FORT COLLINS — In his biggest game as CSU Rams coach, Jay Norvell just made his biggest call.
Norvell announced Monday morning that Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, and not Clay Millen, will start for the Rams at quarterback against No. 18 CU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday night at Folsom Field.
“I just felt like the timing was right for Brayden to get that opportunity,” said Norvell, who brought Fowler-Nicolosi in to replace Millen in a 50-24 season-opening loss to Washington State two weeks ago. “I’m not blaming Clay, by any means.”
The Rams’ second-year coach cited both health and effectiveness as reasons for the switch. CSU had an unusually early bye last week, and it’s believed Fowler-Nicolosi was transitioned into the first-team offense last week as part of the fortnight of preparation for the Rams’ first rivalry game of the season.
Per DraftKings.com, CSU on Monday was a 23.5-point underdog to the Buffs, whom they last faced in Boulder in 2009 — a 23-17 CSU victory.
“Clay got banged up a little bit in our last game (against Wazzu),” Norvell said of Millen, who has been sacked 54 times in 11 starts since transferring to CSU from Nevada. “And I just didn’t want to put him back out there, in the middle of that game, with the state that he was in.
“And Brayden came in and played well. The bottom line is, we’ve got to score touchdowns and we’ve got to score points offensively. When you play against good football teams, you have to sustain drives and you’ve got to make plays. And, so we’re going to give Brayden an opportunity.”
Fowler-Nicolosi took over at QB1 late in the third quarter of Week 1 after Millen was hit on a first-down incompletion while host CSU trailed 29-3. The native Texan drove the Rams to the Washington State 42 before getting picked off, a turnover that set up another Cougars score and a 36-3 deficit.
The 6-foot-1 freshman completed 13 of 20 throws and threw for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter with the tilt already out of reach.
Millen was 15-for-24 passing for 110 yards and a pick in his 2023 debut.
Fowler-Nicolosi started CSU’s win at Nevada last year while Millen was recovering from an injury. As a Ram, he’s completed 30 of 57 throws (52.6%) with three touchdowns and three picks.
“We tell Brandon, at the end of the day (it’s) football,” senior CSU wideout Tory Horton said. “Of course, it’s going to be a little faster and (the reads) are going to have to be a little more quicker. But (the opportunity) he has is incredible and when he goes out there and he lets the ball fly … you can do great things.”
