Colorado State University Athletics
Football Preview - Utah
9/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Series Update
Colorado State and Utah meet for the 71st time Saturday at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium. The Utes own a 47-21-2 series edge, but Colorado State has won 5 in a row in the series.
At Home
Colorado State is 39-14 at home during Sonny Lubick?s 11 seasons as head coach of the Rams including a 4-1 mark last season. The Rams have a 22-4 record in home nonconference games during Lubick?s 11 seasons.
Conference Openers
Colorado State is 6-4 in conference openers under Coach Sonny Lubick. The Rams defeated Wyoming, 44-36, to open MWC play a season ago in Fort Collins.
Injury Report
DE Luke Adkins (shoulder sprain; ankle sprain; concussion); TE Brandon Alconcel (left ankle/foot); DB Lukas Davis (left ankle); H-Back Joel Dreessen (lower abdominal straing); OC Mark Dreyer (right finger; concussion); DB David Foley (ankle); DE Patrick Goodpaster (left knee); WR Chris Pittman (lower leg strain).
Last Year
Colorado State led from start to finish in recording the team?s 6th straight win, 28-20 in Salt Lake City, moving the Rams to 2-0 in conference play. TE Matt Bartz? 11-yard touchdown catch from QB Bradlee Van Pelt put CSU on top, 7-0 in the 1st quarter. Colorado State took a 21-7 halftime lead on Van Pelt?s 9-yard run and a 5-yard touchdown by RB Cecil Sapp in the 2nd quarter. Colorado State finished its scoring on Van Pelt?s 2-yard run in the 3rd period. LB Eric Pauly and LB Drew Wood each made 11 tackles in the game while DB David Vickers had 10, while CB Rhett Nelson had 8 tackles and broke up two passes, including Utah?s final offensive play inside the Rams? 10-yard-line.
2003 Hall of Fame Banquet
Four former student-athletes who made their mark at Colorado State on the field and in the classroom comprise the 2003 Colorado State University Hall of Fame announced today by Director of Athletics Mark Driscoll. Softball pitcher Nikki Johnson, football all-star Dr. Greg Primus, four-sport letterwinner Jim Ranson, and basketball player Rich Strong comprise the 2003 class. Along with Hall of Honor Award winner Doug Max, they will be honored during the Former Athletes Association Hall of Fame Dinner Friday night, Oct. 17 at the UPHI. The banquet begins with a social hour at 5 p.m., with the dinner at 6 p.m. For banquet reservation information, call 970-491-5067. Tickets are $40 and must be purchased in advance.
Crowd Count
Colorado State drew an overflow crowd - 31,610 - for the game with Miami, the 18th largest crowd in school and stadium history. Through 2 home dates, Colorado State has drawn 60,221 (31,111 average), 101.4 percent of capacity.
Starting Record
QB Bradlee Van Pelt has an 18-9 record as the team?s starting quarterback since taking over in the fourth game of the 2001 season. The last time that the Rams had a two-year starter returning at quarterback was 1997, when Moses Moreno led Colorado State to an 11-2 record - the only 11-win season in school history - a league title and a win over Missouri in the Holiday Bowl.
At Least One
Van Pelt has thrown 9 touchdown passes in 4 games to date, including 3 each in games with Colorado and Miami. He had only 10 touchdowns total in 14 games in 2002. Van Pelt?s 323 yards passing against Miami was the 42nd 300-yard performance in school history and the 3rd of his career, respectively.
Starters, Part II
Van Pelt is the fourth quarterback to start at least two seasons or more in coach Sonny Lubick?s 11 seasons at the helm. The previous three had a combined 31-6 record, 3 conference titles and 3 bowl games, including:
Year Quarterback Rec. Finish Bowl
2003 Bradlee Van Pelt 2-2 -- --
2000 Matt Newton 10-2 1st Liberty
1997 Moses Moreno 11-2 1st Holiday
1994 Anthoney Hill 10-2 1st Holiday
Dialing Long Distance
Two of Colorado State 3 scoring drives against Miami came on 2-play drives. The team?s 1st score came on a 68-yard catch-and-run play by H-Back Joel Dreessen from QB Bradlee Van Pelt, and the 2nd on an 86-yard pass play from Van Pelt to WR David Anderson. The latter play is the 2nd longest scoring pass play in school history. Dreessen has 2 touchdown receptions in 2003 - an 85-yarder at Cal and the 68-yarder vs. Miami.
Long Distance, Part II
Through 4 games, the Rams have accounted for a number of big plays offensively, including:
Anderson Day
WR David Anderson had the 3rd 100-yard receiving game of his career and in 2003 when he caught 5 passes for a career-most 167 yards and a career-best 2 touchdowns vs. Miami. Anderson?s 167 receiving yards is the 10th highest game figure in school history.
Receiving Streaks
H-Back Joel Dreessen has the team?s longest active streak with at least one reception - 28 games in a row - dating back to the 2001 season. WR Chris Pittman has caught at least one pass in 18 consecutive games.
