Colorado State holds on to top Hawaii 35-28

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By KALANI TAKASE

By KALANI TAKASE

Associated Press

HONOLULU — Kapri Bibbs ran for 137 yards and three touchdowns and Colorado State held off Hawaii, 35-28, Saturday night.

The Rams (4-4, 2-1 Mountain West) gained 313 of their 408 yards of total offense before halftime and did all of their scoring in the first half.

Bibbs carried 33 times, including 14 rushes for 87 yards in the first half. He scored on runs of 5, 10 and 13 yards. Garrett Grayson passed for 177 yards and a 20-yard touchdown pass to Crockett Gillmore.

Bibbs got his first score on a 5-yard touchdown run nearly midway into the first quarter. The scoring play was set-up by a 70-yard run by Donnell Alexander on the previous play.

Three plays later, Cory James drilled Hawaii quarterback Sean Schroeder, who fumbled on the play. Max Morgan recovered the loose ball and returned it 73 yards for the scoop-and-score. It was the third longest fumble return for a score in Rams’ history.

Schroeder recovered to throw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Chris Gant to cap the Rainbow Warriors’ next drive and cut the Rams’ lead to 14-7 after the first quarter.

Colorado State answered 49 seconds into the second quarter on Grayson’s touchdown pass to Gillmore to cap a 10-play, 66-yard scoring drive.

Schroeder threw his second touchdown pass — a 27-yarder to Billy Ray Stutzmann — on the Rainbow Warriors’ next drive, which again cut the Rams’ lead to seven.

Bibbs added second-quarter touchdown runs of 11 and 13 yards that were sandwiched around a 39-yard Hawaii field goal by Tyler Hadden. Colorado State held a 35-17 lead at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Hawaii pulled to within 35-25 with 6:43 to play on a 2-yard Schroeder touchdown run and a pass to Chris Gant for the two-point conversion. A 20-yard Hadden field goal with 2:54 to play cut the Colorado State to 35-28.

The Rainbow Warriors (0-7, 0-5) got the ball back with 1:25 left at their own 35 and drove to the Rams’ 45-yard line, but backup quarterback Taylor Graham’s Hail Mary heave into the end zone fell incomplete.

Schroeder finished for 349 yards on 28-of-49 passing and two touchdowns. Gant had eight receptions for 159 yards and a score.

Colorado State now leads the all-time series 13-9 and has won eight of the last nine meetings.