Colorado State Rams @ UTEP Miners Football Recap

UTEP 31, Colorado State 17

The laws of averages – and persistent deficiencies that remain unaddressed – can and do catch up with football teams over the course of most seasons. Clearly, the Colorado State Rams are not good enough to avoid the cruel calculus of basic math, and of the natural tendency for competitive athletes to – in a popular phrase these days – “regress to the mean.” The pendulum that swung in the Rams’ favor in September is swinging back at them in October, and that pendulum is thoroughly clocking the kids from Fort Collins, Colorado. There’s simply no other way to say it.

Although Colorado State started with a 3-1 record this season, the signs were there that the Rams might not be quite that good, struggling against bad-to-mediocre teams in those wins. Now, Saturday night’s road loss is Colorado State’s third loss in a row, as the now 3-4 Rams were defeated by UTEP 31-17.

Colorado State never led in the game, and fell behind in barely one minute. UTEP returned the opening kick near midfield, and two plays later Nick Lamaison hit Nathan Jeffery for a 36-yard touchdown. Offensively for the Rams, the first quarter consisted of one punt and one blocked field goal. The defense surrendered another big play late in the quarter when Vernon Frazier scampered 48 yards for another Miner touchdown and a 14-0 UTEP lead.

Despite the hole, the Rams showed some fight in the second quarter. After being denied on a series that started first-and-goal from the two-yard line, Chad VaderMolen hit a 22-yard field goal. Four plays later, Momo Thomas intercepted Lamaison and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. The Rams later drove into UTEP territory again, but Pete Thomas threw an interception at the goalline that was returned 74 yards by UTEP’s Adrian James. The Miners converted it into a field goal for a 17-10 halftime lead.

UTEP, which is always a dangerous team on its home field at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, began to put the game away on yet another big play when Frazier dashed for an 83-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Lamaison added a 33-yard run early in the fourth quarter, and the Rams were buried 31-10 at that point. UTEP rushed for 340 yards on the night, including 167 from Frazier.

Pete Thomas was 19-33 for 162 yards and one interception in the loss for Colorado State, who at 3-4 will travel to UNLV (1-5) next week.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Write