2008 Colorado State Rams Season

2008 Colorado State Rams Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Colorado State Rams

Dec. 20
2008 New Mexico Bowl
Colorado State 40 ... Fresno State 35
Colorado State tore off 619 yards of total offense highlighted by a 69-yard touchdown catch from Rashaun Greer with seven minutes left in the game for a 33-28 lead, and Gartrell Johnson put it away with a 77-yard scoring dash. Fresno State got two, two-yard touchdown runs from Anthony Harding and scoring dashes from one and 69 yards out from Lonyae Miller, but the defense couldn't hold down the Ram offense in the second half. CSU went on a 20-0 run for the late lead, but the Bulldogs were able to come up with a 44-second scoring drive after the the final Johnson scoring dash with Ryan Skidmore catching a seven-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to play. CSU backup RB Kyle Bell recovered the onside kick to seal the Ram win.
Player of the game: Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson ran 27 times for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and he led the team in receiving with five catches for 90 yards.
Stat Leaders: Fresno State - Passing: Tom Brandstater, 13-23, 186 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Harding, 18-120, 2 TD. Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 3-81
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 17-29, 257 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 27-285, 2 TD. Receiving: Gartrell Johnson, 5-90
Inside The Boxscore ... 5 Thoughts on the New Mexico Bowl ... Down 21-13 late in the first half, Colorado State went for the end zone getting a 22-yard Kory Sperry touchdown catch with two seconds to play ... CSU's Ricky Brewer led all defenders with 10 tackles and two tackles for loss. ... Average yards per rush: CSU 9.3 - Fresno State 6.4. ... CSU fumbled the ball three times and didn't loss any. ... Fresno State's Anthony Harding ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns averaging 6.7 yards per carry, and Lonyae Miller ran for 113 yards and two scores averaging 8.7 yards per carry.

- 2008 CSU Preview
- 2007 CSU Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2008 Record: 7-6

Aug. 31 Colorado L 38-17
Sept. 6 Sacramento St W 23-20
Sept. 13 OPEN DATE
Sept. 20 Houston W 28-25
Sept. 27 at California L 42-7
Oct. 4 UNLV W 41-28
Oct. 11 TCU L 13-7
Oct. 18 at Utah L 49-16
Oct. 25 at San Diego St W 38-34
Nov. 1 BYU L 45-42
Nov. 8 at Air Force L 38-17
Nov. 15 New Mexico W 20-6
Nov. 22 at Wyoming W 31-20
New Mexico Bowl
Dec. 20 Fresno State W 40-35

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2007 Record: 3-9

Sept. 1 Colorado L 31-28 OT
Sept. 8 California L 38-24
Sept. 22 at Houston L 35-24
Sept. 29 at TCU L 24-12
Oct. 6 San Diego St L 24-20
Oct. 13 Air Force L 45-21
Oct. 20 at UNLV W 48-23
Oct. 27 Utah L 27-3
Nov. 3 at BYU L 28-16
Nov. 10 at N Mexico L 26-23
Nov. 17 Ga Southern W 42-34
Nov. 23 Wyoming W 36-28

Nov. 22
Colorado State 31 … Wyoming 20
Colorado State became bowl eligible as Dion Morton caught a 31-yard touchdown pass and Gartrell Johnson caught a five-yard scoring grab. Morton also scored from 51 and 43 yards out as part of his 160-yard day. Wyoming got a halfback option touchdown pass from Wynel Seldon to Chris Sundberg in the first quarter and a Ward Dobbs interception return for a touchdown in the second, but it only managed two Nick Landess field goals the rest of the way. Each team turned the ball over three times.
Player of the game: Colorado State WR Dion Morton made six catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Wyoming - Passing: Chris Stutzriem, 21-39, 201 yds
Rushing: Wynel Seldon, 19-107. Receiving: Jesson Salyards, 5-51
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 15-25, 235 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 23-135, 1 TD. Receiving: Dion Morton, 6-160, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State got the turnaround season it was looking for under Steve Fairchild with six wins and a possible bowl game to come. The goal this season was to become a running team, but the passing game was what worked when push came to shove, as Dion Morton came through with a monster game with his three touchdown catches to beat Wyoming. CSU didn’t beat anyone big, but it didn’t lose any games it shouldn’t. This has been a great step forward.