Sack Pack
Colorado State?s defense has generated 13 quarterback sacks in 4 games to date, tying for the MWC lead. The Rams finished 2002 with 18 sacks.
Defensive Days
LB Jahmal Hall had the top day of his career in the game with Miami by making a team-best and career-most 10 tackles - all unassisted. DB Benny Mastropaulo and DE Andre Sommersell had the top figures of their 2003 seasons with 8 and 4 tackles, respectively.
Pauly Tied For MWC Lead
LB Eric Pauly, a 1st-team Academic All-American last year and 2-time all-conference pick, has led or tied for team tackles honors 3 times in 4 games. Pauly is tied for the MWC lead by averaging 9 tackles per game.
Coaching Colleagues
Utah head coach Urban Meyer formerly was an assistant coach at Colorado State from 1990-95, serving from 1993-95 under Rams? coach Sonny Lubick. Utes? assistant Billy Gonzales was a four-time letterwinner at Colorado State from 1990-93 and led the team in punt returns three years in a row (1989-91). Community Liaison Hyrum DeFries was a 3-time letterwinner in football at Colorado State from 1960-62.
Four In A Row
Colorado State has had at least 1 100-yard receiving performance in each game thus far. WR David Anderson has 3 100-yard games in 2003, and WR Chris Pittman has 2.
Hidden Yardage
Rams? coach Sonny Lubick points to ?hidden? offensive yardage in a game. To date, the Rams are averaging 478.8 yards from the line of scrimmage, but 595.2 all-purpose yards when including returns. Opponents are averaging 387.8 total yards, but 136.2 fewer yards per game all-purpose, 469.0.
Late-Game Success
Colorado State has a 73-4 record (95%) under Sonny Lubick when the Rams lead after three periods. The only four losses include:
300-Yard Performances
Former Rams? QB Terry Nugent holds the school records for 300-yard passing games in a season, 6 in 1983. Current QB Bradlee Van Pelt is halfway to that mark with 3. The list of season 300-yard games includes:
Quarterback Year 300-Games
Terry Nugent 1983 6
Scooter Molander 1987 5
Steve Fairchild 1980 4
Kelly Stouffer 1984 4
Bradlee Van Pelt 2003 3
300-Yard Career Games
Nugent also holds the career record for 300-yard passing games, 8. The list includes:
Quarterback Years 300-Games
Terry Nugent 1980-83 8
Scooter Molander 1987-88 7
Kelly Stouffer 1984-86 6
Moses Moreno 1994-97 4
Steve Fairchild 1978, ?80 4
Bradlee Van Pelt 2001-03 3
Matt Newton 1998-2000 3
b>Deposit, No Return
K Kevin Mark is in his 1st season handling the team?s kickoff duties. Mark has kicked off 22 times in 4 games to date, and 9 have resulted in touchbacks. Opponents? average field position following a kickoff by Mark is their own 24-yard-line.
100-Yard Receiving Games
WR David Anderson (3) and WR Chris Pittman (2) are both off to impressive starts in 2003 with multiple 100-yard receiving games. WR Greg Primus - who will be inducted into the school?s athletics hall of fame next month, holds the record along with WR Geoff Turner and WR Willie Miller. They all had 5 100-yard receiving games in a season. The list of 100-yard receiving games in a season includes:
Receiver Year 100-Games
Greg Primus 1992 5
Geoff Turner 1996 5
Willie Miller 1974 5
Willie Miller 1973 4
Tony Goolsby 1980 4
Pete Rebstock 2000 4
Greg Primus 1991 4
Jeff Champine 1982 4
Eric Olsen 1994 4
David Anderson 2003 3
Chris Pittman 2003 2
QB 100-Yard Rushing Games
The 100-yard rushing games by Rams? quarterbacks since 1950 include:
Quarterback, Game Year No.-Yds-TD
Bradlee Van Pelt at BYU 2001 21-174-2
Bradlee Van Pelt vs. Fresno St. 2001 14-141-1
Bradlee Van Pelt at Nevada 2002 13-128-1
Bradlee Van Pelt at Fresno St. 2002 9-125-1
Bradlee Van Pelt, New Mexico 2002 11-106-1
Keith Lee vs. UTEP 1978 19-122-1
Mike Gimenez at New Mexico 1989 10-102-0
Rushing Defense
Colorado State has allowed 50 individual 100-yard rushing performances during Sonny Lubick?s 11 seasons. The Rams are 29-18 in games where an opponent rusher has gained 100 or more yards. Colorado State is 55-21 when an opponent does not feature a 100-yard rusher.
Rams? Passing Fancy
In Sonny Lubick?s career at Colorado State, the Rams are 7-14 in games where the team has attempted 35 or more passes and 79-26 games when attempting less than 35 passes.
