Celebrating Ag Day, Colorado State had an orange out at Canvas stadium, but the field was decorated with yellow.
In the first half, the University of Toledo had more flags, nine, than pass attempts, eight, as both teams struggled to get their dynamic offenses running.
A total of 13 penalties for 137 yards halted the offenses of both teams, with some coming in sequences of two and three plays in a row. The game concluded with 21 penalties totaling 185 yards. Most of the flags thrown were the result of false starts, illegal formation and pass interference calls.
“Sometimes kids get a little confused,” Head Coach Mike Bobo said. “It was a physical football game. Both teams getting after it, really finishing to the whistle.”
This game had the potential to be a shootout due to all the weapons on both offenses, and despite the slow start, the teams were able to settle in. The story of the game was the running backs on both sidelines, and they were on full display in the second half.
“Marvin Kinsey (Jr.) is a d*mn stud,” Bobo said. “(He ) had a separated shoulder last game, didn’t practice really all week and played.”
Kinsey finished the game with 246 rushing yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, averaging an astounding 10.7 yards a carry. His third-quarter 74-yard touchdown was his longest of the game, and his 246 rushing yards were a career-high.
🏃♂️💨 https://t.co/drRxaGAmo8
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) September 22, 2019
On the opposite sideline, Toledo running back Bryant Koback showed his ability as he shredded the CSU defense. Koback raced for 228 yards on 19 carries and scored four touchdowns: three on the ground and one through the air.
The Rams defense prevailed as the weak spot for the fourth consecutive game. The defense started the game strong, only allowing 95 rushing yards, 77 pass yards and two touchdowns in the first half. But they imploded in the second half, 341 rushing yards, three touchdowns and two field goals.
“We gotta stop the run,” Bobo said. “You can’t give up 400 yards rushing and expect to beat anybody. We are playing hard, but we gotta look at the tape and see what the problems are.”
The offense isn’t the problem, as Patrick O’Brien was able to step in for an injured Collin Hill and put up big numbers.
O’Brien impressed in Saturday’s game, completing 32 of his 52 passes for 405 yards, with one passing and one rushing touchdown and an interception. A majority of O’Brien’s early incompletions were self-inflicted as he kept under-throwing his receivers, but he got comfortable as the game progressed.
“O’Brien played really, really well for his first game,” Bobo said. “He missed some (throws), but people miss some. But he battled and gave us a chance right there at the end.”
After celebrating Ag Day, the Rams travel to Logan, Utah, next week to take on the Utah State Aggies. The defense will face another test as Utah State possesses two high-caliber players on offense with dual-threat quarterback Jordan Love and versatile running back Gerold Bright.
Tyler Meguire can be reached at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @TMeguire.
