Only 7,652 Fans Turn Out Down Under To See BYU Edge Colorado State, 30-26

Quarterback Sean Covey threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score Saturday to lead Brigham Young University to a 30-26 victory over Colorado State before a disappointing crowd of 7,652.

Promoters of the game, billed as the Melbourne Bowl, had hoped to attract about 20,000 spectators to 32,000-seat Princes Park stadium.

Covey threw both touchdown passes to running back Matt Bellini as the Cougars finished the Western Athletic Conference season with a 7-1 record and raised their overall mark to 9-3, with an All-America Bowl appearance against Virginia Dec. 22 still to come.

Covey connected with Bellini from 12 yards out with 1:40 remaining in the first quarter and again from 19 yards away with 9:59 remaining in the first half. Covey also scored a touchdown from 5 yards out with 9:13 left in the game.

Colorado State, which finished 1-7 in the WAC and 1-11 overall, stayed close on three touchdowns by Scott Whitehouse. He scored on runs of 1 and 11 yards and caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from from quarterback Scooter Molander. Molander also threw a scoring pass of eight yards to Todd Tyrell with 16 seconds remaining.

The game was the second between WAC teams to be played in Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city. Wyoming and Texas El Paso played in 1985 before 22,000.