Nov. 1, 2008

Notes |  Final Stats |  Quotes |  Game Action

By Paul Baker
Athletic Media Relations

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Hughes Stadium was witness to a shootout between two high-powered offenses Saturday night, which brought back memories from when the two teams played in the Western Athletic Conference, when whichever team had the ball last usually won.

BYU had the ball last Saturday, and the No. 17 Cougars barely escaped with a 45-42 win over a CSU squad that held the lead for more than half the game.

A high-energy crowd watched in anticipation as the Rams defense was unable to stop the potent Cougar offense. BYU quarterback Max Hall hooked up with his tight end Dennis Pitta with only 22 seconds left to push the Cougars to victory.

CSU had just taken the lead with only 1:44 left in the game, when junior wide out Dion Morton caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Billy Farris to put the Rams up, 42-38. The Rams got the ball on BYU's third turnover of the day, when freshman cornerback Gerard Thomas intercepted Hall and returned it for a touchdown, but a penalty nullified the score.

"I definitely thought about the clock," Morton said about his late go-ahead TD. "Anytime you score, it's a positive thing, it just puts the defense in a good situation to get a stop and unfortunately we didn't."

The second half started off slowly compared to how it finished, with the Rams being the only team to find the end zone.

Farris found junior Rashaun Greer for a 6-yard touchdown pass. Greer finished the night with five catches for 64 yards, while Farris was 18 of 35 for 251 yards and three touchdowns.

The Cougars' 30-yard field goal by Mitch Payne rounded out the scoring in the third quarter, before the onslaught of points came in the fourth.

"I feel like we're really coming together as a team," Farris said following the game. "If we can keep growing and getting better, we're going to be a really good team by the end of the season."

BYU came out of the gate throwing the football. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Max Hall threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to wide out Austin Collie. But Collie had stepped out of bounds on his route and became ineligible, negating the play.

Two plays later, senior defensive end Tommie Hill pressured Hall, causing a fumble in which freshman linebacker Mychal Sisson picked up and rumbled 20 yards into the end zone to put CSU on the board first.

The Cougars and Collie got a little revenge on their next possession, as Hall hooked up with Collie on a 58-yard touchdown pass, tying the score at 7-7.

The Rams got the ball back and went three and out. But a roughing the kicker penalty on the punt gave the ball back to the Rams with good field position. CSU made the Cougars pay for their misfortune, and sophomore running back John Mosure took a direct snap from the center and ran 9 yards off the left side of the line to put the Rams up 14-7. It completed a 12-play, 74-yard drive that took just over 6 and a half minutes off the clock.

The Cougars looked to tie the game as the second quarter started, but a first down inside the 3-yard line was challenged by the Rams. CSU challenged the spot at where the BYU player went down, and after calling up to the booth, head referee Frank White determined the Cougar player was short of the first down, and made it fourth-and-1. BYU went for it and was stopped by sophomore linebacker Ricky Brewer and senior John Clark.

The Rams started deep in their own territory and looked like they were headed in for another score, but a fumbled snap gave the ball back to BYU with good field position.

The Cougars wasted no time in tying the score, as Austin Collie caught his second touchdown of the day, this one a catch of 15 yards.

The Rams showed some more of the creative plays that Head Coach Steve Fairchild has in his bag. CSU scored on a reverse pass to Dion Morton. Mosure took the snap and handed it off to Greer who ran the ball around the right end. He then pitched it to Farris, who had lined up as a wide receiver, who threw it 32 yards to Morton in the end zone.

Morton finished the day with six catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns, all career highs.

CSU looked like they would take that lead into the locker room, but Collie recorded his third touchdown of the half, this one a 10-yard pass from Hall. Collie finished the night with nine catches for 156 yards. Hall finished 28-of-37 for 389 yards and five touchdowns.

"We're obviously disappointed that we weren't able to win the football game tonight," Fairchild said. "I think our kids certainly believed we could win this game."

The Cougars move to 8-1 (4-1 MWC) and now look forward to playing San Diego State at home next week.

CSU falls to 4-5 (2-3 MWC) and must travel to Air Force next week. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs.