Colorado State University Athletics
Postgame notes
9/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2011
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TEAM NOTES
Three-interception wins: The last time CSU won a game in which it threw as many as three interceptions was Sept. 30, 2000, at Nevada, where eventual MW Offensive Player of the Year Matt Newton threw three in a 45-14 win. Newton went on to lead the Rams to a conference title and a victory over Louisville in the Liberty Bowl.
In a rush: Raymond Carter posted the Rams’ first 100-yard rushing day since Leonard Mason had 124 yards vs. New Mexico, Oct. 30. The Rams are now 10-6 under Steve Fairchild with a 100-yard ball-carrier.
- CSU’s 242 yards rushing on the afternoon were its most since that same Oct. 30 game, when the Rams ran for 328 against the Lobos.
- Today marked the Rams’ eighth 200-yard rushing game under Steve Fairchild. The team is 6-2 in those games, with losses at Air Force in 2010 and at UNLV in 2009.
Home openers: CSU has won four straight and six of its last seven home openers, its only loss in that stretch a close decision against DeSean Jackson and No. 10 Cal in 2007.
- Dating to Sonny Lubick’s second year as head coach, 1994, when the Rams won their home opener en route to a 10-2 finish and a berth in the Holiday Bowl vs Michigan, CSU has won 16 of its last 18 home openers.
- Those two losses, though, were to respective ranked Pac-10 and Big Ten opponents, including No. 22 Minnesota in 2004.
Best against the nation: UNC took a halftime lead into the locker room the last time these teams met, a quarter century ago. But behind Steve Bartalo, the Rams stormed back in the third quarter en route to a 46-14 win. UNC is the only opponent in the nation to whom the Rams have never lost while playing at least nine games. Top series winning percentages in CSU history:
| Opponent | W | L | T | Pct |
| Northern Colorado | 17 | 0 | 1 | .972 |
| New Mexico State | 8 | 1 | 0 | .889 |
| Nevada | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 |
| UTEP | 24 | 9 | 0 | .727 |
| UNLV | 13 | 5 | 1 | .711 |
| Pacific | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 |
| Montana | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 |
| Colorado Mines | 27 | 16 | 2 | .622 |
| New Mexico | 34 | 25 | 0 | .576 |
| Wyoming | 54 | 42 | 5 | .559 |
| Utah State | 35 | 30 | 2 | .537 |
Fairchild in home debuts: In his 12 combined years as a CSU assistant (1993-2000) and head coach (2008-11), the Rams are 11-1 in Fort Collins openers with Steve Fairchild on their staff. The Rams’ only loss during that span was the first game of the Sonny Lubick era, Fairchild’s first home contest as a Rams assistant, a 23-9 setback to the Oregon Ducks, in 1993. Fairchild has won 11 straight as a CSU coach.
Safety first: Max Morgan became the first CSU player to record a safety since Blake Smith on Oct. 28, 2005, in a win at New Mexico.
Injuries: Several players left the game due to injury, casting a shadow on what otherwise would’ve been a very successful day. One play after nearly recording an interception to break up a third-down pass late in the first half, LB Mychal Sisson seriously injured his leg while blocking on the ensuing punt. He was taken to Poudre Valley Hospital for X-rays. CSU is awaiting results. Also lost were starting fullback Austin Gillmore (knee injury on the first play from scrimmage), backup fullback Jake Levin (knee, early in second half) and defensive tackle Scott Carter (knee injury on second-quarter punt return). The Rams are evaluating all injuries. CSU’s media relations office will provide more information when it becomes available.
Shutout quarters: The Rams pitched shutout defense over a stretch longer than the length of a game. CSU did not allow a point from the second quarter at New Mexico until the 6:23 mark of the third quarter against UNC. The shutout streak lasted 68 minutes, 49 seconds.
2-0 starts: The Rams started a season 2-0 for only the third time in the last nine years (also 2006 and 2009). CSU’s last six 2-0 starts: Year Finish Notes 2009 3-9 Lost last nine 2006 4-8 lost last seven 2002 10-4 MW champs, Liberty Bowl 2000 10-2 MW champs, Liberty Bowl 1999 8-4 MW champs, Liberty Bowl 1994 10-2 WAC champs, Holiday Bowl Interception drought: Over an active 19-game stretch entering the game, before Ivory Herd’s big first-quarter pick, CSU had only six interceptions. The Rams had picked off their opponent in only four games during the streak, which began at TCU Oct. 17, 2009. During the same stretch entering the day, the Rams had recovered 15 opponent fumbles.
