Midseason, depth is everything.
Colorado State football showed it can produce without several key starters against Fresno State Friday, winning 49-21 at home. The second half wasn’t perfect, but the Rams broke a four-game losing streak and created much-needed momentum. After beating a rolling Bulldogs team and advancing to 2-4, the future looks brighter for CSU.
Dominant first half
Almost everything seemed to go CSU’s way before the break.
Justin Marshall catalyzed a 35-point first-half performance with a 73-yard burst, scoring just five minutes into the game.
Around the edge and he was gone.
The offense then continued to produce high results until the third quarter. And in that time, Jackson Brousseau found Rocky Beers twice and Javion Kinnard once in the endzone. The Rams only committed one penalty and went turnover-free before the break.
It was about as good as it gets.
Second-half offensive slump, defense comes up big
The third quarter was unremarkable.
After being seemingly rejuvenated, CSU failed to produce points in the second half until Lloyd Avant stepped up on a 12-yard rushing touchdown with 9:15 left in the fourth quarter.
Notably, CSU committed six penalties in the back half of the match compared to the one in the first half. Four three-and-outs in the third quarter all but halted any early offensive progress.
Jace Bellah came through in a big way with a game-sealing interception with just over two minutes to go. Jalen Dupree then punched in a last-minute touchdown when the game was already decided due to a short field. Bellah had himself a good game with six total tackles and two total interceptions.
CJ Blocker also came down with a high-point interception in CSU’s endzone and tacked on two tackles.
Lemondre Joe helped keep things afloat with a crucial pass breakup on fourth down in the redzone later in the game along with a sack in the back half of the fourth quarter. The productive defensive back has been elite in the secondary, coming into the game tied with three other players in pass breakups for the nation lead.
CSU managed to hang on, but it was a little different compared to the early spark.
Injuries abound
The list of injuries is long for CSU, and some quality starters are either out for the season or out without a timeline for return.
Matters only worsened Friday when it was confirmed that Jaques Evans would be out for the rest of the season, while Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi did not suit up due to illness.
During the contest, the Rams took big hits in the running back room, Justin Marshall appeared to suffer a non-contact leg injury, and Jalen Dupree managed two carries before being held out until the end of the fourth quarter.
Outside linebacker Kenyon Agurs also exited and returned.
Owen Long continues to shine
In just the first half alone, Owen Long racked up 12 tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss and a pass break up. He remains atop the NCAA total tackles per game chart after tacking on another 16.
Besides making plays seemingly all over the field, Long continues to deliver good hits and play intelligently.
He’ll continue to be key in a defense that’s been depleted.
Anything can happen
While it wasn’t a perfect overall showing, it’s evident CSU has the ability to compete with quality opponents for the remainder of the year. The Rams would benefit from the return of several players, but they might have to look for others like Marshall, Long and Joe to continue to step up in the meantime.
The conference season is far from over, but CSU managed to hang in there with one of the better teams in the Mountain West.
The Rams get their next chance to play Oct. 18 in Fort Collins against Hawaii.
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Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.