Nov. 15
Colorado State 20 … New Mexico 6
Gartrell Johnson ran for a 12-yard score and Dion Morton took a pass six yards for a third quarter touchdown as Colorado State easily got by New Mexico. The Lobos moved the ball but stalled on drive after drive only getting two James Aho field goals. Johnson went over the 1,000-yard mark for the Rams with his 127-yard performance.
Player of the game: Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson ran 30 times for 127 yards and a touchdown, and he caught three passes for 47 yards
Stat Leaders: New Mexico - Passing: Brad Gruner, 23-39, 204 yds
Rushing: Rodney Ferguson, 14-85. Receiving: Bryant Williams, 5-54
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 16-27, 237 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 30-127, 1 TD. Receiving: Rashaun Greer, 6-71
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Rams are still alive for bowl eligibility needing to get by lowly Wyoming in Laramie next week for the sixth win. Under Steve Fairchild, CSU is getting a more physical ground game, helped by Gartrell Johnson’s 1,000-yard season, while the defense has been far, far tighter in key situations. It’s not a brick wall of a D, but it came through against New Mexico and it should be able to keep the Cowboy running game in check. The team needs to win the time of possession battle, and it did that holding on to the ball for close to 36 minutes against UNM.

Nov. 8
Air Force 38 … Colorado State 17
Air Force won on the big play both through the air and on the ground as Asher Clark ran for a 41-yard touchdown in the first quarter, a 45-yard touchdown in the third, and Kyle Halderman took a pass 74 yards for a score. Colorado State stayed alive with a four-yard Dion Morton touchdown run in the second quarter, but that would be the last touchdown with Air Force going on a 24-3 run the rest of the way.
Player of the game: Air Force RB Asher Clark ran 16 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 19-36, 251 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 19-81, 1 TD. Receiving: Rashaun Greer, 7-145
Air Force - Passing: Tim Jefferson, 6-8, 171 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Asher Clark, 16-136, 2 TD. Receiving: Kyle Halderman, 2-99, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State didn’t get enough out of the running game to counteract all the Air Force big plays and the 284 yards of Falcon rushing production. Billy Farris threw well, but he didn’t keep the passing game going well enough to generate points in the second half. Now the Rams have to beat both New Mexico and Wyoming to not only be bowl eligible, but to turn around a rough second half of the season losing five of the last six games.

Nov. 1
BYU 45 … Colorado State 42
In a fantastic shootout, BYU rallied back with a 17-yard Dennis Pitta touchdown catch with 22 seconds to play just 1:22 after a 55-yard Dion Morton touchdown catch that gave Colorado State a late lead. The two teams traded big shots all game long with Pitta scoring from 23 yards out in the fourth quarter and Austin Collie catching touchdown passes from 58, 15 and 10 yards away. Colorado State kept up the pace highlighted by a 32-yard Morton touchdown catch in the second and a Gartrell Johnson seven-yard run in the fourth, but Max Hall and the BYU offense proved to be too much. The Cougars put up 551 yards of total offense to Colorado State’s 401.
Player of the game: BYU QB Max Hall completed 28-of-35 passes for 389 yards and five touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 18-35, 251 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 18-102, 1 TD. Receiving: Dion Morton, 6-129, 2 TD
BYU - Passing: Max Hall, 28-35, 389 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Harvey Unga, 24-133, 1 TD. Receiving: Dennis Pitta, 12-175, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State might have lost to BYU, but it proved it could go toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s better teams. Billy Farris was efficient and effective, while Gartrell Johnson provided a good balance on the ground. The defense couldn’t do anything to slow down Max Hall and the Cougar skill players, but few teams can. A bowl game is still a possibility needing to win two of the final three games. Beating Air Force next week would be a big boost after a heartbreaking loss like this one.

