Oct. 24, 2009
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FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -Ryan Lindley threw a career-best six touchdown passes and DeMarco Sampson hauled in 15 catches for 257 yards, helping San Diego State rally for a 42-28 win over Colorado State on Saturday.
Sampson's sizzling performance was the ninth-most yards receiving in a game in Aztecs history.
Lindley finished 29 of 43 for a career-high 459 yards. The sophomore hooked up with Sampson on touchdown strikes of 5, 33 and 38 yards.
The Aztecs (3-4, 1-2 Mountain West) trailed in this game by as many as 14 points, making this their largest comeback since rallying to beat New Mexico, 17-16, on Nov. 4, 2000.
John Mosure rushed for a career-high 130 yards in the loss. The Rams (3-5, 0-4) have now dropped five in a row.
San Diego State rolled up 531 yards of total offense, including 376 in the second half.
All this without their star receiver, too. The Aztecs lost Vincent Brown for the second half after he injured his right hand trying to break up an errant pass just before halftime. Brown entered the game as the third-leading receiver in the nation.
San Diego State didn't miss a beat as Brown's fellow receivers picked up the slack. Robert Wallace caught five passes for 70 yards and Dominique Sandifer chipped in 48 and a score.
Lindley was on target all afternoon, spreading the ball around. The Aztecs had eight different players catch passes.
His six touchdown passes ties him with Rod Dowhower for the fourth-most in a game in team history. Dennis Shaw has the record, throwing nine touchdown passes against New Mexico State in 1969.
Lindley's 3-yard strike to Preston King brought the Aztecs to within a point, 28-27, on the final play of the third quarter. But Lane Yoshida's kick was blocked by James Morehead.
The Aztecs took the lead for good with 9:29 remaining when Sampson caught his third TD of the game. The Aztecs went for two and converted as Lindley fired a pass to Sandifer, giving San Diego State a 35-28 advantage.
Alston Umuolo had a 60-yard TD catch with 3:07 left to seal the win for the Aztecs, who have now won three straight in Fort Collins.
Mosure received a bulk of the work in the backfield with CSU's leading rusher, Leonard Mason, on the sideline with sore ribs. He had a 6-yard TD run when he vaulted through a pair of San Diego State defenders near the goal line.
Mosure also threw a touchdown pass after taking a direct snap and lofting the ball to a wide open Zac Pauga, who breezed in for a 23-yard score.
Trailing 21-7 at halftime, the Aztecs quickly rallied out of the locker room on a pair of touchdown passes by Lindley just 62 seconds apart.
Lindley found Sandifer for a 33-yard touchdown. Then, the Aztecs took advantage of Nick Sandford's interception, converting on the next play when Lindley threaded a pass to Sampson for a 33-yard score.
Just like that, the Aztecs were back in business.