Fresno St. Beats Colorado, 24-22

David Carr passed for one touchdown and ran for another, and Fresno State turned three Colorado turnovers into 17 points en route to a 24-22 victory at Boulder, Colo. Sunday.

Fresno State cornerback Devon Banks made an interception in the end zone with 3:32 left, thwarting a Colorado drive that had reached the Bulldog two-yard line.

On the final play of the game, safety Cameron Worrell intercepted a desperation pass at the Bulldog 14--Colorado’s fifth turnover of the game.

Craig Ochs threw two touchdown passes to John Minardi for Colorado, which lost for the first time in five meetings with Fresno State.

Carr completed 21 of 36 passes for 198 yards in the inaugural Jim Thorpe Assn. Football Classic. Ochs completed 31 of 51 for 346 yards.

Fresno State, the preseason pick to win the Western Athletic Conference, had a modest 71 yards in the first quarter but led, 14-0, thanks to two Colorado fumbles that the Bulldogs converted into touchdowns. Colorado never recovered.

Midway through the third quarter, Roman Hollowell’s 36-yard punt return gave Colorado possession near midfield, and Pat Brougham, making his major college debut, kicked a 42-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 21-16.

In the final minute of the quarter, however, Ochs fumbled a snap in shotgun formation, and tackle Alan Harper recovered at the Colorado 45. The Bulldogs then overcame penalties for holding and a false start, and Asen Asparuhov kicked a 43-yard field goal for a 24-16 lead with 12:29 left.

Ochs passed 16 yards to Minardi to make it 24-22 with 7:51 to go, but he overthrew Hollowell on a two-point conversion attempt. Colorado’s two subsequent possessions ended with interceptions.

Five minutes into the game, Colorado running back Chris Brown fumbled when hit by Banks, and end Justin Johnson recovered at the Colorado 45. Carr was five for five on the drive, which he capped with a one-yard sneak with 6:23 left in the first quarter.

On Colorado’s next possession, Ochs fumbled when sacked by safety Bryce McGill, and the Bulldogs recovered at the Colorado 21. Carr’s 13-yard pass to Bernard Berrian set up a one-yard scoring run by Paris Gaines with 3:34 left in the period.

Each team missed long field-goal tries early in the second quarter. With 6:03 remaining in the half, Hollowell returned a punt 77 yards for a score, cutting the lead to 14-7.

Fresno countered immediately with an 80-yard scoring drive. Carr completed five of six passes on the drive, including a 21-yarder to Marque Davis with 1:58 left for a 21-7 lead.