Freshman wing Luke Lahman runs past CSU defense Friday night. The Buffs defeated the visiting Rams 45-17. (CU Independent/Lee Pruitt)
Watch out, the Colorado Buffaloes are ramming through.
The CU men’s rugby team notched their sixth straight win with a 45-17 showing over rivals Colorado State on Friday at Kittredge Field.
CSU started the scoring with a three-point penalty kick within the first two minutes of the game, but CU more than came back in the first half and beyond.
It wasn’t until 15 minutes into the game when the Buffs finally got on the board. After scoring a try, which is grounding the ball in the end zone, and making the two-point conversion, CU took a 7-3 lead.
“Early on, it was tight like we knew it would be,” CU head coach Sean Edris said.
With 11 minutes left in the first half, Charles Euwema attempted a penalty kick that was no good. But right as the half was coming to an end, Euwema scored a try and the conversion. While he helped, Euwema said the victory also belongs to his teammates.
“It wasn’t just me out there, it was the whole team,” the high-scoring Euwema said.
As was the beginning of the game, the second half started with an early score by the Rams. Following an injury to a CU player, CSU took advantage and scored their first try and conversion of the game. But their early surge wasn’t enough against the strength of the Buffs.
The score remained close at 14-10 with 30 minutes left in the game. Shortly after, however, the Buffs kicked it into high gear with 31 unanswered points, 14 of which came within a two-minute period.
“It took a lot of patience and waiting in the second half,” No. 8 man Tommy Pasque said, “but we were well composed.”
CSU scored the final points in the last seconds of play, albeit it was too little, too late.
With another win under their belt, the players feel ready to take on another Western Conference team, the Air Force Falcons on Oct. 11.
“We’re going to make it to the Final Four,” Euwema said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.
