Colorado State Stuns No. 6 Arizona, 21-16 : Nonconference: Moran’s 77-yard fumble-return touchdown helps Rams improve to 6-0.

Sean Moran’s 77-yard fumble return highlighted a standout defensive effort that carried No. 23 Colorado State to a 21-16 victory over No. 6 Arizona on Saturday night.

Anthoney Hill passed for 251 yards and threw two touchdown passes to tight end Jason Shull as Colorado State (6-0) beat the Wildcats (4-1), who got 224 rushing yards from Ontiwaun Carter.

Moran’s fumble return, longest in Colorado State history, and two fourth-down stops were keys for the Rams, who never trailed.

With Colorado State leading, 14-6, in the third quarter, Arizona drove to the Rams’ 11. Quarterback Dan White was hit on a blitz by linebacker Garrett Sand and fumbled to Moran, who raced to the end zone.

The Rams’ previous longest fumble return for a touchdown was 55 yards.

Arizona’s Steve McLaughlin kicked a 42-yard field goal, his third of the game, to make it 21-9. Then Arizona drove 68 yards, with Carter contributing a 20-yard run, and White found Richard Dice on a six-yard touchdown pass with 7:02 remaining.

When the Rams were forced to punt, Arizona had another chance, but White’s pass was intercepted by Greg Myers with 2:26 left.

The Wildcats got the ball again with 48 seconds left but couldn’t move past midfield. White threw four incompletions.

Colorado State added to a 7-6 halftime lead by scoring on its opening drive of the third quarter. Hill lobbed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Shull over Arizona’s drawn-in secondary.

Hill ended an 81-yard first quarter drive with a 10-yard pass to Shull.

With Carter carrying the load, Arizona moved the ball against the Rams, rushing 54 times for 240 yards. But except for Dice’s late touchdown, the Wildcats had to settle for McLaughlin’s field goals.

Carter carried 36 times and caught eight passes for another 56 yards, but he couldn’t pick up a crucial fourth and two at the Rams’ 32 with 10:09 remaining.

Arizona also had been forced to turn the ball over on downs at midfield late in the first quarter when White’s dive failed to get him a needed yard.

Colorado State rang up 164 yards in the first quarter, 150 on Hill’s passes.

Arizona dominated in the second quarter but got only McLaughlin’s 47- and 44-yard field goals. The Wildcats were unable to convert a fumble recovery and interception before halftime.