 41 yards after taking his first

rush for 47 yards. In total, Wyoming averaged only 2.8 yards per

carry.

“We knew what we had to do,” said Adkins, who became the first

CSU player in history to return interceptions for touchdowns in

back-to-back games. “We got momentum, got pressure on the QB, and

that was most important.”

“We played four quarters tonight,” said junior free safety Ben

Stratton. “Start to finish, we played with intensity and it showed

on the field.”

The Rams played a physical game, hitting Wyoming players hard

multiple times. Stratton hit Wyoming running back Joseph Harris on

the first play of the second quarter, causing a fumble. Adam

Lancisero recovered, stopping a Wyoming drive.

The defense helped cue the offense, as the Rams moved down the

field and scored a touchdown following the fumble recovery. The

Rams scored 10 points off Wyoming turnovers total.

Later, during the third quarter, Stratton hit Wyoming receiver

Tyler Holden hard after Holden caught a pass. The pass was

completed for 27 yards, but the big hit was a statement of the

intensity with which the CSU defense played.

“The defense helped us out all night,” said senior H-Back Joel

Dreessen. “Every time we needed a stop, the defense was right there

for us.”