Cougs run over Rams

PROVO — BYU produced a statement game for head coach Bronco Mendenhall on homecoming Saturday night in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The Cougars threw out a smash-mouth, we-will-impose-our-will game plan on Colorado State and won 24-14 by bulldozing their way to 274 rushing yards.

Junior Curtis Brown led the way, dashing up CSU's gut for 147 yards on 31 carries — both season highs. His teammate, Fahu Tahi, added 86 yards on 14 carries.

"It was a gratifying victory," Mendenhall said. "We executed to the highest level that we have all year. We still have a long way to go but we're making significant strides."

The so-called statement was never more apparent than in the waning minutes of the game with the Rams trying to stop a Cougar goal-line attack inside CSU's 5 — the same place on the field the Rams staged what Coloradoans call the greatest defensive stand in Ram history against Utah last Saturday in Fort Collins, Colo.

On this Saturday, to the delight of 58,165 fans, Brown took a third-and-goal handoff from John Beck at the 2 and motored in for a touchdown 2 yards deep into the end zone before a defender wrestled him to the ground. A few plays earlier, Brown converted on a fourth-and-2 at the Ram 7 to keep the drive alive.

Mendenhall said from the beginning of the week his staff felt the Cougars could run on CSU like they did last year. On his defense, Mendenhall said he was proud of his troops. "They rose to the occassion," he said. "Our goal was to make one more play than Colorado State." -->

That late score lifted the Cougars to a 10-point advantage and sealed the victory with 2:07 left on the clock. Once again, the Cougars refused to fold and give up a win.

Cougar offensive tackle Jake Kuresa said the snowplow idea for the hogs up front was fun.

"It's so satisfying," he said. "We felt all week we could physically dominate them. We wanted it more. The coaches called on us and we stepped up and we did it."

On Brown's fourth-and-2 play on BYU's game-sealing drive, he said, "All I wanted to do is run straight at it. The guys up front got it done for us."

BYU team captain Cameron Jensen said the Cougar defenders were satisfied in getting to the Ram quarterback more than anybody else this season.

"We knew we needed to get to the quarterback," he said. "That was our mind-set and we did that."