Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
Utah
CSU hangs tough in loss to Utah
10/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 10, 2009
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By Zach Balside
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Utah safety Robert Johnson grabbed his third interception of the game while CSU was attempting to tie the score with less than 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter to seal a 24-17 win for Utah during homecoming weekend at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium Saturday evening.
All three of Johnson's picks came in the second half, with two in a fourth quarter in which the Utes (4-1, 1-0 MWC) outscored the Rams (3-3, 0-1 MWC) 14-0.
Johnson's heroics were not lost on his teammates.
"He is a great player and made great plays," junior quarterback Terrance Cain said. "Big-time players make big-time plays."
The Rams had a 17-10 lead entering the fourth quarter but allowed Utah to tie the game with 9:19 left on a 1-yard touchdown run by junior running back Eddie Wide, who was filling in for starter Matt Asiata.
Utah's game-tying drive took 17 plays and accounted for 73 yards during 8:45 of play. The impact of this drive was clear to Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham.
"That was a heck of a drive," Whittingham said. "It was tough; the momentum was on Colorado State's side. They went up 17-3. They had all the momentum and we just got it turned around."
On the third play of CSU's ensuing drive, Grant Stucker was intercepted for the second time by Johnson, and the Utes turned the turnover into a seven-play, 73-yard drive ending in another TD by Wide, this time an 8-yard reception from Cain. This gave Utah 21 unanswered points and a 24-17 lead with 3:35 remaining.
"I just wanted to get to get in the end zone and do a checkmate and just finish the game off," Wide said.
CSU showed signs of life after Utah took the lead. Stucker completed back to back first-down completions, a 21-yarder to senior receiver Rashaun Greer and a 15-yard pass to senior Dion Morton, which put the Rams at the Utah 44. However, the Rams' day was essentially ended on the next play with Johnson's third INT, in which he took back 42 yards to the CSU 29. Utah ran out the last 2:20 on the clock to clinch victory.
CSU came close to winning but could not quite seal the deal. It marked the second week in a row that the Rams came close beating opponents with only one loss.
"It is very tough because we let them off the hook," sophomore linebacker Mychal Sisson said. "We were up and we should have finished it. We did not do that this week or the past couple of weeks."
Rams Head Coach Steve Fairchild recognized the pain felt in losing a close one late against such a quality opponent.
"Any close loss is tough," Fairchild said. "I just thought our football team was ready to take this step. It looked like we were going to take it. We kind of had it dialed up and we made some very, very poor decisions late in the ball game to end up losing."
The Rams were sitting pretty entering the fourth quarter after two third-quarter touchdowns had given them a 17-3 lead with 4:46 left in the third. Utah answered with a score of its own 29 seconds later, but CSU still held a seven-point advantage going into the fourth.
Junior Leonard Mason scored less than 4 minutes into the second half after Greer took a double reverse 45 yards to the1-yard line. Then, less than 3 minutes into Utah's following drive, Sisson recovered a fumble which led to CSU's next scoring drive. Stucker connected with Morton for a 36-yard TD that gave the Rams a two-score lead.
Morton finished the day with 106 yards receiving, his fourth career 100-yard game. Stucker finished the game with 184 yards passing with one TD and three INTs. It was his 11th TD pass of the season and he has thrown at least one TD in every game this season. Mason rushed for 130 yards to go along with his one TD, marking the second time this season he has rushed for 100 or more yards. Senior cornerback Nick Oppenneer gathered in a Cain pass in the first quarter, his third INT of the season.
Cain finished 24 of 32 for 248 yards and two TDs and also added 71 rushing yards. Senior receiver David Reed was Cain's favorite target on the day, catching nine passes for 140 yards and a TD. Wide ran for 102 yards, giving him back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts.
"Over 100 (yards) doesn't surprise me," Whittingham said. "Eddie Wide's a quality back. Great job by the O-line as well. You don't make it as a running back unless the offensive line is blocking some people."
After starting the season 3-0 and receiving votes in both main national polls, CSU has fallen to 3-3 including consecutive single-digit losses.
"I can't tell you how horrible it feels," Stucker said. "I don't think words really describe it. This is definitely one that hurts. I will guarantee that we will come out tomorrow and be ready to turn our eyes toward TCU and work as hard as we can to get an edge."
CSU will aim for its first conference win on the road next Saturday at TCU. The Rams hosted TCU for their homecoming game last season and held tight with the Horned Frogs before losing 13-7. The game is slated to start at 2 p.m. MT and will be televised on VERSUS.
