Colorado State University Athletics
Postgame Notes
9/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 20, 2008
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CSU WR Dion Morton:
- Caught a 79-yard touchdown on the game's second play from scrimmage, CSU's longest play since his brother, Damon, caught an 83-yard pass at UNLV Oct. 20, 2007. The play also was among the Rams' four longest over the last four years, including Damon Morton's 83-yard TD reception from Caleb Hanie (at Air Force, Oct. 12, 2006) and David Anderson's 82-yard reception from Hanie (vs. Wyoming, Oct. 22, 2005).
- Established career highs in catches (5) and yards (126), and also caught the longest pass of his career, the 79-yard score early in the game.
- Made his first career pass attempt, which was deflected and fell incomplete in third quarter. It was his since his time as a senior quarterback at Riverside (Calif.) North High School.
Home streak: The Rams extended their Fort Collins winning streak to four games, their longest since a four-game streak Sept. 24-Oct. 22, 2005.
Interceptions rare for Keenum: The Rams intercepted Case Keenum, the nation's leader in total offense entering the contest, three times. The quarterback entered the game having thrown just one interception.
CSU RB Kyle Bell:
- Had his most carries (14) and rushing yards (64) since Oct. 20, 2007, a win at UNLV.
- He scored just his second rushing TD over his last 13 games. He also had a TD vs. Georgia Southern, Nov. 17. Bell scored twice on the ground in CSU's near upset of then-No. 10 Cal, Sept. 8, 2007.
Drive time: QB Billy Farris engineered two TD drives of at least 13 plays to keep Houston's high-octane offense off the field. The eventual game-winning drive was a 15-play, 73-yard march that took 7 minutes, 31 seconds off the second-half clock. It ended with a 9-yard scoring toss to Kory Sperry.
Speaking of Sperry: The CSU tight end, with that fourth-quarter touchdown, moved past No. 6 Greg Primus (15) on the school's all-time career TD receptions list. Sperry now has 16.
He looked like a quarterback: CSU's starting cornerback and holder for placements, Nick Oppenneer, made his first Division I rush, setting up a second-quarter touchdown with a 14-yard carry after a missed snap on a second-quarter field goal attempt. Oppenneer was a quarterback at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.
TE Adam Seymore: Made his first career reception, a juggling catch to set up CSU inside the Houston 5-yard line, just before a second-quarter TD.
SS Mike Pagnotta: Delivered both a sack, on a key fourth down, and interception. The pick was the third of his career, but his first since Sept. 1, 2007, vs. Colorado in Denver.
Rare punt: CSU's first punt of the game, in the third quarter, actually was its first in two games, a span of eight quarters. Before that second-half punt, CSU had not punted since the third quarter vs. Colorado, in Denver, Aug. 31.
PK Jason Smith: Returned to action just four weeks after breaking his right arm during a practice. He kicked two extra points.
Almost debut: T.J. Borcky, the Rams' third-string quarterback, lined up at wide receiver in the second half just before CSU called a timeout early in the fourth quarter. Had the play gone through, today would've been Borcky's college debut.
Winless series: Houston had won all three meetings in its series with CSU. Before today, the Cougars were one of five opponents in Rams history to have managed to hold CSU winless in at least three games.
- Those five opponents -- Arkansas, Houston, Kansas, Nebraska and Tennessee -- have combined to win 11 national championships.
- The last time CSU snapped such a streak of losses to open a series was Nov. 19, 1977, when the Rams knocked off Arizona State at Hughes Stadium, 25-14 (one year before Steve Fairchild transferred from Mesa Community College to become the Rams' quarterback). The Sun Devils had topped CSU over the first 15 clashes in that series until Sark Arslanian's team won in `77.
Against Conference USA: Since Conference USA began football competition in 1996, the Rams have now gone 3-5 against the conference. P
- Prior to today, CSU's only C-USA wins had come against Louisville. The Rams won the 2000 Liberty Bowl (Steve Fairchild's last game at CSU prior to this year), as well as a 36-33 triumph at Hughes Stadium in 2002. CSU dropped a 7-2 decision at Louisville in 2001. Louisville joined the Big East after the `05 season.
- The Rams also were 0-2 against TCU while the Frogs were in C-USA, and are 0-1 against Southern Miss (1999 Liberty Bowl) and 0-1 against Houston (2007).
