FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Collin Hill had two long touchdown passes in the first quarter and two more scoring passes before halftime as Colorado State pounded Western Illinois, 38-13 in its home opener on Saturday.
The Rams let the season opener at Colorado slip away by turning the ball over four times. This time they forced Western Illinois into four turnovers en route to their first win.
Hill wasted no time getting Colorado State on the board, dropping back on the first play from scrimmage and finding Dante Wright behind the Western Illinois secondary for a 75-yard scoring play 10 seconds into the game.
Less than a minute after Nathan Erickson kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut the Leathernecks' deficit to 7-3, Hill found Marvin Kinsey Jr. on a short pass that the senior broke for a 75-yard catch and run for a touchdown.
Hill hit E.J. Scott with a 10-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and followed that with a 14-yard toss to Kinsey that made it 28-6 at intermission.
Hill finished 25 of 32 for 367 yards passing and had four touchdowns without an interception. Kinsey carried 13 times for 89 yards and pulled in two passes for 91 yards and two scores.
Connor Sampson was 22-of-37 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown for Western Illinois, but the Leathernecks could manage just 64 yards on 28 carries.