CSU Rams Gameday: Football vs. Hawai'i, Nov. 8

Nov. 7, 2014

The Rams (8-1, 4-1 MW), who are coming off a 38-31 road victory at San José State, take on Hawai'i (2-7, 1-3 MW) on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Hughes Stadium. A victory would put the Rams at 9-1 for the first time since 1994. CSU football fans can watch the game on ESPNU or on WatchESPN.com. Anish Shroff (play-by-play) and former CSU quarterback Kelly Stouffer (analyst) are on the call. The game is set to kick off at 5 p.m. MT.

LINKS: Roster | Media Guide | Schedule | Game Notes | Gameday Fan Guide

COLORADO STATE (8-1, 4-1 MW) vs. HAWAI'I (2-7, 1-3 MW)
KICKOFF: 5 p.m. MT
TV: ESPNU (Anish Shroff and Kelly Stouffer)
RADIO: CSU Flagship: KJAC 105.5 FM or on KREL AM 1580 (Colorado Springs), KNZZ AM 1100 (Grand Junction)| Hawai'i Flagship: ESPN 1420 AM
LIVE STATS: Gametracker
TWITTER: @CSUFootball | @CSURamsGameday | @CoachMcElwain | #CSURams  #TheClimb

NOTES IN 140
#TEAM

The Rams have rattled off 7 consecutive victories, the longest win streak CSU has put together in a single season since 1997. That year CSU won 9 consecutive games
CSU has the 4th-longest active winning streak nationally
The Rams are one of six FBS teams with 8 wins, tied for best in the nation
At Hughes Stadium the Rams have won 6 consecutive games and 11 of their last 13, dating back to the 2012 season
This is the best period of success at home for the Rams since winning 15-of-17 stretching across the 1997-2001 seasons
The Rams are 14-3 in their last 17 games, and started 8-1 this year for the first time since 2000
Only four FBS teams have a better record than CSU (14-3) over the last 17 games (Florida State, Michigan State, Auburn & Marshall)
This is only the fourth time since 1927 the Rams have jumped out to an 8-1 record (2000, 1994, 1949)
CSU has won 6 of its last 8 true road games dating back to last season...including neutral site games, CSU has won 8 of its last 10 games outside Fort Collins
CSU finished non-conference play undefeated (4-0) for the first time since 1994
The Rams have secured their first back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2002-03, when CSU went 10-2 and 7-6, respectively
The Rams have rattled off three consecutive wins (Washington St., 2013; CU, 2014; Boston College, 2014) over teams from the Power 5 conferences
CSU is 1 of only 4 teams from the non-Power 5 conferences that has at least 1 win over a team from the Power 5 conferences in each of the past three seasons (BYU (9)UL-Monroe, N. Illinois).
BYU leads the nation with a victory over a Power 5 opponent in each of the last nine seasons
In his career, @CoachMcElwain is 4-2 against teams from Power 5 conference (wins - Colorado (2), Washington State and Boston College)
.@CoachMcElwain is five games above .500 (20-15) for the first time as a head coach
Under @CoachMcElwain & off. coord. @CoachBaldwinTD, the Rams have eclipsed 500 yds. of total offense 12 times & scored at least 40 points in 9 games
The Rams’ 31 points vs. Colorado (8/29) were the most scored in a season-opener by CSU since 2003, when they scored 35 points in a loss to the Buffs
Dee Hart, Garrett Grayson and Jared Roberts (twice) have earned MW Player of the Week honors this season

