It doesn’t take a Hall of Fame football coach, or even a first-year head coach such as Utah State’s Matt Wells, to figure out a strategy to stop Colorado State.
CSU (6-5, 4-2 Mountain West) has won each of the five games this season when Kapri Bibbs rushed for at least 100 yards. The Rams are 1-5 when the sophomore running back fails to reach the century mark.
Wells calls Bibbs “the hottest running back in the nation.”
Bibbs ran for a school-record 312 yards and scored four touchdowns against Nevada two weeks ago, then netted 291 yards and set a school record with six touchdowns at New Mexico last week.
“Kapri is running behind his pads,” CSU coach Jim McElwain said, “and he has that God-given ability to finish. He has put us on the map because of his numbers.”
CSU ranks fourth among Mountain West teams and 24th nationally in rushing offense with an average of 214.8 yards per game. Utah State (6-4, 5-1) ranks first in the conference and 20th nationally in rushing defense, yielding an average of 127.3 yards per game.
“What sets Bibbs apart to me is his vision,” said Utah State junior linebacker Zach Vigil. “He has really good backside vision. And when he sees a crease or a hole, he doesn’t hesitate.”
McElwain gave a verbal tip of the cap to Utah State for overcoming the loss of standout quarterback Chuckie Keeton to a season-ending knee in- jury Oct. 4 against BYU. The Aggies lost the following week to Boise State. But, with true freshman Darell Garretson at quarterback, they have won three in a row entering Saturday’s home game against the Rams.
In addition to Keeton, Utah State also lost other key offensive starters to injuries, including tight end D.J. Tialavea, running back Joe Hill and guard Kyle Whimpey.
“When we faced adversity, it took us a minute to regroup,” Wells said. “But, I’ll tell you what, the kids rallied around (the replacements). I’m happy the way they showed some resilience and fortitude.”
“Darell has gotten a little bit better each week,” Wells added. “He’s played very efficiently. He’s been smart with the football.”
CSU’s bowl chase resumes. The Rams need one more victory to become bowl eligible and have two chances to get it: Saturday against Utah State and at home next weekend against Air Force (2-9, 0-7).
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
