In 1899, the Colorado Agricultural College Aggies walked off a live football field with unfinished business.
On Friday, Colorado State football rejoiced, Bronze Boot in hand, on the logo in Canvas Stadium. The Rams claimed victory 24-10 in the 115th Border War against Wyoming for the first time since 2020. Still, the goal for this team has always been bigger than that.
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Based solely on the box score, it’s plain to see how this team has operated and how it’s found success in the last five weeks: getting everyone involved. On a much larger scale, it’s a way of life for the Rams.
The team often speaks about the entire organization buying in. A win each week is an amalgamation of effort from an army of Rams. Safety Henry Blackburn has been around the organization long enough to see this effect both in prosperity and in famine.
“There’s amazing people in this building,” Blackburn said. “The janitors and the people who are waking up early to, you know, do our laundry — things like that — and the trainers and all the people that are putting all their best, their best foot forward.”
The culture seems to have extended this season to the fans as well. Canvas Stadium broke another record this fall season with 13,723 students in attendance — the most ever. The Border War brought together all kinds of people despite the cold weather.
There to bask in the glory were the stars of the night. Running backs Justin Marshall and Avery Morrow churned out 104 and 84 rushing yards respectively behind an offensive line that continues to impress. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi benefitted from a night without sacks and posted a passer rating of 196.6 along with 192 passing yards and a touchdown.
“I mean, the amount of depth we have at receiver, running back, O-line, D-line — you’ve seen it all,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “Like we had plenty of backup guys come in tonight. For example, (Trevyn Heil) at center. (Jacob Gardner) went down, and Trevyn came in, and we didn’t miss a beat.”
In an offense that no longer centers around the quarterback, Fowler-Nicolosi has quietly improved. He now shares a glimpse of a similar experience with others on the team, namely the defense.
Helping hold UW to 237 yards all game, Dom Jones got on the stat sheet with his 10 total tackles. Others like the interior linemen, however, did what they always do: put in the work with little to show for it.
“I mean, there’s guys on the field who, you know — the 3-tech, he’s got to take on a double team,” Blackburn said. “He doesn’t get a stat for that, but he’s got to go do it every single play.”
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Staying true to that theme, several offensive players have stepped up to fill voids this season. Scouring the box score, seven athletes garnered one or two touches on the offensive side of the ball; that’s in addition to three running backs, who all received at least nine touches.
Dane Olson has been the big-time playmaker with limited opportunities in past weeks, and he continued that trend with a passing touchdown to Fowler-Nicolosi on a CSU-altered Philly Special. This week, though, true freshman Tommy Maher received his induction into that role on a deep 53-yard catch.
“You know, when (Tory Horton) went down — he used to do a lot of things with Tory — so other players have kind of been auditioning to do a lot of the things we used to do with Tory,” Norvell said. “But boy, was he ready to go. And, you know, I was really proud of that, that’s a huge play.”
The ability to rely on a deep pocket of playmakers has made up for mistakes the Rams have experienced. CSU’s ability to control the time of possession led to a stagnant fourth quarter, preventing a Cowboy comeback. The game didn’t necessarily have to be anywhere as close, though.
The Rams were stripped of touchdowns twice in the first half from both four and one yard out, with the latter a result of a fumble on a jet sweep. They also missed a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 57-yard attempt early in fourth. Additionally, CSU’s defense gave up their only touchdown following a pass-interference call when a red zone stand looked probable.
For this team, the work clearly isn’t over. The Rams achieved bowl eligibility with their previous win against Nevada and now have won both the Bronze Boot and Ram-Falcon Trophy in the same season for the first time since 2015 — clearly surpassing early-season expectations. Still, the hunt for a Mountain West championship continues as CSU is still tied for first place within their conference with only one more regular season game.
“I mean, we’re in playoff mode,” Norvell said. “I mean, we’re only as good as how we play every Saturday. So, you know, we’re a step closer.”
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
