[hoopsguy]

We are listed as 21 point favorites at home against Colorado St. They have yet to play a game. Bookmakers are not overreacting to last weeks game, nor should they.

We nearly fill the Rose Bowl - 97,798 on hand on a beautiful late summer day.

On opening play Edwards hits Brewer for 32 yards. Brewer's momentum carried him out of bounds, but a great fingertip grab sets us up Rams territory.
Inside the 5, WR Stablein goes down with a neck injury. Early word is that he will return.
Burford converts with Brown on a one yard screen pass. 7-0 Bruins, 10:31 left in the first quarter.

We stuff the run on 3rd and 2 to force Colorado St into 3 and out.
CB Brown returns the 38 yard punt 26 yards to set us up on the opposing 30 yard line.

Brown runs for 15 on 3rd and 10.
He runs for 15 more, and a TD, on his next carry. 14-0, 7:19 to play in the quarter.

CSU QB Kevin Lehr looks to run, picking up a first down on back to back carries.
CB Alvin Brown, for 2nd straight game, leaves in first quarter with an injury. He is not likely to return.
Lehr hits back to back 15+ yard completions.
Lehr picks up a 3rd and 12.
The Rams pick up 2 on 3rd and 2 at our four. But they can't punch it in on next three runs and settle for a 22 yard field goal to end a 14 play drive. 6:48 is one of the longer drives I've seen for time of possession. 14-3, 0:11 left in quarter.

RB Baker explodes for a 45 yard run. At the end of it the Colorado State middle linebacker clobbers him, forcing a fumble. A hustling offensive lineman falls on the ball to retain possession.
Next play, from the Rams 12, Brown gets past the D-Line and is sizing up the end zone when he is blindsided by OLB Robert Nix. Brown fumbles and this time CSU dives on the ball to halt our drive.

The ball must be slick today. On 3rd down, Rams QB Lehr doesn't see anyone open so he tucks the ball and runs into OLB Hank Swilling. Hank doesn't mess around, jarring the ball loose for DE Ben Baker to dive on. Our ball at the CSU 20.

We go one yard in three plays. 37 yard field goal, 17-3 with 11:18 to play in the half.

The run defense is stout - 3 and out again for Colorado St. We return the punt to the CSU 37 and get five more yards on a facemask penalty.

One play drive - Burford 32 yards to Stablein (back from neck injury). The PAT is blocked, 23-3, 9:10 remaining in half.

CSU RB Derrick Tant is running very hard this drive, picking up a pair of first downs. The Rams run a screen pass that fools the defense, setting up a first down inside the 20. DT Dat Cash grabs his hamstring on that play and limps off the field.
Lehr throws a striek to Tant in the end zone from 10 yards out. 23-10, 5:00 left in half.

QB Edwards has a ball deflected at the line of scrimmage; it soars high in the air before being caught by OLB Robert Nix. The ball is returned to the CSU 48 yard line. OG Bill Westbrook, the one non-freshman starter up front, hurt his elbow on the play and will not return.

We spot the offense 15 yards with a facemask penalty. Two more first downs set up Colorado State with first and goal at the four. Back-to-back runs results in 3 yards and a 3rd and goal from the half-yard line. On the snap, RB Dant stumbles and is hit hard in the backfield. He takes exception and pushes the facemask of a Bruin player. Unnecessary Roughness, 4th and 17.
Of course, they miss the 35 yard field goal. Wide left.

We go 3 and out, punt the ball with time winding down in half.

CSU isn't able to do anything in the remaining time. 23-10 at the break.

Halftime Notes:
Total yards are about even - both teams near 200.
CSU has had ball for 20 of 30 minutes.

CSU goes 3 and out to start 2nd half.

CSU is really playing good D right now. On 3rd and 14 they level D. Brown after he catches a ball in the flat. Fumble, Rams recover, at our 37. That is the 2nd time that Brown has coughed it up today.

Defense makes a stop, forces a 38 yard field goal attempt. It is short. Short?

The offense gets back to their quick strike ways. Brown breaks off a 20 yard run. Three plays later it is Edwards to Stablein for a 37 yard TD pass. Burford tries to run for two but fails. 29-23, 7:57 left in 3rd quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff we bring them down at the 33 but the kicker is called for spearing. Now that is a dumb, dumb penalty.
CSU's QB picks up 17 on a scramble. If he is doing this to us then we are in real trouble against Stanford, who has a very good mobile QB.
FS Greg Moore leaves the game clutching his upper arm. He appears to be in a lot of pain.
CSU gets a 10 yard TD pass, cutting the margin to 29-17 with 5:24 left in 3rd quarter.

We go 3 and out next possession, including one sack by the defense.

We pop Lehr on a scramble, but they recover the fumble. We aren't having much luck when the ball is on the ground today. They have recovered four of the five fumbles.
RB Tant is almost at 100 yards after a 13 yard run to our 23 yard line.
Our secondary is dropping like flies - CB Ken Byrd leaves the game with a knee injury.
Lehr takes it in from 4 yards out on broken 3rd and 3 play. The extra point is partially blocked and is no good! 29-23, 14:32 left in game.

Brown runs the kick back to the 41.
On 3rd and 6 Burford threw a long ball to WR Brewer for a 54 yard gain. The CB was torched by a fake, but the Rams safety swept in to prevent a TD. First and goal at the one.
Brown runs it in from there. No fumble.
Edwards finds Brewer for a 2 point conversion. 37-23, 12:21 left in game.

On CSU's first play, Lehr completes a pass but DE Ben Baker is on the scene to deliver a big hit, knocking the ball loose. He dives on the ball. The refs rule that WR Bennett did have possession and it was a fumble. UCLA ball near midfield. Strange to see a DE making plays like that 15-20 yards downfield.

Brewer goes over 100 yard mark with an 18 yard reception.
Brown picks up a 3rd and 1 to keep the chains moving.
We face a 4th and 1 at the CSU 6. It looks like the offense wanted to go for it, but they took too much time getting the play in.
On 4th and 6 they line up a 29 yard FG. McMullen, Mr. Automatic, misses it. Just wide to the left.

D forces a 3 and out.

we have an ugly 3 and out, no plays close to connecting.
But on the punt our special teams strips the ball, recovering at the Rams 34.

CSU is in desperation mode on defense. They are called for two penalties, helping us inch closer to the goal line.
They bring the house after Burford and force a mistake. The OLB gets a pick, their ball on their own 3 yard line. 3:30 left to play, CSU needs to score quickly.

Lehr runs for 19 yards. We are not dealing well with the mobile QB.
Lehr was called for passing beyond the line of scrimmage on 3rd down, setting up 4th and 14 from deep in their own territory.
On 4th Lehr and RB Zant got crossed up on their pattern. ILB Scott Wilson, who has had a strong game, was the beneficiary of an easy interception.

RB Brown hits the century mark with a 12 yard carry near the end of regulation.
On the play QB Edwards was popped in the jaw. The UCLA sideline is incensed, but there is no penalty.
McMullen connects on a 33 yard field goal. 40-23, 0:33 remaining.

Lehr airs it out, incomplete on each of his first three attempts.
On 4th down he tries to buy time but is buried from behind on a sack. Another brutal play in a very chippy football game.