CSU RAMS 2012 FOOTBALL Colorado State University Weekly Game Notes | CSURams.com Weekly Release #13 | Dec. 21, 2012 | Contact: Paul Kirk, Director of Media Relations | 970/491-4672 | [email protected] | @PaulKirk_CSU COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL 2012 SEASON REVIEW 4-8 Overall | 3-5 Mountain West Conference (T-6th place) @CSUFootball CSURams FOLLOW @CoachMcElwain CoachJimMcElwain ColoradoStateUniv CSURams.com @CSUAthletics CSURamRuckus THE RAMS @Ram_Ruckus 2012 SCHEDULE/RESULTS (4-8) DATE OPPONENT TIME (MT)/TV RAMS Sep 1 COLORADO W 22-17 4-8 (3-5) Sat. Denver--Sports Authority Field at Mile High FX Sep 8 NORTH DAKOTA STATE L 22-7 Head Coach: Jim McElwain (1st year at CSU) Sat. Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium KTVD 20 Record at CSU: 4-8 | Overall: 4-8 Sep 15 at San Jose State L 40-20 Sat. Spartan Stadium ESPN3.com 2012 STATS/RANKINGS Sep 22 UTAH STATE (Ag Day) L 31-19 AVG MW NCAA Sat. Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium KTVD 20 128.8 8 95................ Rushing Offense Sep 29 at Air Force L 42-21 210.2 6 87................ Passing Offense Sat. Falcon Stadium Altitude 339.0 9 101................ Total Offense Oct 6 FRESNO STATE (Homecoming) L 28-7 21.2 9 T-100................ Scoring Offense Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium KTVD 20 Sat. 202.4 7 104................ Rushing Defense Oct 13 at San Diego State L 38-14 135.3 5 72................ Pass Efficiency Defense Sat. Qualcomm Stadium KTVD 20 405.6 6 68................ Total Defense Oct 27 HAWAI’I (Orange Out) W 42-27 30.3 6 79................ Scoring Defense Sat. Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium KTVD 20 35.6 7 T-89................ Net Punting Nov 3 at Wyoming L 45-31 9.5 5 48................ Punt Returns Sat. War Memorial Stadium KTVD 20 22.3 6 52................ Kickoff Returns Nov 10 UNLV W 33-11 -5 7 85................ Turnover Margin Sat. Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium KTVD 20 203.2 4 27................ Pass Defense Nov 17 at Boise State L 42-14 126.5 7 81................ Passing Efficiency Sat. Bronco Stadium NBC Sports 1.7 5 77................ Sacks Tackles For Loss Nov 24 NEW MEXICO W 24-20 4.3 8 T-111................ Sat. Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium ROOT 2.5 8 93................ Sacks Allowed 2012 Team MVP Lanston Tanyi RAMS MEDIA RELATIONS Paul Kirk Director of Media Relations [email protected] | (970) 491-4672 Danny Mattie Assistant Media Relations Director [email protected] | (970) 491-5050 Danielle Marshall Assistant Media Relations Director [email protected] | (970) 491-6494 Nic Hallisey Assistant Media Relations Director [email protected] | (970) 491-5067 Stuart Buchanan, Student Asst., [email protected] Nick Frank, Student Asst., [email protected] CSU 2012 Quick Facts SEASON REVIEW Colorado State University Colorado State finished its first season under head coach Jim McElwain with three wins in the final five games, including a dramatic win in the season-finale at Hughes Stadium to secure a 4-8 record, the program’s best since 2008. After leading New Location ................................. Fort Collins, Colo. 80523 Mexico for most of the final game, the Rams fell behind, 20-17, with 3:12 to play. That set the stage for a seven-play, 76-yard Enrollment .......................................................... 26,769 march that was punctuated by redshirt-freshman quarterback Conner Smith’s 30-yard game-winning touchdown pass to fresh- Nickname, Colors ............. Rams, Forest Green & Gold man receiver Joe Hansley. That finish sent the Rams’ 15 senior out on a high note, and the accompanying three-game home Stadium ........... Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium winning streak provided a springboard toward the offseason program and a promising 2013 campaign. Capacity..............................................................32,500 • The three-game home winning streak vs. Hawaii (10/27/12), UNLV (11/10/12) and New Mexico (11/24/12) is the Rams’ Conference ............................................ Mountain West longest since 2008. President ...................................... Dr. Anthony A. Frank • It also marked the longest streak of home wins all against Mountain West opponents since 2005 (Air Force, Utah, Wyoming). Director of Athletics...................................Jack Graham Head Coach............................................. Jim McElwain • The season-ending 24-20 win over New Mexico was the Rams’ third consecutive against the Lobos, and the fourth in the last five meetings in the series. Career Record .......................................3-7 (1st year) Office Phone ............................................970/491-6131 Offensive Formation ..........................................Multiple NOTES IN 140 < #CSURamsNotes | #MWFB (A Twitter-friendly look at this week’s top notes from Colorado State Football) Defensive Formation .........................................Multiple #TEAM 2012 Record/MW.................................... 4-8/3-5 (T-6th) >> The Rams finished the season 4-0 when leading entering the 4th qtr. Twice (vs. Colorado & UNM) CSU fell behind in 4th & came back to win. 2011 Total Lettermen ................................................. 