September 5, 2004 in Sports

Colorado holds off Colorado State in wild one

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Associated Press photo

Colorado’s Bobby Purify (42) is tackled by Colorado State’s Robert Herbert (6).
(Full-size photo)

BOULDER, Colo. – Bobby Purify ran for 189 yards and a touchdown and J.J. Billingsley made a game-saving tackle as time expired, helping Colorado hold off Colorado State 27-24 on Saturday night in the opener for both teams.

Colorado State rallied from an early 17-0 deficit to tie it in the fourth quarter, only to see Colorado take the lead back on Mason Crosby’s 55-yard field goal. Colorado went up 27-17 on the next play, when Brian Iwuh snared Justin Holland’s off-balance throw and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown.

But the Rams weren’t through.

Colorado State moved quickly on its next drive, going 80 yards in six plays for John Walker’s leaping 31-yard touchdown over Gerett Burl.

The Rams held Colorado to three plays and a punt on its next drive, getting the ball back at their 38 with 2:36 left. Colorado State reached Colorado’s 1 with 30 seconds left, but Marcus Houston was stuffed at the line and Billingsley came up to meet Tristian Walker on a sweep left to end it.

Billingsley was mobbed by his teammates and the fans weren’t too far behind, pouring out of the student section in the south end zone to celebrate at the center of the field.

The wild reaction seemed fitting considering the Buffaloes had one of the most difficult offseasons any school anywhere could have endured. Former players were accused of rape, coach Gary Barnett’s job was in jeopardy and an investigation found recruits were lured to the university with sex and alcohol.

The pent-up emotion was evident early with the fans and the players.

After six years at a neutral site in Denver, the nasty instate rivalry returned to a campus once known as the nation’s top party school. A Folsom Field-record crowd of 54,954 created a buzz from the start, the fans’ screams and chants seeming to echo off the nearby Rockies well before kickoff.

The Rams had just 9 yards in the first quarter — to Colorado’s 161.

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