Oct. 25
Colorado State 38 … San Diego State 34
Billy Farris and Kory Sperry hooked up three times on touchdown passes from 20, six and nine yards out with the last one breaking a 31-31 tie early in the fourth quarter. San Diego State managed a 33-yard Lane Yoshida field goal with just over seven minutes to play, but couldn’t get any closer. Colorado State managed 507 yards of total offense, but the defense allowed Attiyah Henderson touchdown runs from one and 72 yards out and the special teams gave up a 93-yard kickoff return for a score to Davion Mauldin to keep pace.
Player of the game: Colorado State QB Billy Farris completed 25-of-34 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Ryan Lindley, 24-33, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Atiyyah Henderson, 25-177, 2 TD. Receiving: Vincent Brown, 11-40, 1 TD
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 35-34, 296 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 26-130. Receiving: Kory Sperry, 5-61, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Colorado State offense woke up at just the right time, but it took way too much of a battle to get by Colorado State. Billy Farris came through when he had to, and the defense finally stiffened late, and now a bowl is a possibility if the Rams can come through with a big upset of BYU next week. Gartrell Johnson needs to continue to pound away, and Farris and Kory Sperry have to stay hot to keep the chains moving to keep the BYU offense off the field.

Oct. 25
Colorado State 38 … San Diego State 34
Billy Farris and Kory Sperry hooked up three times on touchdown passes from 20, six and nine yards out with the last one breaking a 31-31 tie early in the fourth quarter. San Diego State managed a 33-yard Lane Yoshida field goal with just over seven minutes to play, but couldn’t get any closer. Colorado State managed 507 yards of total offense, but the defense allowed Attiyah Henderson touchdown runs from one and 72 yards out and the special teams gave up a 93-yard kickoff return for a score to Davion Mauldin to keep pace.
Player of the game: Colorado State QB Billy Farris completed 25-of-34 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: San Diego State - Passing: Ryan Lindley, 24-33, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Atiyyah Henderson, 25-177, 2 TD. Receiving: Vincent Brown, 11-40, 1 TD
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 35-34, 296 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 26-130. Receiving: Kory Sperry, 5-61, 3 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Colorado State offense woke up at just the right time, but it took way too much of a battle to get by Colorado State. Billy Farris came through when he had to, and the defense finally stiffened late, and now a bowl is a possibility if the Rams can come through with a big upset of BYU next week. Gartrell Johnson needs to continue to pound away, and Farris and Kory Sperry have to stay hot to keep the chains moving to keep the BYU offense off the field.

Oct. 18
Utah 49 …Colorado State 16
Using a two quarterback system, Utah got Corbin Louks touchdown runs from 21 and 69 yards out and Brian Johnson touchdown passes from 32 yards out to Freddie Brown and 33 yards out to David Reed. Matt Asiata added two three-yard touchdown runs. Colorado State managed a 29-yard Dion Morton touchdown catch in the first quarter to tie it at seven, but only came up with three Jason Smith field goals, including a 52-yarder, the rest of the way. Utah outgained CSU 549 yards to 298.
Player of the game: Utah QB Corbin Louks completed one pass for 37 yards and ran five times for 109 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 19-33, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 20-95. Receiving: Dion Morton, 5-39, 1 TD
Utah - Passing: Brian Johnson, 18-26, 185 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Corbin Louks, 5-109, 2 TD. Receiving: Jereme Brooke, 6-34
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State would like to be a running team, and it tried to get Gartrell Johnson going against Utah, with a little bit of success, but the defense struggled so much against the Ute ground game that Billy Farris and the passing game had to take over. This isn’t a good enough team to beat the better teams when they’re playing at a high level, and Utah was playing as well as it could play. Now comes a date at San Diego State before hosting BYU. Farris has to fine-tune the passing game in a hurry.

