FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- So this is how it's going to be, huh?

After handing out several early-season blowouts, No. 17 BYU has won the past two games by the slimmest of margins. On Saturday, Max Hall found Dennis Pitta on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds left to lift the Cougars to a target-heart-rate 45-42 win over Colorado State in front of 20,222 at Hughes Stadium.

Forget about the BCS, Mountain West Conference championships and rising up the polls. BYU is all about simply surviving right now.

"It can't be discounted that this team keeps finding a way to win football games," BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "We're 8-1 and we'll enjoy the plane ride home."

A wild fourth quarter finally came to a conclusion when Colorado State failed to execute a hook-and-ladder -- the pass was ruled incomplete -- but not before the two teams combined for 35 points and five lead changes in the final 12 minutes.

Colorado State took its last lead with 1:44 to play on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Billy Farris to Dion Morton, picking on third-string cornerback Steven Thomas, who was in the game because Scott Johnson and Brandon Bradley were injured earlier and G Pittman quit the team this week. The play was the first one after Max Hall's first interception of the game.

The Rams led 42-38 and BYU took over at its own 24 with 1:36 to play. Hall, who threw for 389 yards and five touchdowns, said he was confident the Cougars would get to the end zone.

"We practice it so much, the 2-minute drill," Hall said. "We go over and over that situation in practice. At that point in the game, I knew exactly what they (Colorado State) would run and what coverages they would be in. That's what they did and we took advantage of it."

BYU had two timeouts left but didn't have to use either. Hall was 5-of-6 for 76 yards on the drive, each completed throw at least enough for a first down. A 16-yard completion to Austin Collie went to the CSU 17-yard line with 29 seconds remaining. On the next play, Hall fired a strike near the goal line to Pitta, who fought through a wave of defenders to get into the end zone.

"I think it was a great call by the coaching staff," Pitta said. "Max put the ball right where it had to be, high and away. The defender was there, but I was able to make a play on it and barrell into the end zone. It was a big play for us."

Big plays ruled the night. On BYU's first possession of the game, Hall dropped a shotgun snap and CSU's Mychal Sisson returned the ball 20 yards for a score and a quick 7-0 lead. BYU struggled in the first half to keep up with the fired-up Rams, but Hall worked Collie over the top for a nifty one-handed catch and a 58-yard scoring pass to tie the game at 7-all. BYU trailed 21-14 late in the half, but Hall and Collie teamed up for a third touchdown with 38 seconds to go to tie it at 21-all at the break.

In the first half, Collie torched Colorado State for 118 yards on six catches and three touchdowns. He finished with 156 yards on nine catches.

"Even when they double team him (Collie) he still finds a way to get open," Hall said. "He's a big-time playmaker and a go-to guy. Both he and Dennis had big-time games tonight."

Pitta had 10 catches for 156 yards and two scores in the second half, finishing with 12 catches for 175 yards.

"We rally gashed 'em in the first half with Austin," Pitta said. "They were man-covering him and really had no safety help. He was having his way on the outside. They made a halftime adjustment and left me one-on-one a lot of times in the middle. We took advantage of that in the second half.

"We've said it before, pick your poison. If you take away the outside we're gonna get you up the middle."

Pitta scored his first touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Hall early in the fourth quarter, losing his helmet in the process but making a tremendous catch in traffic. That play gave BYU a 31-28 lead, but it was short-lived. Backup running back J.J. DiLuigi fumbled and the Rams took advantage, scoring on a 7-yard run by Gartrell Johnson. CSU led 35-31 at that point, but Harvey Unga (24 carries, 133 yards) broke a draw play 40 yards for a score -- his longest run of the season -- and BYU grabbed back the lead, 38-35. That set up the game's final harrowing six minutes and Pitta's game-winning touchdown catch.

Combined with last week's narrow 42-35 win over UNLV, the Cougars are nowhere near as dominant as they've been in winning the past two MWC championships.

But the wins keep coming.

"I like it because we just won a dog fight," Hall said. "The rest of our games are dog fights. To come out on top after a hard-fought game, it really really feels good.

"You enjoy it more when it comes down to the wire. When the game's on the line and the team needs you to make a play and you make it happen ... this is a game I'll remember for a long time."

• Daily Herald Sports Editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at 344-2555 or by e-mail at ddickson@heraldextra.com