ALBUQUERQUE — In the Land of Enchantment, Gartrell Godfrey Johnson III became the Man of Enlightenment.
Gartrell, do tell.
“Not ever, in my wildest dreams, did I imagine this happening. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t believe it,” he said.
Seen it? He did it on Saturday afternoon. Gartrell ran wild.
With only nine carries and five receptions, the Colorado State senior running back generated 191 yards of offense. Oh, that was in the first half against Fresno State.
On the first play of the second half, Johnson ran for 12 more yards. On the second play he gained 16. On the third play he picked up another 15 yards. He got 4 on play No. 4. On the fifth play a pass was thrown behind Johnson. On the sixth play he rested. Fresno-no State finally could rest.
In the first 32 minutes of the New Mexico Bowl, Johnson had accounted for 238 yards — 66.3 percent of the Rams’ offense.
Johnson finished with 375 yards total offense.
Threerippingseventyflippingfive.
Johnson III is now Johnson The Second. Last year in the Hawaii Bowl, Chris Johnson of East Carolina had 408.
Wonder if Gartrell could sign with the Broncos before Sunday? “I’ve been a Broncos fan since I was a kid because of Terrell Davis.”
Johnson was appearing in the final game of his five seasons in Fort Collins. “It’s gone by like a blur.” He went by like a blur.
I haven’t seen anything like this in a bowl since Colorado’s Bobby Anderson produced 295 yards (254 rushing, 41 passing) against Alabama in the 1969 Liberty Bowl, and Anderson was 80 yards short.
Johnson performed distinctively in the regular season — 1,191 yards rushing and 205 yards receiving, with 10 touchdowns and five 100-yard-plus games.
But nothing quite like this.
“My best game last year was here against New Mexico. I think I like this grass (Kentucky bluegrass). It feels fast. I want to take a patch home,” Johnson said.
During the Rams’ first possession of the opening quarter, third-and-1 at the CSU 25, Johnson got the handoff and sprinted 57 yards.
On the Rams’ second possession of the second quarter, third-and-11 at the CSU 30, Johnson caught a shovel pass and, yes, sprinted 57 yards.
“I got caught from behind twice,” he said. “I wasn’t going to let them get me on the last one.”
With two minutes to go Johnson went 77 — not 57 — yards for the convincing touchdown in the 40-35 bowlarama. Can’t touch this.
On the first day of bowls, with the New Mexico Bowl featured nationally on ESPN, wonder if the coaches at the University of Miami, Florida, Florida State and those other 42 colleges in Florida were distressed that they let this kid from Miami Springs (Fla.) get away — all the way to Colorado.
“I’m sure a lot of guys back home don’t know where I went. They might have watched today,” he said.
Johnson planned to attend Ohio State, but scholastic trouble in high school limited his choices. When Colorado State and Sonny Lubick invited him for a visit, Johnson was wowed. “Fort Collins is different from Miami.”
The 6-foot, 227-pound Johnson, constructed like a Ram (the animal and the truck), carried two times as a freshman, then injured his ankle. The NCAA granted him a medical mulligan. He rushed just 11 times in his (fresh) freshman season, 2005. He has played in every game since, started in 20 straight. Johnson recently was named to the all-Mountain West Conference first team — and has been asked to play in the East-West Shrine Game.
“I hope this helps me get to the next level, but I really hope this helps Colorado State get to the next level,” Johnson said.
NFL coaches will have to take a lengthy look. Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak already has. His two sons play at CSU. Mike Shanahan should get in line.
Despite all his doings and the 1-yard touchdown he scored in the fourth quarter, Johnson couldn’t convert the two-point run, and CSU trailed 28-26. The rest of the Rams helped out, though. A 69-yard pass from Billy Farris to Rashaun Greer gave CSU its first lead, 33-28, with seven minutes left.
Then Johnson broke loose again.
By then, even his dreadlocks, which obscure the “5” on Johnson’s back, were tired.
“I feel very blessed. When the game started and I broke off a couple of long runs, it was kind of like a golf swing. I really felt in the groove, and I kept running hard, then everything else took care of itself,” he said.
The Rams fans-dominated crowd rushed the field afterward and engulfed Johnson. One man was beaming. Gartrell Johnson Jr. wrapped up Gartrell Johnson III. It was the only time anybody really tackled the kid all afternoon.
Enchanting, enlightening, entertaining. Good Gartrell Godfrey.
Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com
