Stratton's promise spurs Pokes, Rams

[IE]

More than the Bronze Boot at stake in the 96th Border War

Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

CHEYENNE - Not long after last year's Border War, the bulletin board material for this year's game was drawn.

Cheyenne East graduate and CSU defensive back Ben Stratton said he promised that his team wouldn't lose this year's game after the Rams lost 35-28 in Laramie in 2003.

UW players and coaches haven't forgotten those words, nor has Stratton.

"I remember what I said, and I meant it," Stratton said.

The 96th game between the two teams - the second-longest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River - begins at 7:30 tonight at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.

UW (4-2 overall, 1-1 Mountain West Conference) is seeking its first back-to-back wins over CSU since the 1991-92 seasons. The Cowboys also are trying to snap a 16-game road conference losing streak. Three of UW's final five games are on the road.

"This game could make or break our season," UW junior nose guard Dusty Hoffschneider said. "We need to have a win on the road."

CSU (2-4, 1-1) must win four of its last five games to avoid its first losing season since Lubick took over as coach in 1993. CSU won at San Diego State 21-17 last week but lost junior quarterback Justin Holland for the season with a broken leg.

True freshman Caleb Hanie will make his first-ever start tonight, and UW hopes to exploit Hanie's inexperience.

"There might be some things we'll try to do to fluster him," UW senior linebacker Guy Tuell said. "You definitely light up as a defense when you see a freshman quarterback. To myself, when I was a senior in high school, he was a freshman. I think the same way in college."

Hanie relieved Holland late in the first quarter at SDSU and played well. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 115 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Hanie is big at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and has the ability to run.

"He was the winning pitcher, no matter what," said UW coach Joe Glenn on Hanie's performance against SDSU. "The guy went in there and beat them. He did a lot of good things."

Both teams' strengths have been throwing the ball.

CSU leads the MWC and is ninth nationally in passing (290.7 ypg). UW isn't as prolific at 213.3 ypg, but has been efficient most of the season.

The Cowboys have run the ball better this season (142.8 ypg), but CSU has struggled (82.8 ypg). That is 115th out of 117 Division I-A teams nationally.

Running the ball and stopping the run appears to be the biggest keys for both teams.

"I don't know how much you've got to run the ball, but you've got to run it successfully," Glenn said. "To me, it's a minimum of four yards per carry. If we don't hit that, it will make it tough on us to win the game. It's the same on defense if we don't hold them under four yards per carry."

"(Running the ball) has been the trademark of Colorado State football," CSU senior H-back Joel Dreessen said. "I know it's been lacking the first six games. Honestly, on a lot of our runs, about 60 percent of them we're one block away from springing those one-yard gains to 12, 13 or 20 yard gains.

"It's got to bust open for us sooner or later. Hopefully sooner."

CSU defensive coordinator Steve Stannard said stopping UW's run game is important, but he also pointed to Cowboys junior quarterback Corey Bramlet's running and passing skills as a point of emphasis as well.

Stannard thinks Bramlet is just as good as his predecessor, older brother Casey.

"I don't know if his brother really left," Stannard said. "I think he's still playing and they put a different jersey on him. I don't think they've dropped off at quarterback. We need to keep him off balance. If you sit in one coverage, you're going to have some trouble. We've got to get the ball out of his hands early."

Putting pressure on the quarterback has been a problem for CSU. In the Rams' two wins, they had six quarterback sacks. In their four losses, they had just one.

CSU is last in the MWC with seven sacks. UW is second-to-last with eight.

But this game always is more than just Xs and Os.

UW has 36 players from Colorado on its roster, 15 of which have started. CSU has six players from Wyoming on its roster.

Then there is the tradition of the Bronze Boot, the traveling trophy given to the winner of the game since 1968.

And there's also the shenanigans that go along with this rivalry. Earlier in the week, vandals broke into Hughes Stadium, and, with a chemical substance, burned the letters "UW" on the field.

There have been fights prior to the game among the players and riots afterward. Mascots have been stolen and even injured or killed.

Not to mention some great games on the field.

That's the Border War.

"This is the game you look forward to every year," said Tuell, who is from Yuma, Colo. "Being from Colorado, you always want to beat the sheep."

Injury report

Glenn said Thursday that sophomore strongside linebacker Austin Hall (ankle) is "iffy." He aggravated a previous injury this week in practice, and it will be a game-time decision whether he starts and plays.

If Hall can't play, redshirt freshman Luke Chase likely will start, with redshirt freshman Sean Claffey also seeing some playing time.

Junior wide receiver/punt returner Josh Barge (abdominal strain) and junior tight end John Wadkowski (concussion) will start.

Who did it?

Glenn had his thoughts of who burned the letters "UW" on the field of Hughes Stadium this week.

"I know who did it, it was Sonny," he said jokingly. "He's trying to pour gasoline on the fire. I know what he's doing. . "It's all part of the Border War. Quite frankly, if everybody gets their ire up a little higher, let's go for it. I want to see the two teams come out and slug it out."

This is the last season there will be natural grass at Hughes Stadium. CSU will install an artificial surface next season.

Bronze boot update

Since 1968, UW and CSU have played for the Bronze Boot. ROTC detachments of the respective schools initiated the traveling trophy to go to the winner of the annual football game. The boot was originally worn in Vietnam by a CSU graduate.

In the Bronze Boot series, UW leads 19-17.



Weather forecast

Kickoff temperatures will be in the upper 40s with north wins at 10-25 mph. There is a 30 percent of rain or snow showers.

 

[IE]

Expect a Border War battle

By TONY PHIFER
TonyPhifer@coloradoan.com




The memories still are fresh for the Colorado State University Rams.

