Colorado rallies past Fresno State
Posted: Saturday September 12, 1998 08:26 PM
BOULDER, Colorado (AP) -- Thanks to a phantom tackle, No. 16
Colorado remained unbeaten on Saturday.
Trailing 14-3 in the first half and then leading 29-14 early in
the fourth quarter, Colorado needed a goal-line stand to avoid the
potential of overtime and a possible loss to a 21 1/2-point underdog.
The defensive stand in the final minute preserved the Buffaloes'
29-21 victory on Saturday, although no one was quite sure who made
the key hit on the stand.
Mike Moschetti threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Javon Green
early in the fourth quarter, capping a 26-point flurry and giving
the Buffs (2-0) a 15-point lead.
Fresno State (0-1) made it 29-21 on Jaime Kimbrough's 4-yard run
with 6:56 left, then used a blocked punt by Justin Johnson to set
up a last-minute scoring chance at the Colorado 2-yard line.
But quarterback Billy Volek, trying to sneak across from the
1-foot line on third down, fumbled and Colorado end Nick Ziegler
recovered with 22 seconds left.
"Excellent, excellent team play," coach Rick Neuheisel said of
the goal-line stand. "I thought the kids really rallied as they
did for most of the second half."
Several Colorado players credited end Fred Jones with forcing
the fumble, but Jones said he didn't believe he made the play.
Other players said it appeared Volek's elbow came in contact with a
helmet, knocking the ball loose. Replays were inconclusive.
There was no doubt about who recovered it. "I saw the ball
rolling and just jumped on it," Ziegler said. "I wanted the
ball."
Dwayne Cherrington scored a third-quarter touchdown and ran for
47 yards in the fourth quarter for the Buffaloes, who have won 11
straight home openers.
Neuheisel was upset that Fresno played with more intensity than
his team and said, "This certainly shows that maybe we're not the
team that everybody wrote about [after last week's 42-14 romp over
Colorado State]. We are far, far from a finished product."
Fresno State coach Pat Hill wanted no part of a moral victory.
"We don't want to be classified as a second-class Division I
football team," he said. "We should be able to come in here to a
big school and win a big game. I truly came in here believing we
would win.
"We had a good game plan and we stuck to it. We made plenty of
plays that put us in a position to win. But we didn't come through
when we had to, and that's the bottom line. Colorado made the big
plays at critical times."
Fresno State scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and
held a 14-12 halftime lead.
After Colorado went three-and-out to open the game, the Bulldogs
marched 77 yards in 13 plays for a 7-0 lead. Kimbrough accounted
for 61 yards on the drive, including a 14-yard run and an 18-yard
pass, and Volek sneaked the final yard.
Moschetti's 40-yard pass to Cedric Cormier set up Jeremy
Aldrich's 34-yard field goal later in the opening quarter.
On Fresno State's next possession, Kimbrough had a 15-yard run
and Volek passed 22 yards to tight end Scott Thompson. Volek
bootlegged 3 yards around right end for the score.
Colorado made it 14-9 with 3:38 remaining in the half when
Marcus Stiggers ran 27 yards on an end-around. The Buffaloes were
whistled for a celebration penalty, however, and Aldrich's
extra-point attempt from 35 yards was wide right.
Moschetti completed passes of 12 and 21 yards to Green to set up
Aldrich's 30-yard field goal as time expired in the half.
Colorado fashioned an 80-yard, 16-play drive in the third
quarter, capped by Cherrington's 1-yard run with a pitchout.
Three plays later, Kimbrough fumbled and Colorado's Rashidi
Barnes recovered at the Bulldogs' 23. Aldrich made it 22-14,
kicking a 32-yard field goal, his eighth in a row to tie a school
record.
Early in the fourth quarter, Cherrington ran for 17 yards and
Moschetti passed 16 yards to Darrin Chiaverini, and Moschetti hit
Green for the score.
Midway through the period, the Bulldogs went 48 yards in three
plays for a TD. Kimbrough took a screen pass 22 yards, and Volek
scrambled 22 yards to the 4, setting up Kimbrough's score.
Moschetti left the game with three minutes left with bruised
ribs, and Fresno threatened when Johnson stormed up the middle to
block Nick Pietsch's punt, giving Fresno possession at the Colorado
2 with 1:14 left.
Kimbrough was dumped for a 3-yard loss by Ziegler, then took a
pitchout 4 yards to the 1. After Colorado was penalized for having
12 men on the field and the ball was advanced only inches, Volek
tried to sneak up the middle, was momentarily stopped and then had
the ball knocked free.
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