Courtesy of Colorado State
TUCSON, Ariz. – One wait was over. Another is still on the table.
Colorado State scratched away a seven-year bowl wait by reaching Saturday’s Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, but the program is still waiting for the next postseason win after falling 43-17 to Miami (Ohio) at Arizona Stadium.
The mistake-prone Rams’ offense never found a rhythm against the RedHawks, with glimpses of hope quickly fading. A strong opening drive resulted in just a field goal, and four turnovers in the game were naturally a hindrance.
With a month between games, it’s never easy to tell if a team is ready to be crisp or not. Colorado State’s leader really thought his team was.
“That’s a difficult question to answer. I thought we were prepared for this game,” CSU coach Jay Norvell said. “We fumbled the football, and we turned it over, and you can’t do that and win. There’s things that happen, and they are what they are. You just have to overcome them. Guys get sick, guys have this happen. The bottom line is we have to focus and execute, and that’s my responsibility and we didn’t get it done tonight.”
Two of them came in the first half, with the defense standing tall by limiting the RedHawks to field goals in sudden change. A third field goal for a 9-3 lead at the break was generated by Miami (Ohio) going with tempo.
Which they did to open up a wild and frenzied third quarter. The MAC team opened the frame with a pair of scoring drives, the second a major gut punch. After having no explosive plays in the first half, the RedHawks started hitting chunk plays. It’s an offense with a 1,000-yard back (Keyon Mozee), but it was fellow senior Kevin Davis who took center stage.
His 4-yard scoring run capped the opening drive, then his 97-yard burst a play after the Rams were stopped short on fourth-and-3 was a momentum flip to stun Colorado State. Davis would rush for 148 yards in the game, earning game MVP honors.
Not that the Rams wouldn’t answer at all, they just couldn’t sustain anything. After hitting a flea-flicker for a 56-yard score from Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to Stephon Daily (his first career TD catch), the following action was give and take. The RedHawks just took more.
An 81-yard kickoff return by the Davis hurt, but Ayden Hector forced and recovered a fumble in one clean, corrective action.
Only a few plays later, Fowler-Nicolosi threw his second interception, a pass which slipped through the hands and into those of linebacker Ty Wise to end the third frame.
It didn’t take long for the miscue to become points, with Jordan Brunson scoring from 2-yards out. It was a run of five scores in six possessions for the RedHawks. A second TD run by him late in the game made it six of seven drives.
CSU’s final points came as a second Ram scored his first career touchdown – senior tight end Peter Montini on a 2-yard run, the result of Henry Blackburn falling on a muffed punt at the Miami 22.
“There are a lot of things we could have done better, and we have to take accountability for it,” Norvell said. “It’s something we have to live with and try to do better with. It’s very disappointing because those are all plays I think we can make.”
It will be somewhat lost that Avery Morrow with his 50 yards became the first Ram to rush for 1,000 in a season since Dalyn Dawkins in 2017. Or Montini’s first score in his last game and Daily’s first as his career is starting.
The moment is hard when it’s a mix of remembering the good when the final feeling is such.
“We accomplished it. There is no I in team,” Morrow said. “I couldn’t have had that 1,000-yard season without the 10 people on the field. I love each and every person on our team. You guys kinda interrupted me from giving everyone a hug – no disrespect to you.
“I don’t feel like I have anything sad to say. Me personally, I could have been somewhere different. I’m just grateful to be here, I’m grateful for all the relationships I’ve made, I’m grateful for all the hard times I’ve been through. It’s made me th3e man I am today, and I’m so grateful for this man (patting Norvell’s shoulder) right here. He believed in me as a young kid, my only offer. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him.”
Reaching the bowl game was a step in the right direction for Norvell in his third year guiding the program, and the squad became the 16th in history to reach eight victories in a season. The next step will be winning a bowl, which Colorado State hasn’t done since a miracle comeback to take the 2013 New Mexico Bowl from Washington State, 48-45.
Safety Henry Blackburn spent a career putting in the work to reach this point. Getting there and falling short wasn’t what he wanted, but it wasn’t going to take away from what he felt was truly important.
The guys in the locker room, many who were crying, all who were hugging, who did it with him.
“I have a full attitude of gratitude right now. I’m so proud of this team. We challenged this team in January to give everything they possibly can every single day. Do everything you can, and we’ll live with the result. Obviously tonight didn’t go how we wanted it to go. We’re still grateful. We’re still grateful to be in this opportunity. Our faith in the Lord is still the same.
“We worked for this. We’re going to be grateful no matter what.”
An attitude which didn’t prevail in the past. One which was prevalent at the end.
