FORT COLLINS — For junior safety Kevin Pierre-Louis, a family reunion provided something extra to Saturday’s game at Boston College.
It added an extra smile to Colorado State’s 24-21 victory over Boston College that Pierre-Louis said put CSU “on the map.”
The Rams were underdogs, and the come-from-behind triumph put CSU in the limelight.
“I think it definitely put us on the map,” Pierre-Louis said. “The plan now is to stay on the map the rest of the season.”
The CSU victory didn’t even ruin his family reunion. Pierre-Louis met for the first time his cousin of the same name, who played for Boston College last year and now is a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.
“He was happy to see me,” Pierre-Louis said. “It was the first time we met. I had met him online before, but not in person. I was excited when I saw Boston College on our schedule.”
Pierre-Louis had seven tackles in the game and was a member of the defense that drew praise from coach Jim McElwain.
“I can’t say enough about what the defense did to give us an opportunity to win that game,” McElwain said. “Our players are being accountable to each other.”
But maybe McElwain had some other things to say at his Monday news conference that were more important for the future. He was optimistic about the injury report on Garrett Grayson. The quarterback had shown signs of a shoulder injury late in the game but still threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Charles Lovett with only 1:02 left to win it.
“He has a dark bruise on his shoulder, but the reports say there was no structural damage,” McElwain said. “He’ll be sore all week, but he’ll be ready to go Saturday.”
The Rams host Tulsa at 1 p.m. at Hughes Stadium, and Pierre-Louis expects a different game.
“I was up in the trenches against Boston College,” Pierre-Louis said, noting that he played closer to the line of scrimmage against the Eagles. “It’s tough up there, but I’ll play the role the coaches give me.”
His job was to supply run support to the defensive line and linebackers.
“He brings an attitude,” McElwain said of his 6-foot-1, 212-pound safety from Del Rio, Texas.
But this week, the focus will be on defending a passing attack.
“Our corners and safeties have to make sure they keep the ball in front of them,” McElwain said.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296, imoss@denverpost.com or