Brother starters: Austin and Crockett Gillmore formed the first pair of CSU brothers to start the same game since Erik and Morgan Pears took up two-fifths of the Rams’ offensive line in the Liberty Bowl vs. TCU, Dec. 31, 2002. One year earlier, twins Justin and Jason Gallimore helped lead the Rams to the New Orleans bowls as fixtures in the starting defensive secondary.
One punt: The Rams punted just once on the afternoon, not until early in the fourth quarter. The scored on five of their first six possessions (four TD, one FG), including touchdowns on the first three series.
First career starts and debuts: Shaquil Barrett, Nordly Capi, Blake Jones and Austin Gillmore made their first career starts.
- Additionally, five players made their college debuts: RB Mark Woodbury, LB Aaron Davis (a true freshman), FB Joe McKay and LB Eric Niederberger.
Non-conference: The Rams have won six of their last 10 and eight of their last 13 non-conference games. They’re 8-6 overall under Head Coach Steve Fairchild in games outside the Mountain West.
- That record includes four impressive wins, the 2009 landmark victory at Colorado, a 2008 triumph over fledgling Heisman candidate Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars, a 2009 win over a ready-to-launch Nevada team, and the 2008 New Mexico Bowl, a victory over Fresno State.
First-year opponent coaches: The Rams on met their first of three teams on the 2011 schedule with a coach in his first year at the reins of a program. This week, they hosted Earnest Collins Jr., who replaced Scott Downing at the helm of the UNC Bears. Then, they’ll do it again next week, when they face CU’s Jon Embree, who replaced Dan Hawkins, in Denver. The last of the trio of games is against veteran Rocky Long, who replaced Brady Hoke as the San Diego State leader.
- All four Division I programs in Colorado have a head coach who played for its school, including Collins and Embree. In addition to Fairchild, Air Force’s Troy Calhoun also played for his team. CSU is the only school playing the other three foes.
The big 3-0: The Rams are 9-1 under Steve Fairchild when scoring 30-or-more points, their only loss a 45-42 shootout at home against No. 17 BYU on Nov. 1, 2008. First drive is critical: In six of the last seven games in which the Rams have pierced the end zone on their game-opening drive, CSU has parlayed that score into an eventual victory. The only loss in that stretch was at New Mexico, Nov. 21, 2009.
- Overall, the Rams are 7-4 under Fairchild when scoring a TD on their game-opening drive (wins Saturday vs. UNC, vs. Houston and Fresno State in 2008, at CU and vs. Weber State in 2009, and vs. UNLV and UNM in 2010; losses vs. TCU, at Utah and at Air Force in 2008, loss at UNM in 2009).
Halftime lead: CSU under Steve Fairchild is 9-2 with a scoreboard advantage heading into the locker room. The Rams are 4-1 in such games within their conference. Overall, they’ve won four straight.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Raymond Carter has two career 100-yard rushing games, both on Ag Day. On Sept. 25, 2010, he had 104 rushing yards in a win vs. Idaho.
- Aaron Davis became the fifth true freshman to play this season for the Rams.
- Shaquil Barrett made his first Division I start, at middle linebacker. He started 10 games last season as a true freshman at Nebraska-Omaha.
- Ivory Herd picked off the second pass of his career (also at Air Force, Oct. 9, 2010).
- Jake Levin in the first quarter caught only the second pass of his career, and his first touchdown reception since his days at Legacy High School in Brighton, Colo. Levin also caught a pass, his second 2011 reception, at the end of the first quarter..
- Austin Gillmore, making his first career start, sustained a knee injury on the first offensive play from scrimmage, and did not return.
- Pete Thomas, who hit 11 targets in the first half (and 11 overall in the game), connected on a 9-yard pass with Lou Greenwood early in the second half to eclipse 3,000 career yards. He became the youngest player in school annals to reach 3,000 career. No other CSU sophomore has reached that mark. Thomas is on pace to shatter Kelly Stouffer’s career record, 7,142.
- Thomas also had a career-long 17-yard run early in the second half. His previous long was 12, at San Diego State, Nov. 6, 2010.
- Thomas tied a career high with three interceptions (also his first college game, Sept. 4, 2010, vs. Colorado).
- Ben DeLine had four touchbacks on five kickoffs. The four tied his single-game career high (also vs. UNLV, Oct. 16, 2010).
