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Defense secures bragging rights in first annual Rams Superstars Competition Unit rallies for dramatic victory on strength of big-man slam dunks
May 10, 2008
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Defense wins championships on the gridiron, or as the Colorado State football team proved Friday night, even on the basketball court. Fueled by their linemen in the evening-ending "big-man" slam-dunk competition, the Rams' defensive players rallied from a seven-point deficit to capture a dramatic 17-14 victory over their offensive rivals. The victory secured summer bragging rights in the first annual Rams Superstars Competition, with 350 fans in attendance at Moby Arena. The event, started by first-year Head Coach Steve Fairchild, will serve as the traditional end of spring ball, ushering in the summer. In a fun night of team building, the American Gladiators-like battle supports Fairchild's philosophy that competition makes a team better - a mindset he instilled on Day 1 of the Rams' offseason workout program. That internal competition was very present during spring practices, and will continue into the fall, when coaches will select the first starters in the era of Fairchild, who has declared all jobs open. On Friday night, senior defensive tackle Matt Rupp delivered the decisive blow, a pair of monster slam dunks to defeat offensive guard Adrian Martinez in the evening's final competition. With the team score tied, 14-14, Rupp traded in creativity for power and earned three of the four judges' votes - all except that of former offensive lineman Nick Allotta. Unlike the evening's first four events, which gave one point for each clash won, the big-man slam-dunk competition awarded three points to the winning player's unit. As a result, the defense used three straight big-man victories, taking advantage of the 9-foot basket, to overcome an earlier 13-6 deficit and escape with a narrow triumph.
Before Rupp, freshman lineman Nuku Latu leapt over teammate Ty Whittier to earn three judges' votes (again, all except that of former offensive lineman Allotta), and defeat offensive guard Shelley Smith. Whittier, a defensive tackle from Fort Collins, then used an assist from Cory Macon to hold off Ryan Griffith, earning the tiebreaking vote from chief justice Fairchild. Before the final-event shutout, the offense's last tally came courtesy of quarterback T.J. Borcky in the traditional slam-dunk challenge, which used regulation 10-foot rims. Easily the highlight of the evening, the 6-foot-4 freshman from Orlando, Fla., stunned everyone in attendance with a spinning, 360-degree, one-handed jam. Borcky used his ace-in-the-hole to hold off Macon. Tight end Adam Seymore also out-dunked linebacker Ricky Brewer. Then, cornerback Jamon Allen held off running back Alex Square by clearing fellow cornerback Nick Oppenneer, who was sitting in a chair casually reading a newspaper just 3 feet from the basket. In addition to Fairchild and Allotta, other judges were CSU women's basketball player Juanise Cornell and Devin Dunnum, a youngster randomly selected from the crowd. Before the defense rallied, the night was all offense. Clad in their white game uniforms, the offensive players methodically built a commanding lead, beginning with the first event, the bench press. Using the same simple test NFL scouts use to judge strength at the annual Indianapolis scouting combine, the offense won all three divisions in the event. Martinez and linebackers Jeff Horinek and Curtis Cornelson set the standard of strength, each reaching 25 reps on the 225-pound bar. After taking four of the six rounds in the next event, the tug of war, the offense held a 10-5 advantage. The defense nearly picked up an important victory in Event 3, the strongman relay races, but on the anchor leg Cornelson dropped one of his 45-pound plates, allowing tight end Kory Sperry to make up ground and win that particular challenge. In addition to pinch-gripping two of those plates down the length of the basketball floor - which proved difficult for several players - the relay also required contestants to carry a burlap sack of grain over their shoulders. The free evening concluded with fans allowed onto the floor to meet coaches and players, shoot baskets and receive autographs. |
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