Quarterback Season Rushing
Colorado State QB Bradlee Van Pelt set a new school record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback. Van Pelt gained 819 rushing yards, eclipsing his own previous record, 546, set in 2001. The list of the top rushing quarterbacks since 1950 includes:
Quarterback, Year Yds.
1. Bradlee Van Pelt, 2002 819
2. Bradlee Van Pelt, 2001 546
3. Anthoney Hill, 1993 433
4. Keith Lee, 1978 392
5. Pat Juliana, 1972 339
Bradlee Van Pelt, 2003 151
Babcock Punting Debut
Jeff Babcock has punted 20 times in 2003, averaging 42.8 yards per punt including a career-best 67-yarder against Weber State. The capsule of 1st-year punters during Coach Sonny Lubick?s tenure include:
Year Punter No. Yds. Avg.
1999 Deone Horinek 52 2331 44.8
2003 Jeff Babcock 20 856 42.8
1998 Preston Loos 52 2100 40.4
1993 Mike McGee 63 2495 39.6
2000 Joey Huber 52 2035 39.1
1994 Matt McDougal 54 2108 39.0
Top Marks
QB Bradlee Van Pelt set a school record in the team?s opening game with 416 total yards, and had the 11th best game figure, 377, against Cal, and 334 in the game with Miami. The top single-game total offense marks in school history include:
1. Bradlee Van Pelt, 2003; Colorado 416
2. Scooter Molander, 1987, Hawaii 413
3. Terry Nugent, 1983, Utah 408
4. Terry Nugent, 1983, Northern Colorado 407
5. Pat Juliana, 1972, Utah 404
6. Terry Nugent, 1982, UNLV 398
7. Anthoney Hill, 1994, New Mexico 394
8. Terry Nugent, 1982, UTEP 393
9. Steve Fairchild, 1980, Wyoming 390
10. Kelly Stouffer, 1984, Wyoming 389
11. Bradlee VanPelt, 2003; California 377
Century Rushers
Colorado State has had 74 100-yard rushing performances in games during Sonny Lubick?s 10 seasons including seven in 2002. The Rams are 52-11 in games where a back has gained 100 or more yards, and 33-28 in games where the team has not had a back gain more than 100 yards.
Year Total Record
2003 2 1-1
2002 12 7-4
2001 6 2-2
2000 5 3-1
1999 6 6-0
1998 5 4-0
1997 10 8-1
1996 13 8-1
1995 8 6-1
1994 4 4-0
1993 3 3-0
Totals 74 52-11
The 11 losses in games where a back surpassed 100 yards include:
At Home
The Rams are 39-14 at home during Sonny Lubick?s tenure, including:
Year Rec. Loss(es)
2003 1-1 Miami (Ohio)
2002 4-1 UNLV
2001 3-2 San Diego St.; Fresno State
2000 5-0 --
1999 4-1 San Diego State
1998 3-1 Wyoming
1997 4-1 Air Force
1996 4-2 Colorado; Wyoming
1995 3-2 BYU; New Mexico
1994 5-1 Utah
1993 3-2 Oregon; BYU
Total 38-14
On The Road
Year Rec. Road Loss(es)
2003 1-0 --
2002 5-2 UCLA; Fresno State
2001 3-2 Louisville; BYU
2000 3-2 Arizona State; Air Force
1999 3-2 BYU; Fresno State
1998 5-2 Air Force; Rice
1997 5-1 Colorado
1996 3-3 Oregon; Nebraska; Tulsa
1995 5-1 Colorado
1994 5-0 --
1993 2-4 Nebraska; Kansas;
San Diego St.; Utah
Totals 40-19
Neutral Sites
Year Rec. Neutral Site Loss(es)
2003 0-1 Colorado (Denver)
2002 1-1 TCU (Liberty Bowl)
2001 1-1 Colorado (Denver)
2000 2-0 --
1999 1-1 So. Mississippi (Liberty Bowl)
1998 0-1 Colorado (Denver)
1997 2-0 --
1995 0-1 Kansas State (Holiday Bowl)
1994 0-1 Michigan (Holiday Bowl)
Totals 7-7
Before Open Dates
Year Opponent Result
2002 Louisville W 36-33
2002 Air Force W 31-12
2001 Nevada W 35-18
1999 at BYU L 13-34
1999 at New Mexico W 36-22
1997 Air Force L 0-24
1997 Fresno State W 41-3
1995 at Air Force W 27-20
1995 Hawaii W 22-0
1994 Utah L 31-45
1993 New Mexico W 21-20
Following Open Dates
Year Opponent Result
2002 at Nevada W 32-28
2002 at San Diego State W 49-21
2001 San Diego State L 7-14
1999 New Mexico State W 46-7
1999 Air Force W 41-21
1997 Hawaii W 63-0
1997 at San Diego State W 38-17
1995 BYU L 18-21
1995 at San Diego State W 24-13
1994 Wyoming W 35-24
1993 at Utah W 52-0
