FORT COLLINS — Boy, were the Colorado State Rams happy to see Nevada on Saturday evening.

The Rams, 0-2 coming in and looking for any kind of win to reverse their disconsolate start, jumped on the overmatched Wolf Pack early and withstood a mild third-quarter scare for a 42-21 win before 29,101 at newly renovated Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.

So CSU enters Mountain West Conference play here on Thursday night against rival Air Force with a head of steam after starting the season with a late collapse at rival Colorado and a total collapse at upwardly mobile Big Ten Conference opponent Minnesota.

Nevada, from the Western Athletic Conference, fell to 1-2.

"There were some real pluses for us,'' said CSU coach Sonny Lubick. "Number 1 was special teams. They came up big tonight.''

CSU's win was born of opportunistic defense, improved play throughout the kicking game and the ever-churning legs of sophomore running back Kyle Bell.

Bell ran 33 times for 183 yards, the most yards in a game by a CSU back in four seasons as CSU finally came through on its promise to turn around a rushing game that didn't get the job done last season or in the first two games of 2005.

It was quite the transformation from two middling team rushing performances against CU and Minnesota, and Bell could be on his way to becoming the kind of bell-cow runner CSU enjoyed in the past with workhorses such as Kevin McDougal and Cecil Sapp.

"Tonight really showed how much work and effort we've put into the running game,'' said Bell, who starred at Weld Central High School and grew up in the small town of Keenesburg. "But we have to remember this is one game. We have to do this on a consistent basis. We can't get complacent. We have to come out and do the same thing against Air Force.''

CSU started fast, using a nice George Hill kickoff return to set up a game-opening 60-yard touchdown drive fueled by Bell's running and finished off by a 26-yard scoring pass from Justin Holland to Johnny Walker.

The Rams covered 80 yards the next time they got the ball, Bell running for 31 of the yards and Hill finishing off the drive with a 23-yard touchdown catch to make it 14-0.

CSU then capitalized on a big Nevada mistake as Wolf Pack punter Justin Bergendahl dropped the snap, then picked the ball up and tried to punt it on the run. CSU's David Anderson easily blocked the kick, and it was recovered at the Nevada 2 by Zac Bryson. Fullback Tristan Walker went into the end zone on the next play to make it 21-0.

The Rams appeared on their way to a walkover win, but Nevada had other ideas. The Wolf Pack cut the lead to 21-7 with an 80-yard, second-quarter drive capped by a B.J. Mitchell 8-yard run.

Then, after a Bell fumble with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter — CSU's only turnover — Nevada took advantage with a 43-yard scoring pass from Jeff Rowe to Kyle Sammons to make it 21-14.

But the Wolf Pack could get no closer as the CSU offense put together consecutive touchdown drives to open the fourth quarter, Holland driving the Rams 80 and 74 yards with the considerable help of Bell.

Damon Morton put the game away for good with a 40-yard run on an end-around to make it 42-21 with 4:05 left.

It wasn't a perfect performance for the Rams, but they looked much more polished throughout the game than they did in the second half at CU or anytime during the Minnesota loss.

"We had some lapses, but I don't think we ever got rattled,'' Lubick said. "We'd like to have a little bit more instinct where we can put a team away. We stagnated a little there in the middle of the game. But it's a win, and that's what we needed.''

Now CSU hopes the momentum will carry over into the conference season. Air Force is coming off a 38-35 loss at Utah on Thursday night.

ETC.: Kickoff for Thursday night's CSU-AFA game is 5:30 p.m. on ESPN . . . CSU surpassed its rushing total of the first two games (154 yards) by early in the fourth quarter and wound up with 257. Kyle Bell's 183 yards marked the first time a CSU back has surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark since Jimmy Green did it against Wyoming last season . . . Hill's first-quarter scoring catch was the sophomore's first touchdown of his college career. Bell's fourth-quarter touchdown was also his first at CSU . . . Hill's 43-yard kickoff return to open the game was CSU's longest kickoff return since the 2003 season. A penalty kept the return from being even longer as Hill picked his way all the way to the Nevada 12-yard line before the flag . . . The punt blocked by Anderson in the first quarter was CSU's first blocked punt since Justin Gallimore blocked one in the 1991 New Orleans Bowl against North Texas . . . The Rams suffered no significant injuries, but linebacker Courtney Jones (ribs) and defensive back Mike Myers (shoulder) were slightly dinged. CSU hopes to have junior running back Nnamdi Ohaeri back for the Air Force game. Ohaeri sat out Saturday's game with an ankle sprain . . . CSU backup quarterbacks Caleb Hanie and Billy Farris each played a series during mop-up time.

holtzr@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5439