#OFFENSE

The Rams averaged 10.3 yards per play vs. Wyoming (10/25), the third-most in a game in CSU history. In the past 2 yrs, CSU has recorded 3 of the top 4 spots (UTEP in ‘13 - 9.4, UC Davis - 10.1, Wyo - 10.3).
CSU has successfully converted 50.4% of its third-down opportunities (6th FBS), which would stand as the best by a Rams team. Previous best: 46.3% in 1985
Senior OL Ty Sambrailo has graded out above 90% and recorded 33 knockdown blocks since returning from injury at Boston College (9/27)
Senior QB Garrett Grayson is Colorado State’s all-time leading passer (7,930). The record was previously held by Kelly Stouffer (7,142; 1984-86)
Grayson is the first CSU QB to toss back-to-back 400-yard games (at Boise St., vs. UC Davis) since Terry Nugent in 1983
Grayson has thrown 54 touchdowns in his career, to break the school record (51, Moses Moreno)
Before Grayson’s career-best 434 passing yards at Boise State, the last CSU QB to accomplish this feat was Justin Holland (419) vs. Wyoming in 2005
The Rams’ senior QB has 17 career victories, the fouth-most by a CSU signal-caller since 1993 (BVP - 23, Moreno - 21, Newton - 19)
Grayson has six fourth-quarter game-winning drives in his career, tied for the 3rd-most among active FBS quarterbacks
On third down this season Grayson has completed 45-of-69 (65.2%) passes for 613 yards and picked up 37 first downs
WRs Rashard Higgins and Joe Hansley both had 100-yd receiving days at Boise State, the first time since 2005 the Rams have accomplished this feat
Higgins, a @biletnikoffawrd candidate, has 1,280 receiving yards (1st FBS), and averages 142.2 receiving yards/gm (1st FBS)
The 1,280 receiving yds are the 2nd-most in a single season by a CSU pass-catcher. David Anderson holds the record w/ 1,293 yds in 2003
His 92.0 receiving yards per game in his career are the most nationally among active receivers
Higgins has 7 100-yd receiving games this season, including five consecutive games w/ at least 100 receiving yds. He is the first CSU receiver to accomplish this feat.
The seven 100-yard receiving games are a single-season CSU record, and tied for the most among all FBS pass-catchers in 2014
Higgins was the 1st FBS pass-catcher since Michael Crabtree in 2007 to record at least 175 receiving yds in 3 straight games (178 - Tulsa, 194 - Nevada, 187 - USU)
Higgins’ 559 receiving yards vs. Tulsa, UNR and Utah State are the most by a CSU pass-catcher in a 3-game stretch
In nine games, Higgins set the Colorado State single-season receiving touchdown record (13)
Higgins’ 13 receiving touchdowns are an average of 37.6 yards in length, and he has four TDs of at least 50 yards, which is tied for most nationally
His 19 career receiving touchdowns tie for 4th in school history
Higgins became CSU’s quickest receiver to record 100 receptions (19 career games) in CSU’s 42-17 win over Tulsa (10/4)
Against Tulsa (10/4), Higgins scored four receiving touchdowns, tied for most touchdowns in a single game among all FBS pass-catchers
Dee Hart tied Ron Harris (9/14/74) for the most rushing yards (139) by a CSU running back in his debut vs. CU (8/29)
Hart’s 139 rushing yards were the most by a Rams RB in a season-opener since Cecil Sapp’s 178 at Virginia (8/22/02)
Hart’s 4 rushing TDs at SJSU (11/1) ties for most among MW rushers in 2014, and third-most nationally in a single game
In CSU’s season opener the Rams had two rushers gain at least 100 yards in the same game for the first time since 2002
1st time in school history, CSU had back-to-back games w/ two receivers recording 100-yard receiving games (Higgins, Hansley at Boise St.; Higgins, Masters Jr. vs. UC Davis)
CSU’s opening play vs. USU (10/18), a 69-yard pitch-and-catch from Grayson to Higgins, is the longest play the Aggies defense has allowed since 2011

#DEFENSE

Junior linebacker Cory James has recorded 20 career sacks, and is now tied for 5th among CSU defenders
In terms of career sacks, James ranks 9th among active FBS defenders with 20 sacks
Senior LB Aaron Davis has 317 career tackles, tied for 9th-most among active FBS defenders and 10th-most in CSU history
Junior defensive lineman Joe Kawulok recorded 3.5 sacks vs. Tulsa (10.4), tying for the 4th-most in a single game by a CSU defender
Junior DB Trent Matthews has 8 career interceptions, the most in a career by a CSU defender since Erik Olson’s 12 from 1996-99
LB Max Morgan recorded his 3rd career INT when he picked off a Utah State pass (10/18). Morgan has 1 interception in each of the last 3 seasons.
USU RB Joe Hill busted off a 59-yard TD run vs. CSU (10/18), but the defense held him to 5 yds on his other 8 att., including 5 2nd-half carries for a net of 0 yds
Boston College boasted the nation’s No. 4 rank for rushing differential entering Sept. 27, at 238 yards/gm, but managed just a 77-yd margin vs. CSU, 161 below its average
In 2nd half at BC (9/27), CSU held Eagles to just 27 plays & 133 yds after 40-275 in 1st half. 4th quarter BC gained just 61 yards, CSU 141
In the second half of the Sept. 27 win at Boston College, CSU outgained BC 279-133 & held possession 17:58 to 12:02
.@CSUFootball returns three starting linebackers from 2013, who combined for 314 tackles, the third-most among FBS teams
After allowing 24 plays & 152 yds. (6.3) in the 1st qtr vs. CU (8/29), the Rams allowed just 49 for 223 yds (4.6) in qtrs. 2-4
Linebacker Bryan Ohene-Gyeni registered his first career sack Sept. 6 at Boise State

#SPECIALTEAMS

Lou Groza Award candidate Jared Roberts has connected on 102 consecutive extra points, which is a @MountainWest and school record
Trent Matthews is one of 15 FBS players with at least 2 blocked kicks this season, and as a team the Rams’ 4 blocks rank third nationally
CSU is 1 of 5 @MountainWest schools to block at least one PAT (at BS, 9/6), field goal (vs. UC Davis, 9/13) and punt (at UNR, 10/11) in 2014
Roberts has made 3-of-4 50-yard plus FG attempts this season, including a 53-yarder at SJSU (11/1), the second-longest of his career
Roberts ranks second on CSU’s career field goal percentage list after connecting on 38-of-46 (.826) field goals
Roberts was named @MountainWest Special Teams Player of the Week for the fifth time in his career, after CSU’s victory over Utah State
Freshman Deionte Gaines ranks first in the @MountainWest, and 18th nationally, with a 26.4 kickoff return average
Punter Hayden Hunt leads the @MountainWest and is 8th nationally with a 45.6 punting average

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results