SB Nation Denver - Rocky Mountain Showdown 2012: Rams Rough Up Colorado In 22-17 Victory

Kenneth Crawley Sees Ups And Downs In College Debut

2012-09-02T18:08:06Z

Kenneth Crawley, Colorado's proclaimed freshman cornerback, appeared human in his first game with the Buffaloes.

"I left like I could have did better but I was kind of good with myself," he said.

Crawley started for Colorado and ended the game with seven tackles, second most on the team. However, he allowed a key TD pass and fumbled a punt late in the first quarter. Although he was able to recover the football, it put the Colorado's offense in a tight situation.

"I'm thinking touchdown first, but first things first you have to catch the ball and then make a move," Crawley added.

Colorado sent out D.D. Goodson to return on the next CSU punt, however Crawley stated his drop didn't affect the decision.

CU would fall their arch-rival Colorado State 22-17. The Buffs' will host Sacramento State at 1 p.m. next Saturday.

For more on the Buffaloes, always be sure to visit The Ralphie Report. Rams news can be found, along with everything else on the Mountain West, on Mountain West Connection. And for everything on college football, visit SB Nation's dedicated hub.

Rocky Mountain Showdown 'A Great Start' For Colorado State, Says Jack Graham

2012-09-02T17:35:16Z

After making headlines in the offseason, the Colorado State Rams upended their arch-rival Colorado in both teams' season opener. Much attention shifts to first year athletic director Jack Graham, who replaced Steve Fairchild with Jim McElwain as the Rams head coach.

"It's a great start. I am so proud of the character, the discipline this football team displayed on the field. Defensively, they never left their lanes, they just executed. They played through the whistle. That was just a great, great effort," Graham said.

Graham has high expectations for the Rams athletic department, including the possibility of building an on-campus stadium. He will announce at the Oct. 4-5 meeting of the CSU system's board of governors if the program plans on moving forward with a 42,000-seat stadium.

The Rams will play two games before Graham's announcement, next Saturday against North Dakota State and Sept. 22 against Utah State.

Kicker Jared Roberts Finds Big Success In Colorado State Victory

2012-09-02T16:09:35Z

Just 10 days ago, Colorado State kicker Jared Roberts was a walk-on fighting for a scholarship. Yesterday, in the first college football game of his career, he was a star. Roberts connected on three field goal attempts, including kicks from 47 and 48 yards, to spur the Rams to a five-point victory over the rival Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday. His second kick, from 48 yards, gave Colorado State a fourth-quarter lead, and a 32-yard kick with 2:56 to play extended that margin.

Backup quarterback and holder M.J. McPeek told The Coloradoan he was proud with the first-time kicker:

"To do that in his first college game, that's pretty impressive, no matter who you are," McPeek said.

"He got the call, ‘field goal' on the sideline, and he just went out there and kicked it."

Head coach Jim McElwain wasn't nearly as impressed:

"One of the things we preach to our guys, just so everyone understands, is do your job," McElwain said. "I don't care what your job is, just do it. That's with everyone who touches the organization, whether you're in the academic department, whether you're in the training room, whether you're in the equipment room. Do your job and be excellent at what you do."

Things didn't go perfectly for Roberts: He had his first extra point blocked in the second quarter. He did manage to make his second PAT later in the game without incident.

Rocky Mountain Showdown 2012: Blog Reaction To Colorado State's Win

2012-09-02T14:58:27Z

The Colorado St. Rams upset the Colorado Buffaloes Saturday, and it was viewed as a dark day for the Pac-12 member of the intrastate rivalry. The Rams won 22-17, but didn't cede any control in the second half and started what should be a good season in the once-again impressive Mountain West.

For Colorado, hoping to start to gain a foothold in the wide-open middle of the Pac-12 — after USC and Oregon, of course — the loss could be seen as nothing else but a giant step backwards. Here's what CU blog The Ralphie Report had to say after the loss:

Calling this a loss doesn't do it justice. It was devastating. The Rams improved as the game went on, made adjustments, and generally took care of business. The Buffaloes? Not so much. What ensued was a painful 3 quarters of Football (1, 3 & 4), and one quarter of somewhat competent Football. Not a winning combination.

CSU 22 - CU 17. Yech.

The Ralphie Report's David Gerhardt does a good job of breaking down the game on offense, defense and special teams, so the whole post is worth your time.

Ray Polk Injury: Colorado Safety Could Miss 'A While' With Ankle Injury, Says Jon Embree

2012-09-02T12:54:42Z

Colorado Buffaloes free safety Ray Polk left Saturday's loss to Colorado State with an apparent ankle injury. Coaches expected more information on the extent of the injury by Monday, but Buffs head coach Jon Embree did not sound encouraging when talking to reporters after the game:

"I think it's going to be a while regardless with him," Embree said.

