Fort Collins – If there’s a Mountain West Conference championship game Saturday in Fort Worth, someone ought to tell Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick.
“It’s a game. We have three more to play,” Lubick said of the matchup against TCU. “It seems all three will be tough. Our team would like to win all three. If we win two, we’re in fairly decent position (for a bowl).
“TCU is the only team that has the upper hand on everyone. I don’t think we can take it as the end-all of the season, win or lose.”
Someone might want to clue in the television decision-makers. ESPN Regional passed on the game a week ago because Fort Worth syndicates were already booked. CSU tried once more to interest Fox Sports Net, but pre-existing contracts precluded a late addition.
Lubick said: “We can’t be on every week, but I’m sure it would be nice for the fans (this week). It seems ridiculous.”
MWC newcomer TCU (8-1, 6-0) can wrap up the title outright if it defeats the Rams (5-3, 4-1) in the 5 p.m. game in Fort Worth. TCU finishes against last-place UNLV. CSU still has games left against San Diego State and UNLV. The Horned Frogs are No. 20 in two polls and No. 18 in the BCS rankings.
Smith, Herbert honored
Special-teams coach Dave Arnold went to the MWC track and field championships in Fort Collins last spring to scout his own kicker. Jason Smith, a walk-on from Arapahoe High School, placed sixth in the MWC triple jump with a leap of 47 feet, 6 1/2 inches. Arnold, a former high school track coach, wanted to see Smith perform under pressure.
Smith was named MWC special-teams player of the week after he was perfect on four field goals and four PATs in his college debut Friday against New Mexico. The obvious question Arnold heard was why it took so long to name Smith as a replacement for struggling Kevin Mark.
“He never stepped up in practice,” Arnold said of Smith. “There was never a time in competition he was ahead of Kevin.”
The kicking situation had deteriorated so much that Lubick called anything inside the 35-yard line “four-down territory.”
CSU cornerback Robert Herbert shared MWC defensive player of the week honors with TCU cornerback Quincy Butler.
Herbert broke up two passes, intercepted another and recovered a fumble while defending New Mexico’s 6-foot-4 Hank Baskett, the MWC leader in receiving yards.
Footnotes
Senior quarterback Justin Holland jumped from 10th to fourth nationally in pass efficiency rating (166.1). Holland, with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, trails Louisville’s Brian Brohm (198.8), Virginia Tech’s Marcus Vick (167.2) and USC Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart (166.9). … A 1 p.m. kickoff was announced for the Nov. 12 home finale with San Diego State. It will be the ESPN Regional MWC game of the week.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
