WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROUNDUP : Wyoming Survives Late Rally by New Mexico

Quarterback Tom Corontzos threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to halfback Dabby Dawson in the fourth quarter as Wyoming held on Saturday for a 24-23 victory over New Mexico in a Western Athletic Conference game at Albuquerque, N.M.

The Cowboys’ victory wasn’t secure until New Mexico quarterback Jeremy Leach, passing for the two-point conversion attempt, hit the crossbar. Leach had thrown an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terance Mathis as time ran out to close the score to one point.

The touchdown pass was tipped by Wyoming linebacker Vaughn Henderson, but Mathis, who became the all-time National Collegiate Athletic Assn. leader in career receiving yardage, grabbed the ball in the middle of the end zone.

New Mexico, which has lost four games this season by seven points or fewer, went for the victory, but Leach could not find an open teammate and finally fired a pass that sailed into the crossbar.

Wyoming improved to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in the conference. New Mexico, losing its seventh in a row, is 0-5 in the conference and 1-8.

Wyoming erased a 17-10 New Mexico lead after three quarters on Ivor Samilton’s 29-yard interception return of a Leach pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and Corontzos’ screen pass to Dawson with 6:17 remaining.

The Cowboys also got a 15-yard touchdown run from Dewaine Jones in the first half and a 44-yard field goal by Sean Fleming with 53 seconds left in the third quarter.

Mathis finished with eight catches for 110 yards to move past Marc Zeno of Tulane in all-time receiving yardage. Mathis now has 3,772 yards. Zeno had 3,725 yards from 1984-87.

Leach, who completed 26 of 50 passes for 343 yards, threw an 82-yard touchdown pass to Eric Morgan and wide receiver Mike Henderson scored in the first half on a 33-yard reverse.

Colorado State 50, Utah 10--Tony Alford ran for a conference record 310 yards and three touchdowns as the Rams won at Salt Lake City.

Alford scored on runs of 54, 42 and 63 yards and broke the conference record of 302 yards set by Kevin Lowe of Wyoming against South Dakota State in 1984.

Colorado State improved to 4-4-1 overall and 3-2 in the conference, while Utah dropped to 3-6 and 1-4.

Alford’s second touchdown put the Rams ahead, 20-3. His third touchdown made it 27-10, after Utah had briefly closed the gap on Scott Mitchell’s 22-yard pass to Mike Anglesey, and Wayne Lammle’s 37-yard field goal.

But the Utes, who finished the game with nine turnovers--five interceptions and four fumbles--failed to score again.

Mitchell hit on 17 of 36 passes for 258 yards, but his four interceptions and a fumble derailed other Ute drives.

Andy Byrne was a defensive standout for the Rams, pulling down three of Mitchell’s interceptions.