The Boot is back in Laramie, Pokes bowling in New Mexico

The Bronze Boot will keep it’s mantle in Laramie warm this winter as the Cowboys were determined to keep the Boot where it belongs. Another Border War has passed and the Cowboys have no won their third straight battle against the Sheep from Fort Collins. The Brett Smith to Josh Doctson connection proved to be invaluable as the pair hooked up for a pair of touchdowns.

Colorado State got on the board first with a field goal to go up 3-0. The Cowboys responded with Alvester Alexander scampering off on a 36 yard run, his longest rush of the season. Up 7-3 the Sheep kicked another field goal and trailed 7-6 in the second quarter. The Cowboys responded on the very next offensive play as Brett Smith tossed an 80 yard bomb to fellow freshman Josh Doctson. The Pokes would go into halftime up 14-6.

The second half of the Border War would prove to be an exciting finish in the 103rd edition of the game. The Sheep owned the 3rd quarter as they punched in a pair of touchdowns from running back Raymond Carter, including one drive that was capped off by a 16 play 87 yard drive that ate 7:27 off of the game clock. The Pokes were shutout in the third quarter and found themselves down 14-19 at the start of the 4th. Freshman Brett Smith wasn’t going to lose his first Border War as he led the Pokes on an 11 play 90 yard drive to give the Cowboys the lead 20-19, as Smith hit Doctson for a 2nd score from 35 yards out. The two point conversion failed. The Pokes sealed the game up with Mike Purcell blew up a screen pass with 2:43 left in the game and sacked Colorado State quarterback Garret Grayson in the endzone. Grayson was making his first Border War start, replacing the ineffective Pete Thomas mid-way through the season.  Read the rest of this story »