Fans rushing the field at War Memorial Stadium, taunting the Rams as they tried to make their way to the locker room. The goalposts toppling to the ground. The Bronze Boot, which had been theirs for four years, taking up residence in Laramie. Wyoming coach Joe Glenn being carried off the field like a Roman conqueror.

"It was a devastating feeling watching their fans rip down the goalposts," CSU senior defensive end Patrick Goodpaster said. "I'm sure our seniors had a sick feeling that day. I know I did. No senior wants to lose this game."

The Cowboys, feeling slighted last year when former CSU quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt suggested that the University of Colorado had supplanted Wyoming as the Rams' chief rival, went into that game determined to send the message that the Border War still rules when it comes to area rivalries. Judging from the anger the Rams have felt since last year's humbling 35-28 loss to the Pokes, it's safe to say that the message has been received.

"I know this game has been circled on the calendar since last year," senior H-back Joel Dreessen said. "I'll never forget what it felt like to watch their fans tear the goalposts down and for them to hold up the Boot. I felt sick. Really sick."

The Rams really had no one to blame but themselves for last year's loss. Not only did Van Pelt incite their wrath with some vintage bulletin-board material, they blew a 21-7 lead, lost two critical fumbles and then watched helplessly as Wyoming quarterback Casey Bramlet cut them to ribbons with precision passes in the second half.

"That was the most difficult day I've had as a Ram," said CSU weak-side offensive guard Clint Oldenberg, one of five Wyoming natives on the roster. "It was tough going home knowing those guys had beat our butts. I think about it every single day."

As a result, a game that some folks in Fort Collins had put in the afterthought category has moved to the top of the must-win list. Not only did the Pokes give the Rams their comeuppance last year, vandals this week broke into Hughes Stadium and etched a giant "UW" into the turf with weed killer.

"Let's just say that the Border War is back on," said CSU defensive end Bob Vomhof, another native of the Cowboy State.

Trouble is, at least from the Rams' standpoint, they go into this game short-handed. They had visions of quarterback Justin Holland passing the Pokes silly in this first-ever Friday night game at Hughes, and Holland certainly had shown in the first five games that he could throw for big yards against anybody.

But last week, in the first quarter of CSU's come-from-behind 21-17 win over San Diego State, Holland suffered a broken left tibia that will sideline him until next season. Holland, who was third nationally in passing yards prior to the injury, had surgery Monday and will be on crutches for six to eight weeks.

Now the Rams turn to baby-faced true freshman Caleb Hanie, whose biggest worry this time last year was scoring a date for the homecoming dance at Forney (Texas) High School. But after performing well in Holland's stead last week, Hanie will get his first start in a heated rivalry that dates to 1899.

CSU coaches have spent the week revamping the offense to suit Hanie's skills but also have been careful not to overwhelm the talented but inexperienced quarterback. Wyoming figures to pressure Hanie at every turn, trying to force some rookie mistakes, but Glenn was impressed with what he saw of the youngster against SDSU.

"He's a pretty good football player, no doubt," Glenn said. "He did a lot of good things with all the pressure he had on him. He was the winning pitcher, and that's all that matters."

Wyoming will counter with Corey Bramlet, Casey's younger brother. He has been superb at times in leading the Pokes to a 4-2 start -- their best since 1999 -- and sub-par at others.

Still, raw emotion figures to play as big a role in the outcome of the 96th renewal of this rivalry as the players themselves.

"This is our biggest game," Glenn said. "It is huge -- an absolutely huge game for us, and it's one we want to win very much."

Last year, safety Ben Stratton and the other Wyoming players on CSU's roster were pretty much alone in their absolute determination to beat the Pokes. Now, they have more than 100 allies in green and gold.

"You have to give Wyoming credit for last year because they beat our (butt) up and down the field," said Stratton, who vowed after the game he never again would lose to the Cowboys. "There's no game that means more to me, and I know a lot of other guys feel that same way. I've been waiting for this game all year. This game is going to be different. I guarantee that."

 

[IE]

GETTING A RUSH: As CSU limped to an 0-3 start this season, the onus was on the defensive line. The Rams were getting torched by the run and had not produced one quarterback sack.

The unit since has clawed its way back to respectability, halting the opposing running game and finally reaching the quarterback.

The equation is simple: The Rams pressure the quarterback, they win. In their four losses, the Rams have tallied one sack (by cornerback Robert Herbert against Brigham Young). In their two wins, they have registered six sacks, including three in last weekend's 21-17 win against San Diego State.

"It's always a big issue of concern," defensive line coach Jesse Williams said. "The thing we try to concern ourselves with is, No. 1, make sure (the quarterback) is throwing on time and, two, trying to keep him in the pocket. And greedily, we always want to be able to finish as far as getting sacks."

Goodpaster, Blake Smith and Terrance Carter recorded sacks against San Diego State, and Carter also recovered a key fumble in the fourth quarter. Carter is delighted the unit is beginning to come around after the lethargic beginning to the season.

"Of course, it was personal, but it was more embarrassing," Carter said. "All these missed tackles, we could finish, all this scrambling around, losing (containment) on the QB. I feel we made players look better than they really are. (San Diego State) was a big lift, but now we have to take another step after that."

The Rams have benefited from playing teams that employ open formations, rather than the power running attack they faced in their first three games, particularly in losses to Southern California and Minnesota. Passing teams such as Wyoming often create more one-on-one opportunities for the lineman.

"(Wyoming's Corey Bramlet) is a younger quarterback. He's really good, but we still have to stop the run," Goodpaster said. "If we can't stop the run, they're going to hit us with the draws and the screens, and we really can't get our pass rush off."