Oct. 11
TCU 13 … Colorado State 7
TCU wasn’t sharp, and it got down early as Gartrell Johnson capped off a Ram drive with a four-yard touchdown, but the defense would eventually show up. The Horned Frog offense got a six-yard touchdown run from Aaron Brown in the first quarter and Joseph Turner ran for a three-yard score in the second. Colorado State was held to 11 rushing yards for the game, with -49 yards on the ground in the second half.
Player of the game: TCU DB Tejay Johnson made six tackles, made a sack, two tackles for loss, broke up two passes, and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Klay Kubiak, 12-24, 121 yds
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 16-30, 1 TD. Receiving: Kory Sperry, 6-104
TCU - Passing: Marcus Jackson, 16-26, 166 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Marcus Jackson, 19-54. Receiving: Jimmy Young, 5-35
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Colorado State offensive line got destroyed by the TCU defensive front, especially in the second half. The running game went nowhere and the pass protection was non-existent, but the defense did its job in keeping the Horned Frogs off the board in the second half. Klay Kubiak stepped in for Billy Farris at quarterback, and he didn’t make too many mistakes, but he didn’t do anything special, either. Unless the O line is better, the trip to Utah isn’t going to be much better.

Oct. 4
Colorado State 41 … UNLV 28
UNLV held a 28-27 lead late in the game, but Gartrell Johnson ran for a 10-yard score with just nine seconds to play for a 35-28 lead. John Mosure returned a fumble on the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, and Colorado State came up with the thrilling win. Johnson ran for three touchdowns, including two, three-yard scores in the second quarter, and Rashaun Greer caught a 46-yard touchdown for a 27-13 CSU lead going into the fourth, but UNLV came back with Omar Clayton’s second touchdown pass of the day, a 21-yarder to Jerriman Robinson, and a one-yard Frank Summer runs for the lead that defense couldn’t hold. Colorado State outgained UNLV 510 yards to 347.
Player of the game: Colorado State RB Gartrell Johnson ran 33 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 15-21, 294 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 33-101, 3 TD. Receiving: Rashaun Greer, 8-211, 1 TD
UNLV - Passing: Omar Clayton, 14-26, 173 yds, 2 TD 1 INT
Rushing: Frank Summers, 20-109, 1 TD. Receiving: Casey Flair, 5-47, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State might have officially kicked off the Steve Fairchild era with one clutch drive. The offense pointed away for an 80-yard touchdown drive in the final six minutes to beat UNLV, and if that’s the way the team can continue to play, that’s the attitude it has wanted to show for the last few years. The offense was tough and physical, and QB Billy Farris did a nice job of coming up with the big play. With nasty games against TCU and Utah up next, the offense has to keep finding ways to go on long, drawn out drives to control the clock.

Sept. 27
California 42 … Colorado State 7
In the span of less than a minute in the first quarter, Cal got a blocked punt for a touchdown from Bryant Nnabuife and a 43-yard Brett Johnson interception return for a score, and the rout was on. Nyan Boateng caught an 11-yard touchdown pass and Syd’Quan Thompson returned a punt 73 yards for a score. Nate Longshore came in to throw two fourth quarter touchdown passes. Colorado State got on the board with a one-yard John Mosure run late in the game.
Player of the game: California DB Syd’Quan Thompson made nine tackles, a sack, and returned five punts for 131 yards and a touchdown.    
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Klay Kubiak, 6-9, 130 yds
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 15-63. Receiving: John Mosure, 4-30
California - Passing: Nate Longshore, 9-13, 100 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jahvid Best, 11-85. Receiving: Jahvid Best, 3-27
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State was awful against Cal, but the special teams breakdowns and the three turnovers proved to be a killer. It was garbage time, but Klay Kubiak played just sharp enough to make it a question mark whether or not Billy Farris deserves the starting spot. The running game struggled to get going and there were too many sacks allowed. The offensive line didn’t have a good game, but the big problem was the special teams. CSU can’t win games when it’s not playing well in all three phases.

