Wyoming boots Rams to ninth-straight loss

In the 42nd annual Battle for the Bronze Boot between Colorado State and Wyoming it’s only fitting that the fate of the winner would be determined by a single kick.

Leading 6-0 in the second quarter, Rams placekicker Ben DeLine set himself for the point-after try. The snap, hold and kick were good, but Wyoming defensive end John Fletcher jumped high over a lineman and blocked the ball. That would prove to be the difference, as Wyoming kicked a field goal late to beat the Rams, 17-16.

The game was the gritty, defensive battle you’d expect from such an evenly matched rivalry. Both teams kept each other from making much progress down the field through the first quarter and a half.

CSU broke the stalemate with 7 minutes left in the first half. Running back Lou Greenwood rushed for an 8-yard touchdown on a drive that was nearly killed by multiple penalties.

After the Rams got on the board, Wyoming would match each score with one of its own. The Cowboys started right before the end of the half after David Leonard returned a CSU punt 53 yards into the red zone. Quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels showed his versatility by passing for 12 yards, then running into the end zone from the 6-yard line to give Wyoming a 7-6 lead.

Determined not to let the momentum swing carry through the break, as it has all season for CSU, the offense powered its way to another touchdown to open the third quarter. Running back Leonard Mason carried for 19 and 14 yards on two consecutive plays, and then Jon Eastman hit fullback Zac Pauga for a 4-yard TD pass.

Both Mason and Eastman were proof of the Rams’ grit in the final game of the season. Eastman was making his first start at quarterback after Grant Stucker was injured in last week’s game against New Mexico. Eastman completed 22 of 30 passes for 185 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Mason replaced John Mosure, who went out early in the game with a leg injury. Mason rushed for 119 yards on 20 carries.

Each team took another turn with the ball after Pauga’s catch put the CSU lead at 13-7, but then Carta-Samuels got hot again. The freshman led Wyoming on a six-play, 79-yard drive that ended when he scampered for 49 yards into the end zone as the fourth quarter began. Carta-Samuels only threw for 137 yards in the game but ran for 34 and two scores.

Again, Eastman and Mason responded. The two chipped away at the Wyoming defense on the ground and through the air, taking over 7 minutes off the clock. The Rams made it all the way inside the Wyoming 6-yard line but were stopped on third down. DeLine kicked a 23-yard field goal and gave CSU the lead 16-14 with 6:57 left in the game.

The Cowboys followed suit and took 5 minutes themselves to do the same thing. Wyoming drove 67 yards on its next possession, and Ian Watts kicked a 33-yard field goal with 1:30 remaining.

Plenty of time, so it would seem. Eastman, not usually known as a mobile quarterback, ran for 22 yards to put the Rams at midfield. But a few late incompletions left CSU with a fourth down at the 50-yard line, 3 yards away from the marker. Eastman dropped back one final time, and with 38 seconds on the clock, threw his only interception of the day.

Wyoming was able to take a knee and close out the game, moving to 6-6 and bowl eligibility. Colorado State finishes the year at 3-9, and will have to regain some serious momentum in the offseason after nine consecutive losses.