Junior safety Parker Orms replaced Polk following his injury. Polk, a fifth-year senior, played much of last season with a broken sternum, leading the team in solo tackles despite that injury. He has also undergone surgery on his wrist and shoulder while playing for the Buffs, and missed some time last season with concussion-related symptoms.

Colorado lost Saturday afternoon's game to rival Colorado State, 22-17. The Buffaloes next play Sept. 8, when they welcome Sacramento State to Folsom Field.

Go to Colorado blog Ralphie Report for more on the Buffs, and check SB Nation NCAA Football for more news and notes around the college world.

Colorado State Vs. Colorado Final Score: Rams Beat Buffaloes, 22-17, To End 4-Game Losing Streak In Rocky Mountain Showdown

2012-09-01T23:43:37Z

The Colorado St. Rams picked up a 22-17 victory against the Colorado Buffaloes in the 2012 Rocky Mountain Showdown, giving Jim McElwain victory No. 1 as a head coach in his debut. After an uneven first half by both teams, Colorado State came out in the second half to play smart football, scoring 13 points and six unanswered to close things out. The Colorado State defense stifled Jordan Webb and the Colorado offense by consistently beating the offensive line.

Both McElwain and CU coach Jon Embree gambled throughout this game by going for it on fourth down -- it was windy -- but the final fourth-down attempt the Buffaloes tried came up one yard short on a 4th-and-2 play. The ball went into Colorado State's possession and the clock ticked down to zero after that.

Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson threw for two touchdowns on 14-of-21 passing. The first went for 20 yards and came with 26 seconds left in the first half. The Rams narrowed the gap to 14-9 at halftime. Midway through the third quarter, Grayson connected with Joe Hansley for a 32-yard touchdown and the 16-14 lead.

Colorado took a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on Will Oliver's 30-yard field goal, but Jared Roberts' 48-yard field goal at 6:39 in the final quarter put the Rams back in the lead. Roberts added some breathing room to the score at 2:56 with a 32-yard field goal. He also had a 47-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Jordan Webb got beat around all by the Colorado State defense, sacked a total of five times. His played through a leg injury and took hard shots to his chest late in the game. He finished the game 23-of-42 for 204 yards and two touchdown passes. His second was to Tyler McCulloch, who made a one-handed grab.

Colorado State running back Chris Nwoke left late in the game following an injury and had 47 yards on 11 carries. Donnell Alexander finished the game with eight carries for 66 yards.

Colorado State (1-0) hosts the defending FCS Playoff champion North Dakota State Bison next week while Colorado (0-1) hosts Sacramento State.

Visit Colorado blog Ralphie Report for more on the Buffs. Head over to SB Nation NCAA Football for more news and notes around the college world.

Chris Nwoke Injury: Colorado State RB Out With Lower Extremity Injury

2012-09-01T23:03:33Z

The Colorado St. Rams are in a battle against rival Colorado Buffaloes as they trail 17-16 early in the fourth quarter, but for most of the second half the Rams have been without starting running back Chris Nwoke. The last time Nwoke was in the game was on the Rams' touchdown drive at the beginning of the third quarter.

The physical running back rushed for 47 yards on 11 carries. There is no official word on why Nwoke is out, but what is being said is that he has suffered a lower extremity injury. In Nwoke's place is Donnell Alexander who has been productive in Nwoke's absence and has 30 yards on seven carries.

For more on the Buffs, be sure to check out The Ralphie Report. Additional coverage on the Rams can be found at Mountain West Connection, while SB Nation's NCAA Football hub is the place for all things college pigskin.

Rocky Mountain Showdown: Colorado State Leads Colorado 16-14 After Third Quarter

2012-09-01T22:50:56Z

After three quarters of play the Colorado St. Rams lead the Colorado Buffaloes 16-14, and it was Colorado State who scored the only touchdown of the quarter when Garrett Grayson completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Joe Hansley. That score put the Rams on top for the first time since early in the game.

There was a series of plays late in the third quarter that almost made a difference in this game. Colorado had the ball inside the Rams 5-yard line when Colorado running back Tony Jones stretched out to try to get in the end zone. However, he fumbled and Colorado State took the ball back 100 yards for a touchdown, however after the play was reviewed the play was ruled that Jones' knee was down.

Colorado had another chance but on 4th-and-goal, quarterback Jordan Webb rolled out and over threw his receiver to turn the ball over on downs. The momentum was now in Colorado State's favor, but they were unable to take advantage of that play.