Sept. 20
Colorado State 28 … Houston 25
On the CSU 15-yard line, Houston had a chance to kick the game-tying field goal with eight seconds to play but chose to try one more shot in the end zone. Case Keenum’s pass was picked off by Klint Kubiak, and Colorado State held on for the win. The Rams got up 21-0 on short touchdown runs from Kyle Bell and Gartrell Johnson, and they started out hot with a 79-yard Dion Morton touchdown catch in the opening minute, but Houston came roaring back with three Keenum touchdown passes including a three-yarder to L.J. Castile, along with a two-point conversion, to pull within three with 2:31 to play. The Cougar defense was able to force a three-and-out, before going on the final drive.
Player of the game: Colorado State QB Billy Farris finished 24-of-33 for 276 yards and touchdown passes.
Stat Leaders: Houston - Passing: Case Keenum, 37-54, 380 yds, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
Rushing: Bryce Beall, 14-96. Receiving: Mark Hafner, 8-73, 1 TD
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 24-33, 276 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 19-69, 1 TD. Receiving: Dion Morton, 5-126, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Colorado State got a confidence-boosting win over a good Houston team, but there’s cause for concern. The running game that was supposed to dominate when the Rams got a big lead didn’t close the deal as Houston was able to roar back into the game. Billy Farris threw the ball well and came up with the big fourth quarter scoring drive when needed, and the Ram defense, thanks to Klint Kubiak, stiffened when it had to. Now the team is on a two-game winning streak with a trip to Cal up next.

Sept. 6
Colorado State 23 … Sacramento State 20
Colorado State got two Den DeLine field goals in the final 1:29 to avoid the upset. DeLine nailed a 36-yarder with 1:29 to play, Colorado State’s James Morehead forced a fumble on RB Evander Wilkins, and DeLine nailed a 20-yard field goal as time ran out for the win. In the see-saw battle, the Hornets took the lead in the fourth quarter on a 40-yard Tony Washington touchdown catch, but couldn’t put the game away. The Rams outgained Sacramento State 416 yards to 310.
Player of the game:  Colorado State WR Rashaun Green caught nine passes for 152 yards
Stat Leaders: Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 21-33, 321 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 20-73, 1 TD  Receiving: Rashaun Greer, 9-152
Sacramento State - Passing: Jason Smith, 15-25, 205 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Evander Wilkins, 14-53. Receiving: Tony Washington, 7-117, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... On the plus side, Colorado State got its first win in the Steve Fairchild era. However, it took everything in the bag to beat a bad Sacramento State team. The offense was decent and the passing game sharp, but too many drives stalled and the points were hard to come by. For supposedly being a power team, Colorado State has to start doing it after rushing for just 95 yards and averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

Aug. 31
Colorado 38 ... Colorado State 17
Colorado got a 35-yard touchdown catch from Scotty McKnight and one yard scoring runs from Cody Hawkins and Darrell Scott, while the defense held Colorado State to 258 yards and just one offensive touchdown. The Buffs pulled away in the second half outscoring the Rams 17-3 in a bit of a letdown after a wild second quarter. CSU got a 21-yard Dion Morton touchdown catch to pull within seven, and then CU's Josh Smith electrified the stadium with a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Colorado State answered right back with a 90-yard John Mosure return for a score on the ensuing kickoff. The Rams wouldn't find the end zone again.
Player of the game: Colorado FS Ryan Walters made 11 tackles, an interception, and broke up two passes
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 20-29, 214 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Darrell Scott, 11-54, 1 TD. Receiving: Scotty McKnight, 5-67, 1 TD
Colorado State - Passing: Billy Farris, 27-37, 187 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Gartrell Johnson, 12-95. Receiving: Rashaun Greer, 8-70
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... While the stats against Colorado weren't all that great, the effort was there. The offense seemed just one big play away in the second half from turning the corner, but it never came. However, the defense, for the most part, did a nice job of keeping the Buffs from pulling away. The pass protection struggled and the ground game wasn't used enough. Gartrell Johnson averaged 7.9 yards per carry, but he only ran 12 times. Kyle Bell only got six carries for 20 yards.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

