Defense answers Aggies' challenge

T-Wolves shut down run, harass quarterback for winning formula.

CSU-Pueblo's Victor Quintana sacks Panhandle State quarterback Vinny Gay during the second quarter Saturday at the ThunderBowl.

By JEFF LETOFSKY
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Defense may have not won a championship Saturday night. But defense definitely supplied Colorado State University-Pueblo with its first victory of the 2008 season in its first game in 24 years.

On a night of pomp and circumstance, the ThunderWolves' defense stood tall, holding off an aerial assault from Oklahoma Panhandle State University en route to a 24-13 nonleague victory at the Neta & Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.

On six different occasions, Panhandle State attempted a fourth-down conversion. Five times, the Aggies were denied.

And Panhandle was inside the red zone two times in the final four minutes and failed to score.

"When (Panhandle) was in the red zone in that fourth quarter, we just kept telling our kids, this is going to be a time to establish yourself as either a good defense or a great defense," CSU-Pueblo defensive coordinator Hunter Hughes said. "Our guys were challenged and they responded. Our front five and front seven came through." The defense, featuring four Pueblo high school products, didn't start out that way. The Aggies punched the Pack in the stomach less than two minutes into the game by striking for a touchdown. That seemed to provide a wake-up call to the ThunderWolves.

"We knew the first half was going to be an experience," said middle linebacker Steve Jordan, a Pueblo West High School product. "We didn't to get to see film on them so it was like we were trying to learn their offense in the first half. We made some adjustments at halftime and the defense came together after that."

Another Pueblo product, nose guard Victor Quintana from South, said relying on one another was a big key.

"We found out that we have to play together as a team," he said. "You can't depend on one player. When we started doing that, everything started to work."

Hughes was proud of the way his defensive squad pulled together.

"We took a hit at first," he said. "We pulled them together, calmed them down. It was a great team effort, especially up front."

Panhandle quarterback Vinny Gay threw 48 times, completing 19 for 269 yards. His backup, Quintin Green, completed both passes he threw. In all, the Aggies completed 21-of-51 passes for 241 yards.

But Gay also was harassed all night, sacked 10 times.

Chase Vaughn led the Pack sack attack with 4, while Grant Jansen had 2, Quintana two and Jerry McWilliams and Mark Thompson a half sack apiece.

"Our coaches did a great job putting us in position to make plays," said Vaughn, who led the T-Wolves with six solo tackles and an assist. "The adjustments our coaches made at halftime gave Panhandle different looks. Our defensive ends angled more toward the quarterback and they didn't adjust to that."

When the Aggies did run, there wasn't much running room as they managed just 12 total yards on 30 rushing attempts - a 0.4-yard average per rush.