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.”
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