Cait Mckinzie
Colorado State University football's defense lines up against Fresno State University's offense during the third quarter of CSU's game against FSU Oct. 10. CSU ended the game with 334 total yards and seven touchdowns, winning with a final score of 49-21.
They say success is earned, not given.
In Colorado State football’s case, it didn’t necessarily come quickly. But after the Rams’ 49-21 win over Fresno State last week, things are perhaps looking brighter than they have all season. A Homecoming matchup against Hawaii in Canvas Stadium provides an opportunity to capitalize on that positive energy and improve upon a 16-12 all-time record against the Rainbow Warriors.
“I mean, we have to stay focused. We have to do the things that allow us to have a chance to win games. … We have to be prepared for that.” –Jay Norvell, CSU football head coach
CSU has been refining its system for weeks, and all the pieces came together against the Bulldogs. Head coach Jay Norvell replaced longtime starter Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi with Jackson Brousseau, gave associate head coach Matt Mumme play-calling duties and “simplified some things” for his players in an effort to get things going.
“We just really wanted to get positive yards,” Norvell said. “And (we weren’t) so much focusing on explosive plays but just positive yards. And Jackson’s done a good job of that. Our backs have done a really good job. And then, through execution, the explosive plays happen.”
That balance helped the Rams cut their average third down distance from previous weeks, keeping the offense on schedule.
Brousseau has been efficient and turnover-free in his starts, something Norvell emphasized as a deciding factor of CSU’s victory against FSU.
“The turnovers were the difference in the game,” Norvell said. “I thought our defense did a good job being undermanned up front, handling the run game. … On the flip side, I thought we did a great job of protecting the ball. Jackson has done a good job of handling the offense, handling the passing game (and) making sure the ball is not being put in harm’s way.”
But the running back room has also been a steady strength for the offense.
Justin Marshall left last week’s game with a leg injury after a 73-yard touchdown run, but Jalen Dupree, Lloyd Avant and Javion Kinnard all rotated in with scores of their own.
“We have a lot of depth at running back right now, and we’re getting a lot of contributions,” Norvell said. “The beautiful thing about these backs is they’re incredibly unselfish, and all of them are playing special teams.”
With several starters out and others injured during the game, CSU relied heavily on young and backup players. Kinnard delivered a big receiving touchdown along with a team-high 72 receiving yards, and Dagan Myers slotted in where he was needed and played through a major injury before coming out.
“We had several injuries in the back end, and (Myers) had to play safety this past week, probably the most he’s ever played,” Norvell said. “He breaks his collarbone and plays four more plays and catches the punt and doesn’t want to tell the trainers that he’s hurt. When you coach kids that do that, it’s pretty amazing, and he is an amazing kid.”
The Rams will need that depth again Saturday against a team that thrives through the air.
First-year quarterback Micah Alejado has completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,456 yards and nine touchdowns, while Luke Weaver has added 600 yards and five scores with a 59.8% passing completion percentage. Together, they have totaled 2,056 yards passing with 14 touchdowns for Hawaii this season.
Pofele Ashlock leads the receiving corps with 468 yards and six touchdowns, but Jackson Harris and Brandon White both average more than 10 yards per catch and have combined for 613 yards. Running back Landon Sims has been their top rusher, with 323 yards, though the ground game as a whole averages just 3.4 yards per tote.
UH’s defensive front line has combined for more than a dozen sacks, led by De’Jon Benton and Lesterlaisene Lagafuaina. Special teams have also been reliable, with kicker Kansei Matsuzawa perfect on 19 field goals, including a long of 52 yards.
“This is a very different game than we’ve been playing coming up this week,” Norvell said. “This is like Air Force but flipped. Air Force wants to run the ball almost every snap. These guys want to throw it almost every snap.”
For CSU’s secondary, including Lemondre Joe, Owen Long and Jahari Rogers, that means limiting big plays and forcing the Rainbow Warriors into sustained drives.
Norvell said that discipline will once again be a major factor after a sideline penalty last week nearly shifted momentum.
“Penalties equal points,” Norvell said. “We can’t make penalties. … Those things lead to losing. And so I think our kids got the message, but we have to continue to do the things that help us win, and we (have) got to eliminate the things that contribute to losing.”
The Rams have also trailed in time of possession this season, averaging more than four minutes fewer per game than opponents. That number may be important against a team that thrives on tempo, making consistency on early downs and extended drives even more valuable.
With six games left and a chance to build on what Norvell called “one of the best performances we’ve had since we’ve been here at Colorado State,” the Rams have an opportunity on Homecoming Weekend to continue what they started.
“I mean, we have to stay focused,” Norvell said. “We have to do the things that allow us to have a chance to win games. … We have to be prepared for that. We have to adjust to that, and we have to play the type of game that we can beat Hawaii with, which will be very important.”
In a relatively young season, every win and every loss carries a little more weight. CSU is 2-4 overall, but it’s 1-1 in conference play.
The Rams will face UH at 5 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 18 in Canvas Stadium.
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.
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