Johnson, CSU run past UNLV

By Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky

Published October 4, 2008 at 3:48 p.m.

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Photo by Rich Abrahamson/AP/The Fort Collins Coloradoan

Colorado State's Gartrell Johnson rushes past Nevada-Las Vegas defender Daryl Forte during their game Saturday in Fort Collins.

Photo by Rich Abrahamson © Fort Collins Coloradoan

Colorado State receiver Rashaun Greer catches a pass as UNLV defenders Quinton Pointer (10) and Terrance Lee (23) try to chase him down.

Photo by Rich Abrahamson/AP/The Fort Collins Coloradoan

Nevada-Las Vegas receiver Michael Johnson is dragged down by Colorado State safety Ivory Herd on Saturday at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins.

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FORT COLLINS — The Nevada-Las Vegas defense staggered into Fort Collins on Saturday and, not coincidentally, the Colorado State offense suddenly looked like a juggernaut.

Wide receiver Rashaun Greer and running back Gartrell Johnson each turned in their best performances this season, and CSU put together a winning drive in the final minutes to record a 41-28 in the Rams’ Mountain West Conference opener.

Johnson scored the winning touchdown on a 10-yard run with nine seconds remaining to lift CSU (3-2, 1-0 MWC) to the victory. John Mosure capped the win by returning a fumble seven yards for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, making amends for a fumble on a kick return in the first half, as UNLV (3-3, 0-2) attempted a series of laterals in hopes of scoring a desperation touchdown on the final play of the game.

Johnson finished with a career-best 191 rushing yards on 33 carries with three touchdowns. Greer, a Las Vegas native, caught eight passes for 211 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Billy Farris also enjoyed his best effort this season, completing 15-of-21 passes for 294 yards without throwing an interception.

It was the sixth consecutive time UNLV has lost to the Rams, who continue league play at home next week against Texas Christian.

“This is an exciting win for our team and our football program,” Rams head coach Steve Fairchild said. “A little different-type adversity than we had in our previous two wins. This one was a tight game, but a game we went down 14-3 in and didn’t pull up shop. We just kept playing. I was proud of our team in that regard.”

UNLV entered the fourth quarter facing a 27-14 deficit but closed the gap on a 1-yard touchdown run by Frank Summers, who rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries. The Rebels took a one-point lead when quarterback Omar Clayton hit Jerriman Robinson with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 6 minutes, 5 seconds remaining.

CSU took possession on its 20-yard line and promptly moved into Runnin’ Rebels territory on a 30-yard pass from Farris to Kory Sperry. Johnson rushed for a first down inside the UNLV 15-yard line to set up a potential winning field-goal attempt, but a personal-foul penalty on Rams tackle Dane Stratton set CSU 15 yards back.

It turned out the Rams simply were building the drama and killing the clock.

Johnson carried twice for 10 yards in between a Farris-to-Greer completion, setting up a first down on the UNLV 10-yard line. Instead of CSU settling for a field goal, Johnson broke loose for a 10-yard touchdown and added the two-point conversion to give CSU a 35-28 edge.

“When we can run the ball like that, it just opens up the passing lanes,” Farris said. “The balance was great. When we needed to throw, we threw, and when we wanted to throw, we threw then, too. But we always knew we could go back to the run.”

The Rams received an injury scare when junior safety Klint Kubiak suffered an ankle injury after a first-quarter interception that was nullified by a penalty. Kubiak didn’t return to the game, but X-rays were negative and he will be reevaluated early next week.

The loss was UNLV's school-record-breaking 17th consecutive road loss to a conference opponent, dating to Oct. 8, 2004.

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