JOE CAPRIOGLIO OL 6-5 247 Highlands Ranch (Colo.) High School
First-team all-Continental League offensive lineman, and honorable mention all-state, as a senior…Voted team captain and top offensive lineman…Was second-team all-conference as a junior in 2006…Head Coach was Darrel Gorham…Lettered three seasons in football, and once each in rugby and track…Recruited by several schools, including Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa State, Wyoming, Kansas and Kansas State.

Potential Instant Impact Players

JONATHAN GAYE RB 6-0 178 Mullen High School, Denver
Finished his senior year with 606 yards on 64 carries, scoring five TDs…Averaged 9.5 yards per carry in 2007, despite missing five games during the heart of Mullen’s season with a knee injury… Returned to help the Mustangs to a Centennial League title and a 12-1 season, which ended with a heartbreaking loss to Douglas County in the Class 5A state semifinals…In his first two playoff games, had seven carries for 79 yards against Legacy, and five carries for 65 yards, including a 45-yard TD, against Chatfield…Earlier in 2007 against eventual state champion Grandview, led the Mustangs to a 36-14 comeback win, with 212 yards on 12 carries; ran for three TDs, including 61- and 73-yard bursts in totaling the most yards allowed by the GHS defense during its championship campaign… Sustained the knee injury during practice the following week, in preparations for rival Cherry Creek, then aggravated the injury during that game…Played only three games his junior year, when an ankle injury ended a promising season after 311 yards and five TDs…Totaled more than 500 rushing yards in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons, averaging more than 10 yards per carry over that span...Lettered four years in football, a stretch in which Mullen went 50-6 and captured four Centennial League titles… Head coach was Dave Logan…Also lettered two years in track, where as a sophomore ran the 100-meter dash in 10.63 seconds to win the state championship…Contributed to a 2006 team state track championship…Has 4.35 speed in the 40-yard dash…Chose Colorado State over offers from Illinois, Boise State, Wyoming, Colorado, Air Force, New Mexico and UNLV; also received interest from Kansas State, Washington, Arizona, Boston College, Georgia and Wisconsin.

MARQUISE LAW WR 6-4 195 American High School; Miami, Fla.
Ranked No. 25 on the Miami Herald’s list of top Dade County prospects…First-team all-county, and Class 6A honorable mention all-state wide receiver…Offensive MVP and team captain, caught a school-record 10 TDs in 2007, along with 27 catches for 470 yards…As a senior, caught four passes for 96 yards against conference rival Miami Northwestern – USA Today’s No. 1 team in its final rankings…Also led the Patriots in kickoff returns, returning two for TDs as a junior…Played in the North-South Florida All-State Game, and the Dade-Broward All-Star Game…Head coach was Ben Arstead…Owns a 3.3 GPA, with several advanced-placement courses…Additionally lettered in track and basketball…Also received interest from Western Michigan, Baylor, Minnesota, Rutgers, Mississippi, Iowa State, Louisville, Boston College, Wisconsin and South Florida

