LAS VEGAS — It happened in Vegas. And, just this one time, some male college students hope it doesn’t stay there.
Colorado State football victories are not easily discarded in another city or kept secret from friends and families. In fact, the Rams celebrated a fairly easy 48-23 rout of UNLV as if they had won the Mountain West Conference championship.
Slamming the brakes on a 13-game losing streak – including 10 consecutive league games – sufficed. After arguably the most brutal weeks of coach Sonny Lubick’s 15-year career, players voted the game ball to their coach. In a YouTube moment, they filed along the stands to slap hands with a contingent of family and friends far outnumbering any UNLV stragglers in windblown Sam Boyd Stadium.
“Yeah I do feel (relief),” said Lubick. “This is the kind of team we should have had all year.”
CSU’s last victory – also against UNLV – came one year and 13 days ago.
“I’m so happy for everyone,” CSU quarterback Caleb Hanie said. “We’ve been down for so long. It’s such a weight off our shoulders. Now we can go out and play.”
But on one wind-blown Saturday night in the desert, CSU did almost all the things other teams did to the Rams. CSU improved to 1-6, 1-3. Perennially struggling UNLV slipped to 2-6, 1-3.
“We played with a chip on our shoulders. We had to get a win,” said starting tailback Gartrell Johnson, who rushed for a career-high 162 yards and two touchdowns. “It feels great to get (the streak) off our backs. Now we want to keep winning out.”
Behind both Johnson’s 130 yards by halftime and Kyle Bell’s relief, CSU ran the ball at will. Fourth teamer Michael Myers even scored a 22-yarder with 45 seconds left when the Rams were just trying to run out the clock.
Safety Zac Bryson returned an interception 99 yards nearly three minutes earlier. He called it “wind-aided. Everyone teases me I’m not the fastest guy. I tell them I run a 4.4.”
UNLV freshman quarterback Omar Clayton, not Hanie, tossed three interceptions, two returned for scores, and fumbled twice.
And unlike every previous game during the streak, CSU took the lead and refused to relinquish it despite a second-half threat by the Rebels.
“We hope to take this back to Fort Collins,” said Hanie. “We hadn’t put in a complete game all year until now.”
For most of the season, the opponent scored on its opening drive. This time, Erik Sandie recovered a fumble on the UNLV 28. Jason Smith missed a 45-yard field goal, but the Rams got the ball back quickly on another Clayton fumble, this one recovered by defensive end Jesse Nading at the Rams’ 45.
Johnson needed just one play to complete the task. It was CSU’s longest rushing play in two years.
The Rebels answered with their lone first-half score, a 44-yard field goal set up by a 52-yard Clayton run.
CSU first looked to break it open when Damon Morton popped loose to catch a bomb Hanie launched from his 15. Morton gathered it inside the UNLV 15, but his fumble was grabbed by UNLV at the 2.
When CSU took over again, the Rams kept the ball on the ground, ending with a 25-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead. On UNLV’s next play, CSU cornerback Darryl Williams grabbed a pass that bounced off a UNLV receiver’s hands and raced untouched into the end zone from 30 yards out. It was the first CSU interception returned for a score since the victory over UNLV a year ago.
Johnson ran for his second TD before the half ended. CSU opened the third quarter moving inside the 1, only to settle for Smith’s 17-yard field goal.
The Rebels’ offense came to life when tailback Frank Summers tight- roped the sideline with a 56-yard pass reception to close to 27-10 midway through the third quarter. UNLV opened the final period with a seven-play, 80-yard drive capped by a Summers run.
Instead of closing shop as the Rams did after letting leads collapse, Damon Morton returned the kickoff 33 yards to the Rebels’ 34-yard line. He caught his breath in time to line up for a TD reception on the first play of the drive. With a commanding 34-17 lead with 11:04 left, CSU had its most points in a game this season.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph whipped the stadium. By the fourth quarter, a light bank was swaying precariously.
The Grades | By Natalie Meisler
OFFENSE
A-: Old-style running game returns with 279 yards and Gartrell Johnson played his second outstanding game to cement himself in the starting job. Brutal windstorm negated some of the passing game but Caleb Hanie managed the game well and had no interceptions.
DEFENSE
B: Gave up 559 yards, including 439 total yards to first-time freshman starting QB Omar Clayton. What counts, however, is interceptions by Darryl Williams and Zac Bryson.
SPECIAL TEAMS
B: Place-kicker Jason Smith had a rough time with the fierce winds. For the second straight week, punter Jimmie Kaylor saw little action. Kickoff return game from Dion and Damon Morton (four returns, 199 yards) was outstanding.
OVERALL
A-: All that matters is CSU put an end to a 13-game losing streak that threatened to topple Sonny Lubick’s legacy at the school. The confidence regained could go a long way as the toughest part of the MWC schedule awaits.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
