Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
New Mexico
Football recap: Physical Rams use run game to top Lobos, 38-14
10/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 30, 2010
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By Nick Frank
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Rams on Saturday night used the powerful legs of Leonard Mason and Chris Nwoke to beat New Mexico, 38-14, at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.
The senior-freshman tandem fell 2 yards shy of becoming CSU's first pair of 100-yard rushers in eight years, helping the Rams (3-6, 2-3 Mountain West) keep their season alive with an impressive win over the Lobos (0-8, 0-4).
"This was one of the few games that I've coached in that I felt our team just got outmanned," said New Mexico Head coach Mike Locksley. "We were physically beaten at the point of attack. They ran the ball very effectively against our defense."
The Rams weren't just effective on the ground. They accounted for 584 yards of total offense, including 328 rushing yards, CSU's most since the 2008 New Mexico Bowl.
Mason led the team with 124 yards (sixth career 100-yard game) and three rushing touchdowns, a career high and the most by a CSU player since Gartrell Johnson in that Dec. 20, 2008, bowl victory over Fresno State.
"He was finishing runs; he's the body-type back that can wear defenses down," said Fairchild. "I think they got tired of tackling him, and that's the way we like to play football here at Colorado State."
Nwoke nearly eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark himself, coming in with 98 on the ground. The Rams now own a 5-2 record when rushing for more than 200 yards under Head Coach Steve Fairchild.
Freshman quarterback Pete Thomas turned in another efficient game. Thomas threw for 256 yards on 25 attempts, completing 17, with one touchdown. Thomas completed passes to 10 targets. His touchdown came early in the game as he found Lou Greenwood for a 43-yard score.
After that game-tying score with 10 minutes, 31 seconds left in the first quarter, the Rams never looked back as they built a 31-14 halftime advantage.
Following a defensive stop, Thomas and the offense scored on their next offensive possession, setting up Mason's touchdown with a spectacular, diving reception by TE Eric Peitz down the right sideline for 32 yards.
Freshman Tony Drake then added a touchdown on a 34-yard double reverse to give the Rams a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. It was the first time since 2005 that CSU scored as many as 21 points in the first quarter.
The defense was led by junior linebacker Mychal Sisson, who had 12 tackles, three for loss, and two forced fumbles. The defense shut out the Lobos in the second half.
"The biggest thing we did (defensively) was we made some third-down stops," said Fairchild, whose team held New Mexico to 5-of-14 on third down. "When we do that defensively, things go good."
The Lobos' offense had to do without its starting quarterback, B.R. Holbrook after Guy Miller knocked him out of the game with 3:09 remaining in the first quarter. Miller crushed Holbrook, forcing him to throw an incompletion. It was his last snap of the game.
"Offensively, we didn't do a good job of protecting our quarterback," said Locksley. "We got our quarterback knocked out."
The win improves the Rams' record this season at Hughes Stadium to 3-1, their only loss to then-No. 5 TCU on Oct. 2.
The Rams didn't turn the ball over, marking the second time they have done so this season (also vs. UNLV Oct. 16). It was first CSU game since Oct. 13, 2001, in which neither team had a turnover. It was also the team's third game with two or fewer penalties (two vs. CU Sept. 4, one at Nevada Sept. 11, two vs. New Mexico).
The Rams also were 2-for-3 on fourth-down conversions in the game, including Mason's 38-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter.
Because Penn State's Rob Bolden didn't start vs. Michigan on Saturday, Thomas became the only true freshman in the nation to start every game at quarterback this season.