63 >> The 8 teams that beat the Rams in 2012 had a combined record of 72-28 (.720). Six are in bowl games; one is in FCS National Championship Lettermen Returning/Lost in 2012 ........................ 49/14 >> Colorado State scored four defensive touchdowns in its last three home games (2 INTs vs. Hawaii, 10/27; INT & Fum vs. UNLV, 11/10) Starters Returning (O/D) in 2012 .......................16 (8/8) >> A school-record 18 CSU players scored TDs in 2012, tied for 2nd-most in the nation (FBS) behind Marshall (19) 2011 Starters Lost (O/D) ......................................6 (3/3) >> Among the 18 players to score touchdowns in 2012, 11 scored the first of their career this year, tied for 2nd-most in the nation behind Navy (14) >> CSU had 19 players make their first career start in 2012, eighth-most in NCAA FBS Athletic Media Relations #OFFENSE Director/Football Contact .................................Paul Kirk >> The Rams’ offense tied for 17th in the nation & ranked 2nd #MWFB in red zone scoring (87.5%; 21-24). CSU was 15-17 in conference games Office phone ............................................970/491-4672 >> The Rams’ 24.2 yards-per-catch average at Wyoming (11/3) was third-highest by any #MWFB team this year E-mail [email protected] >> Colorado State’s 8.8 yards per play average at Wyoming (11/3) was fourth-best by a #MWFB team in 2012 FAX ..........................................................970/491-1348 >> Donnell Alexander posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season vs. New Mexico (11/24) w/112 yds. and 1 TD on career-high 22 att. Press Box Phone ........................... 970/491-8100, 8111 >> Alexander’s 22 carries were the most by a Rams running back this season and most since Ray Carter had 29 (158 yards) on 12/3/11 vs. Wyo. Web site ................................................ CSURams.com >> The Rams finished the season with a streak of five consecutive games producing an individual 100-yard rusher for the first time since 2002 >> Alexander (3) and Chris Nwoke (2) were the two running backs to account for the five consecutive 100-yard rushing games General Information >> Fr. WR Joe Hansley closed the season with career highs for receptions (5) , receiving yards (102) & receiving TDs (2) in the win over UNM First Year of Football.............................................. 1893 >> Nwoke’s 72-yard TD run at Boise State was the longest rush of his career, longest by a Ram in 4 years & T-8th-longest TD rush in CSU history All-Time Record ................................ 481-544-33 (.470) >> CSU had a rushing TD from a freshman in 4 straight games (T. Morris 1 each at SDSU & vs. UH; Donnell Alexander 1 at Wyo., 2 vs. UNLV) Home .................................................244-193-11 (.557) >> CSU started 3 different QBs in 2012 (Garrett Grayson-5, M.J. McPeek-3 & Conner Smith-4) because of injuries to Grayson & McPeek Away ................................................. 224-336-22 (.404) >> Only two other schools, Maryland (5) & Southern Miss (4), started more QBs this year. Five others started 3 QBs as CSU did Hughes Stadium ................................. 126-106-2 (.543) >> The 1981 Rams started 3 QBs--Tom Thenell (5), Terry Nugent (4) and Mark Miller (3)--in struggling to an 0-12 record Conference Championships ...................................... 15 >> QB Conner Smith’s 326 passing yds. at Wyo. (11/3) were most by a Ram since Pete Thomas threw for 387 vs. San Jose State Oct. 1, 2011 Last Championship ...................... 2002, Mountain West >> WR Charles Lovett was the only Ram with a reception in every game this season. He led the team with 35-428 & tied for 3rd in TDs (2) Bowl Appearances ............................................ 12 (5-7) >> WR Thomas Coffman’s 75-yd. TD reception at Wyoming tied for the 3rd-longest reception in a #MWFB game this season First Appearance ....................................... Jan. 1, 1949 >> Coffman’s 146 receiving yards at Wyoming (11/3) were the most by a Ram since Lou Greenwood had 149 vs. San Jose State on Oct. 1, 2011 Bowl ................................... Raisin Bowl (Fresno, Calif.) Result ........................Occidental 21, Colorado A&M 20 #DEFENSE Last Appearance.................................................... 2008 >> The defense ranked 4th #MWFB