Cougars Run over Rams, 24-14

PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Curtis Brown ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns and converted a critical fourth down with 3:09 remaining to help Brigham Young beat Colorado State 24-14 Saturday, giving the Rams their first loss in the Mountain West Conference.

BYU (3-3 overall, 2-2 MWC) nearly blew a 17-0 lead when the Rams (3-3, 2-1) rallied with two second-half touchdowns. But the Cougars were able to take nearly 7 minutes off the clock with a 76-yard drive that Brown capped with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:07 remaining.

Three plays earlier, Brown converted on fourth-and-2 from the 7-yard line with a run up the middle. BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall opted to go for the first down instead of trying a field goal, which would have only put the Cougars up by six.

The Rams got the ball back and were driving, but Bryan Kehl forced Johnnie Walker to fumble after a long catch and BYU recovered at the CSU 44 to seal it.

John Beck completed 13 of 18 passes for 168 and a touchdown. It was a light night for Beck, who passed for 371 yards and three touchdowns the week before in a last week in a 27-24 win at New Mexico.

The Cougars didn't need to rely on their passing game, handing the ball off to Brown and Fahu Tahi, who finished with 86 yards on 14 carries.

The Cougars also shut down Kyle Bell, the Mountain West's leading rusher, holding him to nine carries for 36 yards -- about 85 below his average.

Justin Holland was 22-for-30 for 281 yards and two touchdowns to lead Colorado State, which entered the game as one of two teams without an MWC loss. After Saturday, TCU was the only team with an unblemished record in the league standings.

Holland threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Kory Sperry as time expired in the third quarter and a 19-yard touchdown to David Anderson, who made a nice sliding catch at the goal line, 6 minutes later to get the Rams within a field goal.

But the Cougars kept the ball for the next 6:47, going 76 yards on 14 plays.

BYU led 14-0 at halftime and could have easily been up by twice that, but the Cougars turned the ball over twice deep in CSU territory.

Beck overthrew Todd Watkins from the 33 and Darryl Williams intercepted it and returned it 9 yards to the 22. The Cougars got down to the 17 later in the quarter and Beck completed a 14-yard pass to Jonny Harline, who fumbled on a hard hit by Miles Kochevar at the 2 and Colorado State recovered.

The Cougars finally scored on their third visit deep into CSU territory when Brown converted on third-and-goal with a 4-yard run with 12:27 left in the half. BYU scored again with 1:32 left in the half on a 2-yard pass from Beck to Daniel Coats, who caught the ball at the back of the end zone and kept his feet in for the score.

The Rams were called for offsides four times in the first quarter.

Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Second Quarter
   BYU--Brown 4 run (McLaughlin kick), 12:27
   BYU--Coats 2 pass from Beck (McLaughlin kick), 1:32
Third Quarter
   CSU--Sperry 14 pass from Holland (Mark kick), :01
Fourth Quarter
   CSU--Anderson 19 pass from Holland (Mark kick), 9:00
   BYU--Brown 2 run (McLaughlin kick), 2:07
<p>
   A--58,165.
   ------
                           CSU    BYU
First downs                     15            23
Rushes-yards              21-30    52-274
Passing                       281          168
Comp-Att-Int          22-30-0  13-18-1
Return Yards                      9              3
Punts-Avg.                  4-45        1-38
Fumbles-Lost                  4-1          2-1
Penalties-Yards             8-50        6-55
Time of Possession        24:48      35:12
   ------
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
   RUSHING--Colorado St, Bell 9-36, Ohaeri 3-17, Walker 1-6, Green
1-2, Holland 7-(minus 31). BYU, Brown 31-147, Tahi 14-86, Beck
5-37, Meikle 1-4, team 1-0.
   PASSING--Colorado St, Holland 22-30-0-281. BYU, Beck 13-18-1-168.
   RECEIVING--Colorado St, Walker 8-100, Anderson 5-54, Sperry 3-42,
Hill 3-24, Osborn 1-19, Roberts 1-19, Green 1-4, Morton 0-9. BYU,
Harline 4-81, Tahi 2-17, Coats 2-14, Ashworth 1-23, Collie 1-13,
Griffin 1-13, Reed 1-4, Allen 1-3.
</p><p>
   (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)</p>

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