FORT COLLINS — Colorado State lost its third straight game and seventh of the season Saturday night at Canvas Stadium, falling to UNLV 42-10.
Despite a promising start to the game, with a touchdown on their first possession, the Rams couldn’t find the end zone again and dropped to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain West Conference.
The Rams’ only touchdown of the game came in the first six minutes.
A 3-yard reception by Rocky Beers from Jackson Brousseau capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive for CSU that gave the Rams a 7-0 lead with 9:07 remaining in the first quarter.
Late in the first period, the Rams’ defense thwarted a scoring opportunity by the Rebels when Jace Bellah intercepted a UNLV pass in the end zone, ending a drive for the Rebels that started at their own 41-yard line.
However, the Rams failed to capitalize and had to punt on their resulting offensive possession.
UNLV tied the game early in the second quarter when Jai’Den Thomas scored on a 57-yard run to cap a three-play, 70-yard drive that made it 7-7 with 12:53 left in the first half.
CSU answered with a long drive of its own, but it stalled at the UNLV 5-yard line and the Rams had to settle for a 23-yard field goal to take a 10-7 lead.
The Rebels answered with two touchdowns in the final 7:07 of the first half. First, Anthony Colandrea scored from 5 yards out to end a drive set up by another long run from Thomas.
Then, after a failed fourth-down conversion attempt for CSU, the Rebels added to their lead on a 6-yard run by Jaylon Glover to make it 21-10 with 1:55 remaining in the second period.
The Rams appeared to be in position to kick a field goal to at least reduce their deficit some, but the play blew up from the snap. Holder/punter Bryan Hansen mishandled and was forced to throw the ball away, keeping UNLV ahead by 11.
UNLV scored twice in the third quarter, on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Colandrea to Troy Omeire, and a 2-yard run by Colandrea.
The Rebels took a 35-10 lead into the final period, and then added to their lead early in the fourth quarter on a 39-yard pass from Colandrea to Taeshaun Lyons.
The Rebels finished the game with 571 yards of offense to CSU’s 292.
CSU will be back in action next Saturday at New Mexico. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Rams will be back at Canvas Stadium for their home and regular-season finale against Air Force on Friday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m.