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7 takeaways from CSU football’s win against UNC

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

September 6, 2025

Collegian | Cait Mckinzie

Colorado State University quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (16) runs the ball down the sideline during CSU’s game against the University of Northern Colorado Sept. 6. CSU won the game 21-17.

Colorado State football returned to Canvas Stadium and picked up exactly what it needed: a win.

The Rams extended their all-time unbeaten streak against Northern Colorado, adding another notch to a rivalry that has never swung the Bears’ way and winning 21-17 Saturday. After last week’s loss in Seattle, head coach Jay Norvell’s group looked duller, but it delivered a win heading into the bye week.

Late-game comeback

After Jordan Ross appeared to win the game on an improbable toe-drag reception in the back of the end zone, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi took matters into his own hands and heroically dove to the pylon with less than 30 seconds left.

CSU willed a win into existence late in the fourth quarter, including a trick play for a first down off a Ram-style Philly Special. It was the best the passing game looked all night, and it came at the perfect time. The ability to close out a matchup is always important — in blowouts and nail-biters — and it appeared out of thin air for CSU.

With eight seconds remaining, it looked like UNC’s Carver Cheeks went up high and came down with an improbable ball in the endzone to stomp CSU’s comeback hopes.

The call was controversial, but it was ultimately no good.

Too many penalties and turnovers

Both sides of the ball gave up critical situations due to penalties, and that trend continued throughout the contest. Along with the turnovers, it was unlikely the Rams had a chance, but they fought back anyways. A cleaner gameplan and execution are needed for CSU to have a chance in competitive games.

Sparks, miscues in the second half

It didn’t take long for CSU to turn things around following halftime.

Off a forced fumble early in the second half, CSU finally got on the board and continued to score on the ground. The staff reverted to what worked against UW, and what worked for them last year. The strength of the offense for the past year has been the offensive line, and it looks like nothing has changed for the big guys up front.

The Rams didn’t stop kicking themselves, though, as the Bears cashed in on an offsides call by bombing a 30-yard completion to UNC’s Cheeks shortly before benefitting from a facemask penalty to end up in the endzone early in the second half. While it was certainly cleaner coming out of halftime, it would have been hard to follow up with anything worse. Not to mention a fumble from Avant with just six minutes to go.

CSU skunked in the first half

Everything went wrong for the Rams before half. Four turnovers, a turnover on downs and a missed field goal deflated the offense to start the game. Compared to being tied 21-21 against Washington just a week prior, a 10-0 deficit heading into the locker room was shocking. And the main antagonist for the Rams was themselves.

Fowler-Nicolosi contributed an early fumble along with a few sketchy throws and an interception which were drive and momentum killers. He just couldn’t quite get on the same page with his receivers, and he wasn’t effectively playing the part of a third-year starter.

To UNC’s credit, the Bears managed some fourth-down stops in their home opener, so it’s possible the Big Sky has a legitimate threat to deal with this year.

Ground game expanded

The running back room saved the offense, and Lloyd Avant and Jalen Dupree were the main reasons.

After almost exclusively running week one’s rushing attack through Dupree, CSU opened things up early as Javion Kinnard took the first touch out of the backfield. The Rams liked what they got out of Tahj Bullock in week one, and they continued to run two-back sets with Bullock occasionally subbing in for Fowler-Nicolosi. Six players ended up with rush attempts out of the backfield.

Considering Dupree excelled in a feature role in week one, it was a surprise to see the new usage.

Continued ascension of Owen Long

CSU fans are starting to realize why Owen Long, just a second-year linebacker, was awarded a captain spot among veterans. He was everywhere on the field in week one, tallying a team-high 13 total tackles. And he stepped up again to lead in tackles with 11 and recovered a crucial forced fumble from Jacob Ellis. He’s turning out to be a reliable presence in the middle of the field all while closing gaps quickly, fighting through blocks, keeping an eye on the ball and playing intelligently.

Uncertainty before the bye

Expectations were high for CSU after showing a lot of positives in their season opener, but perceptions of the team only became murkier after having to battle it out with UNC. Norvell’s extension looked promising after a good showing against the Huskies, but it’s hard to imagine anything is guaranteed now.

Read the full story here.

Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.

About the Contributors

Michael Hovey, Sports Editor

The best experiences come unexpectedly. For Michael Hovey, that idea manifested in the form of a sports editor role for The Collegian last year. As a returning editor in 2025-26, he’s set his sights on supporting his team and trying not to think about leaving all the amazing people he’s met. As a storyteller, Hovey wants to dig a little deeper and possibly uncover something worth reading. With the help of his co-editor, Sophie Webb, and the rest of The Collegian, Hovey hopes to expand the sports desk’s multimedia presence. He understands the role of a journalist has evolved, and he aims to help set up his peers for success. In reality, though, he never expected to be here. Hovey valued stability when he picked a business degree with a concentration in marketing, but telling human stories was really his intention. He stumbled upon The Collegian at the recommendation of his girlfriend, and he’s extremely fortunate for that. Through sports, his passion for creation has grown, and his knack for going a step further past the box score has improved. He knew from a young age he wouldn’t make it far as an athlete, but Hovey’s learned how to immerse himself in the storylines that come with each game and each person. In his time away from his jobs and school, he’ll be soaking up every moment in his final year of college, spending time with the people he cares about and sharing meals as often as he can.

Cait Mckinzie, Photo Director

Cait Mckinzie is a third-year student double majoring in art and journalism and media communication. She is the returning photo director for the 2025-26 school year. As an out-of-state student from Renton, Washington, there wasn’t much in Fort Collins Mckinzie was familiar with when she first started at Colorado State University. But in high school, she was the co-head of visuals for her school newspaper, so she applied to The Collegian as a photographer during her first year to get back into a similar environment. At the end of her year as a freelancer, she was trained by Milo Gladstein and Garrett Mogel, her photo directors, to take over Gladstein’s position when he graduated. She attributes most of her photojournalistic experience — and some of her sense of humor — to them. Most of Mckinzie’s photography experience, though, comes from her grandfather. A photographer for most of his life, he gifted Mckinzie her first camera in her junior year of high school and taught her how to use it. With his guidance, she improved her skills during high school enough to get her to The Collegian, a paper that now takes up a large amount of her time. Mckinzie is excited for another year at The Collegian and aims to make her photo desk one Gladstein and Mogel would be proud of.

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