Rest of the Class

Scott Albritton	6-4	230	LS	San Diego, Calif. (Santa Barbara City College)
Justin Becker	6-7	230	OL	Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Thunder Ridge HS)
Davis Burl	6-2	205	S	Aurora, Colo. (Grandview HS)
Joe Caprioglio	6-5	247	OL	Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Highlands Ranch HS)
Andy Clements	6-0	185	S	Littleton, Colo. (Chatfield HS)
Michael Connor	5-10	195	RB	Lubbock, Texas (Frenship HS)
Ben DeLine	5-11	150	K	Steamboast Springs, Colo. (Steamboat Springs HS)
Ryan Gardner	6-1	180	WR	Fairfield, Calif. (Diablo Valley College)
Jonathan Gaye	6-0	178	RB	Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mullen HS)
Chris Gipson	6-0	232	LB	Dallas, Texas (Kimball HS)
Jordan Gragert	6-3	240	OL	Libby, Mont. (Libby HS)
Sevaro Johnson	6-3	300	DT	Oakland, Calif. (Laney College)
Alex Kelly	6-2	205	QB	Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain HS)
Jason Klingerman	6-1	260	TE	Valley Center, Calif. (Valley Center HS)
Jake Landers	6-3	300	OL	Durango, Colo. (Durango HS)
Marquise Law	6-4	195	WR	Miami, Fla./American
Drew Reilly	6-3	175	WR	Valley Center, Calif./Valley Center
Byron Steele	6-3	190	WR	Arlington, Texas/Lamar
Sam Stewart	6-3	260	DE	Garden Grove, Calif. (Santa Ana College)
Ben Tedford	6-6	222	DE	Littleton, Colo. (Columbine HS)
Gerard Thomas	5-9	165	DB	Kissimmee, Fla. (Osceola HS)
Zach Tiedgen	6-5	215	DE	Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Thunder Ridge HS)
Ja�Rodd Watson	6-2	260	DT	La Jolla, Calif. (La Jolla HS)
Matt Weems	6-4	227	DE	Centennial, Colo. (Arapahoe HS)
Adam Wilson	6-1	200	S	Orcutt, Calif. (Righetti HS)

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Sonny Lubick might have been an all-time great coach for CSU, but the program needed a change in a major way. Steve Fairchild should bring in a new, fresh attitude to the team, and while he has to work with a slew of new starters, that might not be a bad thing considering the house cleaning needing to be done. As bad as last year was, ending on a two-game winning streak might be something to build on.
Why to be grouchy: The team underachieved in a big way, but it had some good seniors with three veterans on the defensive line, including all-star Jesse Nading, and three defensive backs off a solid pass defense. QB Caleb Hanie always had his issues, but he was the Mountain West's most efficient passer. WRs Damon Morton and Luke Roberts were good.
The number one thing to work on is: Changing the overall attitude. The team has been pushed around on both sides of the ball for far too long. Better pass protection is a must after giving up 37 sacks, while the defense didn't get into the backfield often enough. The D never allowed fewer than 24 points.
Biggest offensive loss: QB Caleb Hanie
Biggest defensive loss: DE Jesse Nading
Best returning offensive player: RBs Gartrell Johnson & Kyle Bell
Best returning defensive player: LB Jeff Horinek

2007 Recap
Recap: Four straight forgettable seasons was the tipping point for the Ram administration, which severed ties with long-time head coach Sonny Lubick at the end of the regular season.  Colorado State entered the 2007 season on a seven-game losing streak that reached 13 before it was snapped in the third week of October.  The Rams showed some fight late in the season, winning three of their final six games, yet it wasn’t enough to overcome a slow start or a defense that ranked next-to-last in the Mountain West in just about every statistical category.           

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Gartrell Johnson

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Jeff Horinek

Biggest Surprise: After more than a calendar year without a win, any victory was going to qualify as a surprise.  For the Rams, that day came on Oct. 20, a blustery day that saw Johnson rush for 162 yards and two scores, and the team blow past UNLV, 48-23.     

Biggest Disappointment: Colorado State lost its first five games by an average of only seven, but it was the opener against rival Colorado that set the tone for the season.  The Rams squandered an 11-point lead in the second half, bowing to the Buffs in overtime on a Kevin Eberhart field goal. 

Looking Ahead: The task of replacing the legendary Lubick and rebuilding the Rams belongs to Steve Fairchild, who most recently was the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator and served alongside Lubick from 1993-2000.  Led by Johnson, Kyle Bell, and four starting linemen, he’ll inherit the pieces of a sold running game.