Colorado State defeated Nevada, 44-42, on Saturday night at Sonny Lubick Field. Before the Rams (5-2, 3-0) travel to face New Mexico (3-3, 1-2) at 8:15 p.m. Friday, The Denver Postap Kyle Fredrickson takes one last look back at Week 7 in the Mountain West and what it means for CSU moving forward.
The essentials
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1. The Rams can run it, too. Receiver Michael Gallup stole the headlines with another outstanding performance, but tailback Dalyn Dawkins also had a big game, with runs for 10, 13, 19, 21, 33 and 56 yards — totaling 191 on the ground with a score. Dawkins’ success forced the Wolfpack to drop an extra defensive back into box, allowing the Rams’ wideouts to thrive in mostly single coverage. Itap that kind of balance, with improved decision-making from quarterback Nick Stevens, that makes this offense so difficult to defend.
Dalyn 59 yards to the house!
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball)
2. Whatap with the defense? Nevada’s passing offense had not exceeded 300 yards all season but it blossomed against CSU with 508 — the most allowed by the Rams this season. And it was the big play that hurt CSU, including 13 receptions of 15 or more yards and three touchdowns of 50-plus yards. There’s not much explaining it considering the Rams had been stout in defending the pass one week earlier at Utah State. CSU’s offense is talented enough to bail out a poor defensive showing, for now, but consistency will be key moving forward for the unit.
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3. An abysmal second-half crowd. CSU drew an impressive attendance (36,765) for the third game inside its new on-campus stadium, but the second half told a different story. Fans headed toward the exits en masse with ESPN 2 cameras panning across empty bleachers. This isn’t a problem unique to CSU, especially the student departures, and the late kickoff plus frigid temperatures made for an uncomfortable outdoor setting. But if a play for the Power 5 is still the goal, CSU must prove it has the community support that comes with it.
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Around the Mountain West
1. Shakeup at the top. The final unbeaten has fallen in the Mountain West. Boise State defeated San Diego State, 31-14, opening the door for a new conference front-runner. Four teams — CSU, BSU, Fresno State and Wyoming — remain perfect in league play after limping into October with nonconference losses. SDSU is by no means out of the race, but parity in the Mountain West should provide some stunning finishes as the Dec. 2 conference championship game nears.
2. Finally Falcons. The wait is over. After four consecutive losses, Air Force is back in the win column with a dramatic come-from-behind 34-30 home victory against UNLV. The Falcons trailed 27-0 in the first half and mounted the second-largest comeback in program history. Quarterback Arion Wortham was once again the star with a career high five rushing touchdowns. Air Force must win four of six its remaining games to reach a bowl.
3. Josh Allen on track. Wyoming’s star quarterback still hasn’t looked like a first-round NFL Draft pick as of late, but showed noted improvement in a 28-23 road win at Utah State. He completed a season-high 69.2 percent of his passes and displayed toughness with a goal-line rushing score. The Cowboys have won ugly to remain undefeated through three Mountain West games. They’ll become even more dangerous if Allen continues his upward trend.
Bottom line for the Rams
The final result was much closer than anticipated against Nevada (CSU entered as 24 1/2 point favorites), but a gritty win can sometimes help a team as much as a blowout victory. Yes, the Rams have questions to answer on defense, but veteran leadership on both sides of the ball carried the team through adversity on Saturday. And those are the types of teams who hold trophies at the end of the season. The Rams appear poised to do just that.