Fort Collins – Minnesota needs to figure out how to close out a season. Colorado State is trying to figure out how to close out a game. The teams meet Saturday at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
The Gophers opened 5-0 a year ago before dropping five of their next six, and defeated Alabama in the Music City Bowl.
Colorado State opened its season last week by losing a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter at Colorado en route to a 31-28 defeat, the first game in three years the Rams have lost when leading after three quarters. Over that stretch, CSU has seemingly lost the ability to win close games.
The Rams are 3-7 in games decided by a touchdown or less dating to a 36-33 loss to UNLV in their 2002 regular-season finale.
“It only takes one to start doing it. The last few close ones we didn’t close it out,” CSU senior quarterback Justin Holland said. “A lot of things could have happened, but they didn’t, so we have to force them to happen, not wait for them to happen.”
A big start toward winning the close games would be eliminating turnovers, a problem that plagued Holland last year and again in the Rams’ opener last week. The Gophers picked off three of his passes a year ago in a 34-16 rout at Hughes Stadium. Holland had four passes intercepted last week at Folsom Field in Boulder.
Minnesota coach Glen Mason told reporters this week how disappointed he was that the Gophers didn’t get more a year ago.
Holland accepts the responsibility of reducing turnovers.
“Protecting the ball is the first, last, every step,” Holland said. “Most teams we play are going to be as talented or maybe have a little more talent. We have to win turnover battles. We’re not going to be good enough to play from behind.
“We need to protect the ball better. We’re going to do that. That’s the final step.”
With the CU-CSU game tied 21-21 late in the fourth quarter, Holland threw an interception deep in his own territory that the Buffaloes quickly converted into a touchdown. Holland called it “by far” his worst decision of the game.
“Once I was out of the pocket, I forced it downfield,” he said. “I should have taken the sack or gotten out of bounds.”
The frustration for CSU offensive coordinator Dan Hammerschmidt comes in the knowledge that in preseason camp and for most of the first three quarters in Boulder, Holland shed his tendency to force the ball.
“We need to finish (the game). That’s more leadership and chemistry,” Hammerschmidt said. “Once you finish one or two and you get in a habit, you finish a bunch of games. There’s a fine line when you know how to finish them out. Sometimes it’s a struggle. But we have to figure out how to do it.”
The defiant air the Rams carried after losing at CU continued in practices this week. There did not appear to be the hangover CSU had a year ago, when it was clobbered at USC 49-0 a week after losing at CU.
“We’re very confident in what this team is going to be able to do this year,” Holland said. “Everyone feels we have a very good team. … We are (mad) because we weren’t able to close it out. We don’t have any signs of guys thinking we aren’t going to get it done.”
Said running back Jimmy Green: “When you lose a certain amount of games, you can get down on yourself and it transcends to the field. It makes a tough season. Going 0-2 versus 1-1 is really a big difference.”
CSU (0-1) at Minnesota (1-0)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado State: The Jahmal Hall-led linebackers, who showed improvement in the opener compared with a year ago against Colorado. This week is an even bigger test against one of the top running games in college football. Wide receiver David Anderson caught 12 passes last week in heavy traffic against CU and could give a suspect Gophers secondary fits. Safety Miles Kochevar is quickly developing into a playmaker. He’s the last line of defense when Laurence Maroney breaks free.
Minnesota: Start with Maroney, who has designs on a second consecutive 200-yard game on the ground. He had two long TD runs at Tulsa in the Gophers’ opener. Tight end Matt Spaeth, a 6-foot-6, 270-pound junior, is a key target near the goal line. He had two TD catches at CSU a year ago. Linebacker Mike Sherels is coming off an 11-tackle starting debut.
KEY STAT
Minnesota has had only five running backs gain 100 or more yards against it in the past 27 games.
KEY FOR COLORADO STATE
Senior quarterback Justin Holland must cut down on interceptions. He threw four against CU last week, and three a year ago against Minnesota in a 34-16 loss to the Gophers.
KEY FOR MINNESOTA
Establish Maroney on the ground. If he can break loose early, as he did last week, the Rams’ confidence on defense might slip away.
Staff writer Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
