Page 6 of this week’s CSU football release: The Hollywood Higgins page
FORT COLLINS — Some leftovers from the Monday news conference with CSU coach Jim McElwain and players Ty Sambrailo and Aaron Davis:
— The CSU media release/game notes Monday included a new page 6, extolling the virtues of Rashard “Hollywood” Higgins for national award consideration. (.)
Higgins had 10 catches against Utah State, including the 46-yard reception in the final minute that set up the game-winning field goal. For the season, he has 54 receptions for 963 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He is second nationally to West Virginia’s Kevin White in two categories. White has 145.7 receiving yards per game, Higgins 137.6. White has 1,020 yards receiving, or 57 more than Higgins. Higgins’ 10 TD receptions are second only to Colorado’s Nelson Spruce, who has 11.
— The Rams’ already retooled offensive line has taken another hit, with guard Mason Myers leaving the game Saturday with a knee injury. McElwain said Myers won’t need surgery and the injury isn’t major, but he was considered “very, very doubtful” for the Wyoming game. “Obviously, Nick Callender has to step in like he did for (Sambrailo) and pick up the flag at that position,” McElwain said.
— Wide receiver Charles Lovett, who was woozy after taking a hit Saturday, probably won’t play this week, either.
— Free safety Kevin Pierre-Louis, who didn’t play against Utah State after suffering headaches during the week, was due to be retested Monday. Nick Januska replaced him in the lineup Saturday.
— McElwain said Sambrailo has played extremely well since returning to the lineup against Boston College after missing two games with a sprained knee.
“I’m not afraid to say it and I don’t think it’ll go to his head,” McElwain said. “At least it’s better not. I think he’s playing as good as any tackle in the country.”
— McElwain complimented the Wyoming program, in its first season under Craig Bohl. Bohl’s North Dakota State powerhouse FCS program dealt the Rams a 22-7 loss in the second game of the 2012 season, a week after CSU beat Colorado in McElwain’s first game as head coach.
“On a personal note,” he said of the Border War rivalry, “I’m not sure I understood it the first year. I’ll be straight up and honest. After that game (a 45-31 Cowboys’ victory in Laramie), it’s one that stuck with me personally harder than any one. . . There’s a whole lot of people that this means a ton to. I get it.”
He said of the Cowboys: “This is a team that’s getting back to its basics. They’re a team that, shoot, they don’t penalize themselves, they’re great tacklers on defense and force fumbles … They play with a little extra oomph in this one, as they should and as we should.
“You can tell the discipline they play with. You can tell the mindset with which they attack. They don’t hurt themselves. He gets it. Defensively, they’re as sound as sound can be. Offensively, they’re going to test your manhood. I think it’s great. He will continue to do great things there, there’s no doubt about it.”
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or twitter.com/TFrei
