Nov. 8, 2003
Box Score?|?Quotes?|?Notes?|?Photo Gallery
By PETE HERRERA
AP Sports Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Wes Zunker kicked a 33-yard field goal as timeexpired Friday night to give New Mexico a 37-34 win over Colorado State andkeep the Lobos’ bowl hopes alive.
Zunker’s game-winner – his 13th straight successful field goal this season -was set up by a CSU fumble on a bad snap to quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt, whowas in the shotgun formation, with just over a minute left.
New Mexico defensive end Kyle Coulter beat Van Pelt to the ball andrecovered at the CSU 17. Two plays later, Zunker kicked the winning field goal.
Zunker’s kick and halfback DonTrell Moore’s record-setting performance gaveNew Mexico (6-4, 3-2) it’s first win over CSU since the Mountain WestConference was formed in 1999.
The loss was the second straight for CSU (5-5, 2-3) and hurt the Rams’ bidfor a fifth straight trip to a bowl.
Moore rushed for a career-high 242 yards and scored three times to set theschool single-season record for touchdowns.
Zunker added field goals of 27 and 40 yards, and that was just enough tooffset a solid performance by Van Pelt.
Van Pelt rallied the Rams from a 31-14 second-half deficit, engineering apair of fourth-quarter scoring drives. He threw a 15-yard touchdown pass toDavid Anderson on a fourth-and-goal with 10:18 left, and tied the game at37-all with a 1-yard run on fourth down with 3:07 left.
CSU twice converted on fourth down situations on that drive.
CSU’s defense then held New Mexico and forced a punt with 1:02 left. TheRams took over at their 32, and the bad snap occurred on their first play fromscrimmage.
New Mexico dominated the game until the fourth quarter.
With the Lobos’ offensive line opening big holes, Moore repeatedly had runsof 10 yards or more and scored from 8, 22 and 45 yards in the second quarter.
Moore has scored 17 touchdowns this season, breaking the previous record of16 set by wide receiver Terence Mathis in 1989.
Van Pelt and place-kicker Jeff Babcock carried CSU. Van Pelt was the Rams’most effective weapon on offense with his tackle-breaking runs and passing. Hehad 300 of CSU’s 328 total yards – 83 rushing and 217 passing.
The rest of the Rams’ points came on Babcock field goals of 22, 24, 40 and33 yards.
Moore’s first touchdown with 11:48 left in the second quarter was set up byquarterback Casey Kelly’s 52-yard run on the option to the CSU 30. Moore tookit the rest of the way with four straight rushes.
Moore scored again with 6:15 remaining in the second, after CSU’s DexterWynn fumbled a punt at the Rams’ 30 and Josh Bazinet recovered.
Wynn redeemed himself with an 88-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, and VanPelt scored on the first play. A two-point conversion pass from Van Pelt toDavid Anderson cut the New Mexico lead to 17-14.
New Mexico needed just six plays to go 80 yards, with Moore racing the final45 and giving the Lobos a 24-14 lead at halftime.
The Lobos opened the second half with a four-play, 72-yard drive that tookjust 1:43. The drive was punctuated by Kelly tossing a 41-yard scoring pass toDwight Counter.