Short-term glory, long-term worry.
Colorado State football defeated UTEP 27-17 in their third-consecutive home game at Canvas Stadium. The Rams came into the matchup sporting a bruise from a lopsided rivalry loss against Colorado in the previous week. After establishing an early lead, the Rams came out on top by just hanging on.
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Despite CSU putting up 27 points, the offense lacked aerial prowess. Star wideout Tory Horton missed the entirety of the game despite playing against CU last week. The offense had to function without a top pass-catcher, and a familiar face stepped up in that absence.
Avery Morrow’s journey as a running back for CSU has been turbulent. From facing a jail sentence to not even seeing the field in week one, Morrow overcame all odds and showed out against the Miners. He finished with 21 rush attempts, 156 total yards and two touchdowns while outpacing fellow back Justin Marshall by seven carries.
“I got these guys who motivated me to keep going,” Morrow said. “Man, I’m blessed to be where I’m at today.”
Morrow provided the highlight of the game behind his supportive offensive line on a 73-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter. The guys up front provided a massive opening for Morrow’s foot race to the end-zone. Lineman Saveyon Henderson was an anchor at tackle and provided the offense with consistency and stability.
“We’re sticking together as a team, as a unit,” Henderson said. “We trust in the process, and we love each other. Once you love each other, you play easy — it’s playing free.”
CSU’s offensive cohesion was evident in their dominant run-game, but UTEP’s Kenny Odom made sure it was close. Odom finished the game with 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns, which led all pass-catchers on the day.
The Rams, on the other hand, spread the ball to eight different receivers in what turned out to be an uninspiring air-attack. Armani Winfield and Jamari Person tied for the lead in catches at three, and combined for a mere 44-yards. Coach Jay Norvell said he still believes in quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, though, and is proud of the younger players who have stepped up.
“Very proud of how we bounced back,” Norvell said. “I’m proud of our coaching staff (and) how we handled our kids this week — and they responded. We didn’t play perfect — we had some plays and things we could have done better.”
The Rams saw a commanding start from their defense before tapering off a little bit. So much so that the Miners made a switch at quarterback halfway through the game following a lackluster 92-total yards in the first half. The defensive line and Buom Jock had a consistent presence in the backfield despite only cashing in on three sacks.
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Special teams also had a say in the matter. Dane Olson provided a huge boost to the team with a punt block in the third quarter, which was downed at the seven yard line. CSU transformed that spark into their only passing touchdown of the day.
“It’s amazing,” Jock said. “When Dane created a block like that, you look up at the jumbotron — everybody’s going crazy. It’s an amazing feeling, because the offense we have — we’re going to go down and score right there.”
Big plays littered the field, but sustaining drives proved difficult for the Rams. The first drive of the game went 75 yards in 12 plays and featured a little bit of everything. Aside from that, CSU only converted on 21.4% of their third-down attempts against UTEP. This is made even worse when compared to the 58.33% successful fourth-down conversion rate on the season.
Gutsy decisions have paid off so far, CSU just hasn’t figured out a way to maintain offensive drives. The air raid hasn’t been present as expected — and it’s shown on third down. The Rams have an opportunity to figure out their identity in the bye week before facing Oregon State in week six.
The return of Horton is still up in the air, but at least the running game has been grounded.
“Again, we’re looking at the long game,” Norvell said. “We want to be a better team in October and November than we are in September.”
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
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