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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- When Sonny Lubick trotted across the
snow-dusted grass and shook LaVell Edwards' hand, it was more than
a traditional postgame gesture.
|  | | Colorado State's Pete Rebstock completes a 69-yard touchdown pass play in the first quarter. |
The midfield meeting between two coaches Thursday night
symbolized the end of an era and a shift of power in the Mountain
West Conference.
After being dominated by BYU for the better part of the last 25
years, No. 21 Colorado State (8-1, 5-0 MWC) convincingly beat the Cougars
45-21 to move a step closer to its fifth conference title in eight
seasons.
Matt Newton threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns and Cecil
Sapp ran for 119 yards to help the Rams beat BYU at home for the
first time in 10 games since 1975.
"It was worth the wait," Colorado State defensive back John
Howell said. "Twenty-five years, and we needed this one big
time."
BYU (4-6, 2-3) was eliminated from bowl consideration, meaning
its Nov. 24 trip to Utah will be the final game for Edwards, who is
retiring after 29 seasons and 20 conference titles.
"It takes us out of everything. We have no chance whatsoever
now for a bowl game or a piece of the championship," Edwards said.
"The last two games will be a matter of pride. We have rarely been
in that situation."
BYU blowouts and championships were commonplace in the days of
quarterbacks such as Jim McMahon, Steve Young and Ty Detmer, but
the Cougars were out of Thursday's game by halftime.
Colorado State, which improved to 18-2 in November games under
Lubick, got two touchdowns from Sapp, and Newton threw two TD
passes en route to a 38-0 halftime lead.
"At halftime, I gave the usual speech that never works,"
Lubick said. "You have to go out and play like the score is 0-0.
The guys just looked at me strange."
Colorado State scored only once after the break but had its
highest point total in the history of the 78-year series. The
previous high came in a 36-22 victory in 1965. The Rams also held a
463-177 advantage in total yards.
"We have been on the other side a whole lot and are finding out
what it is like to be on this side of it," said Edwards, who
finished 18-5-1 against Colorado State. "It is not a whole lot of
fun."
Sapp had 101 yards by the half, and Pete Rebstock caught three
passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the first 30 minutes.
The better Colorado State played, the worse the weather seemed
to get. Visibility waned and snow began sticking to the field as
the band played at halftime.
"The weather didn't affect us," Sapp said. "I'm from Miami,
but we didn't make any excuses playing in the snow."
With the game decided by halftime, the only remaining suspense
was whether BYU would score for an NCAA-record 322nd straight game.
Trailing 45-0, the Cougars scored with 4:26 left in the third
quarter when backup quarterback Brandon Doman scrambled 8 yards for
a TD on the first play after a blocked punt.
BYU, which added two late scores, has not been shut out
since a 20-0 loss to Arizona State on Sept. 27, 1975.
"It was the same old story," Doman said. "We come out
three-quarters speed, fall behind and can't catch up."
Colorado State controlled things from the start, scoring on a
69-yard pass from Newton to Rebstock 3:36 into the game.
Things unraveled from there as BYU turned the ball over on downs
after a Colorado State fumble, and the Rams went up 14-0 when
Newton hit Joey Cuppari on a timing route with 2:43 left in the
first.
BYU failed to move the ball on its next possession, setting up
Sapp's 39-yard scoring run that gave Colorado State its first
21-point lead over the Cougars since 1970.
C.W. Hurst added a 43-yard field goal early in the second, and
Rahsaan Sanders scored on a 3-yard TD run two minutes after BYU's
Mike Rigell muffed Colorado State's only punt of the half.
Sapp capped the first-half scoring on a 9-yard run with 1:48
remaining.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
BYU Clubhouse
Colorado State Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pete Rebstock takes the short pass 69 yards for the touchdown.
avi: 952 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Cecil Sapp takes the ball 39 yards for the touchdown.
avi: 1009 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Matt Newton connects with Will Layne for the 51-yard touchdown.
avi: 967 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Brandon Doman calls his own number to get BYU on the board.
avi: 859 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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