Fort Collins – This was how Justin Holland imagined his Colorado State football career going when he signed out of Bear Creek High School nearly five years ago after piling up astronomical passing numbers.
Holland has the Rams in the midst of a Mountain West Conference title race and a possible bowl bid. He’s in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency and is vying for all-conference honors heading into tonight’s critical game at New Mexico (5-3, 3-2 MWC). CSU (4-3, 3-1) will be playing for the conference lead next week at Texas Christian if it wins tonight.
“He’s the most efficient quarterback in the league right now,” New Mexico coach Rocky Long said. “He’s very accurate.”
Holland is averaging 281.3 yards per game on 62.6 percent accuracy, with 18 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. His efficiency rating is 161.5, but in league play it’s 179.5, thanks in part to 11 touchdown passes and just three interceptions. Holland said one of his goals this season was to finish with a rating over 165.
“We’re close; we’re not there yet,” he said.
Holland isn’t surprised at his success, but rather at how long it took, midway through his senior season. Fate in the form of Bradlee Van Pelt beating him out and a broken leg last year intervened.
“I definitely waited a long time for this,” Holland said. “The thing I’m most happy with is the cutdown in turnovers. I’m protecting the ball and keeping it in the offense’s hands so we can make some good plays. If you get the ball into the hands of our receivers, they can do great things.”
Last season Holland’s passes often would bounce off receivers’ hands into the grasp of defensive players. But this year his receivers often are bailing him out. The final touchdown in the Rams’ 39-31 victory over Wyoming last week came when Kory Sperry pulled in a bobbled, would-be interception.
“Everyone has known his capabilities,” said all-MWC wideout David Anderson. “When we started winning, we all just rallied around him. We put in plays where he rolls out left and has to throw all the way back 80 yards downfield. If you can’t be open on the back side of that route, you’ll never get open.”
Beginning with his first CSU start, in the 2003 San Francisco Bowl, through his injury-abbreviated junior season and the first two games this season, Holland was an interception waiting to happen. He had 10 passes intercepted in six games a year ago.
Now he is a new quarterback, with a deep and talented receiver corps and an offensive line that has kept him protected.
Next up is New Mexico, typically one of the toughest tests for any MWC quarterback because of its blitz-happy 3-3-5 defense. Brigham Young copied the scheme used by New Mexico and gave Holland trouble two weeks ago in the Rams’ only MWC loss. Holland was sacked four times but completed 22-of- 30 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns.
Holland didn’t get to play against the Lobos last year, sitting out with a broken leg. He prepared for tonight’s game by studying BYU’s 27-24 victory at New Mexico this month because the Cougars know the defense better than any MWC team. Overcoming Wyoming’s variety of blitzes a week ago was a start.
“We’re going to be much more prepared,” Holland said. “Eventually they will be coming out of those blitzes if we show we can pick them up early.”
CSU offensive coordinator Dan Hammerschmidt expects an even bigger challenge than BYU’s defense.
“New Mexico will be tougher because they have better players up front,” he said. “Hopefully we can keep them off balance, run when they think we’ll throw, throw when they think we’ll run.”
Hammerschmidt said NFL scouts are showing interest in Holland, as well as Anderson and offensive tackle Mike Brisiel.
“They know he has a strong arm,” Hammerschmidt said of Holland. “He has to finish up the year good, continue to manage the team. They want to see his decision-making and game mechanics.”
Colorado State at New Mexico
KEY MATCHUPS
CSU (4-3, 3-1 MWC): Justin Holland takes on a defense similar to BYU’s blitzing 3-3-5 alignment that gave the quarterback trouble two weeks ago. Cornerbacks Gabriel Fulbright and Mike Powdrell have combined for eight interceptions. Kyle Bell, second in the MWC in rushing, will want to establish himself early against one of the MWC’s top linebackers, Lobos senior Mike Mohoric. Kory Sperry and Johnny Walker have been able to take advantage of the extra attention put on wideout David Anderson in recent weeks.
New Mexico (5-3, 3-2): DonTrell Moore, the MWC’s all-time rushing leader, has averaged 192 yards in three games against the Rams. CSU’s linebacking corps and defensive line have been thinned by injuries. Kole McKamey is one of the MWC’s most improved quarterbacks, but he’s vulnerable to turnovers. Hank Baskett, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound wideout, presents a matchup problem for CSU cornerback Robert Herbert (6-1, 195).
KEY STAT
6 – Average winning margin of the past five games in the series.
KEYS FOR COLORADO STATE
With few experienced reserves up front on defense, the Rams’ offense can’t wait around for a fifth consecutive second-half eruption. The defense knows it’s not going to stop Moore, and that might be half the problem. The defense will need to continue to force turnovers, having collected seven in the past two weeks. CSU also needs to finish drives because it has no dependable field-goal kicker.
KEYS FOR NEW MEXICO
The Lobos could wear down CSU’s defense with Moore pounding away in the running game. They aren’t going to waste a newfound passing attack, however, making them even tougher to defend. New Mexico’s defense needs to find a way to disrupt CSU’s offense, which is explosive once it finds a rhythm.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
