COLLEGE FOOTBALL : WESTERN ATHLETIC ROUNDUP : It’s No Snap, but Colorado State Beats Wyoming

Colorado State Coach Sonny Lubick credited his offensive line for playing a big part in his Rams’ 31-24 victory over Wyoming on Saturday in a Western Athletic Conference game at Laramie, Wyo.

“There were creases for the backs to run in,” he said. “When we’re able to move the ball, to run it; we’re going to have a chance to win.”

But Lubick wasn’t totally happy with everyone.

“We put ourselves in the hole a couple of times,” he said. “I kept remembering that snap over the punter’s head.”

He was referring to a high snap in the third quarter, when the ball flew over Matt McDougal’s head, giving Wyoming the ball at the Colorado State 14. The Cowboys capitalized when Josh Wallwork connected with Marcus Harris on a 20-yard touchdown pass play to give Wyoming its last lead of the game at 17-14.

E.J. Watson and Damon Washington, who rushed for 106 yards and 122 yards, respectively, chipped away at Wyoming’s defense on the next drive to march the Rams 80 yards. The drive ended with Watson’s four-yard scramble into the end zone, giving the Rams a 21-17 lead.

Two drives later, Wyoming punter Brian Gragert, faced with a fourth and three on the Wyoming 36, kept the ball and appeared to gain the first down, but the officials ruled the ball down. The Rams scored one play later on a 23-yard pass play from Wilkinson to Jeremy Calhoun and it was 28-17.

The victory for the Rams, 5-3 overall and 3-2 in WAC, was their third in a row in the “border war” between the rivals, and it improved Colorado State’s series record to 46-36-5.

Wyoming fell to 3-4, 1-3.

Colorado State linebacker Nate Kvamme snagged two of the four interceptions Wallwork threw, leading to a Colorado State touchdown and a field goal.

“Turnovers were obviously critical,” Wyoming Coach Joe Tiller said.

Air Force 31, Fresno State 20--Beau Morgan rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns in 23 carries to lead the Falcons (6-3, 5-2) to a WAC victory over the Bulldogs (4-4, 1-3) at Fresno.

Morgan scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter to give Air Force the lead for good at 21-20.

Air Force was without halfback Jake Campbell, the team’s No. 2 rusher, but Todd Eilers came through with his best game, rushing for 117 yards in only nine carries and scoring on a three-yard run to give Air Force a 28-20 lead in the fourth quarter.

Air Force outgained Fresno on the ground, 396 yards to 141.

Brigham Young 45, Hawaii 7--Steve Sarkisian threw for three touchdowns and Tefua Bloomfield ran for three more as the Cougars (4-3, 4-1) beat the Rainbows (3-4, 1-3) in a WAC game at Provo, Utah.

Sarkisian completed 19 of 24 passes for 266 yards in three quarters as BYU led, 28-0, at halftime.

Bloomfield carried 10 times for 93 yards, including his scoring runs of one, 22 and 10 yards, against a Rainbow defense that yielded 300 rushing yards.

Hawaii, which also lost five fumbles, lost its 11th consecutive conference road game. The Rainbows are 0-6 in Provo since 1951.

Utah 40, Utah State 20--Freshman Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala, 6-feet, 274 pounds, rushed for 180 yards in 19 carries, and Daniel Pulsipher tied a school record with four field goals to lead the Utes (5-4) over the Aggies (2-4) in a nonconference game at Salt Lake City. Fuamatu-Ma’afala didn’t play after scoring on a 39-yard run with 19 seconds left in the third quarter. It gave the Utes a 40-13 lead.