Football gameday: CSU Rams at New Mexico, Nov. 21

Nov. 20, 2015

COLORADO STATE (5-5, 3-3 MW) at New Mexico (6-4, 4-2 MW)
KICKOFF: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. MT
TV: ROOT SPORTS (online if outside Rocky Mountain footprint)
RADIO: CSU Flagship: Listen online | KJAC 105.5 FM | KRFD 100.1 | KJME 890 AM | KKVT 100.7 FM
TWITTER: @CSUFootball | @CSURamsGameday | @CoachBobo_CSU | CSURams NeverSatisfied

LINKS: Game Notes | Roster | Media Guide | Schedule

Riding a two-game win streak, Colorado State travels to Albuquerque, N.M., to take on red-hot New Mexico. The Lobos are fresh off of a victory at Boise State and can win the Mountain West Mountain Division with victories in their final two games. With a victory Saturday, CSU would become bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. on ROOT SPORTS.

COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL HEADLINES
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Game Notes: CSU at New Mexico, Nov. 21

ABOUT COLORADO STATE

Has won back-to-back games for the first time this season, winning at Wyoming and vs. UNLV to even season record at 5-5.
Needs to win one of final two games to secure bowl eligibility for the third year in a row.
Is 2-1 on the road this season, and 8-4 dating back to the 2013 season, the program's best stretch since 2001-03.
Ray Guy Award semifinalist Hayden Hunt ranks fourth nationally, averaging 46.3 yards per punt. CSU leads the country with a 43.4 net punting average.
2014 consensus All-American Rashard Higgins leads the Mountain West with eight touchdown catches, including three last week vs. UNLV.
Dalyn Dawkins and Jasen Oden, Jr. are the first CSU teammates to rush for 600-plus yards in a season since 2009. The tandem average 4.97 yards per carry.
QB Nick Stevens leads the MW and ranks 25th nationally with 19 touchdown passes.
The team's experienced pass catchers lead the nation with 8,573 career yards combined.
Kicker Wyatt Bryan has made seven consecutive field goals dating back to Sept. 26.
CSU is one of five teams nationally to rank in the top 25 for third-down offense and defense. The Rams rank 13th for kickoff return average and 18th for tackles for losses allowed.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO

Led by fourth-year head coach Bob Davie, who previously led Notre Dame to the 2000 Fiesta Bowl.
Enters this week 6-4 on the season and in contention for the Mountain West Mountain Division title. UNM would win the division with victories over CSU and Air Force.
is coming off a historic upset at Boise State, leading to MW Player of the Week awards for LB Ryan Langford and P Zack Rogers.
The most-recent victory made UNM bowl eligible for the first time since 2007, when the Lobos played in five bowl games in six seasons.
Is 4-1 at home, most recently beating Utah State.
The defense has recovered 10 fumbles and averages 8.0 tackles for loss per game, both eighth-best in the NCAA FBS.
UNM has allowed just nine sacks (fifth in NCAA) while recording 27 (22nd).
Opponents have scored on just 65.8 percent of red-zone opportunities, third-best in the NCAA.
Three players average between 56.33 and 60.10 rushing yards per game, led by Jhurell Pressley's 610 total yards and six touchdowns. UNM's rushing offense (231.4 yards per game) ranks 13th in the NCAA.

SERIES NOTES

CSU holds a 37-25 advantage in the series, including 18-14 in Albuquerque.
The Rams have won five games in a row over the Lobos, tied for their best winning streak in the series (also 1983-87 and 1997-2002).
CSU has won back-to-back games at New Mexico, the most since winning five in a row from 1989-2001.
CSU has not trailed against New Mexico since taking a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter in 2011.
CSU has averaged 62 points over the past two games in the series, with a running back recording six touchdowns in both games (Kapri Bibbs and Dee Hart).
The Ram have totaled 649 (2013) and 697 (2014) yards of offense in the last two meetings, passing for 405 yards (compared to UNM's 55) last year.
WR Rashard Higgins has three career touchdowns against New Mexico, including 167 yards and two scores in last year's win.
WR Joe Hansley has three career touchdowns against New Mexico, including two and 102 yards in 2012. HIs second score in 2012 gave CSU a 24-20 lead with 1:29 to play.
CSU forced four turnovers in 2014, including a pair of interceptions by DB Tyree Simmons. Preston Hodges had a fumble recovery, in addition to nine tackles and a pass breakup.
In 2013, S Trent Matthews intercepted a pass against UNM, one of his nine career interceptions.
In the 2012 meeting, Kevin Pierre-Louis had 11 tackles and a pass breakup on the final play of the game. UNM had the ball at the CSU 16 and time for one play, but it was broken up by Pierre-Louis in the end zone, securing CSU's best record (4-8) since 2008.

NOTES IN 140

A win Saturday at New Mexico would make the #CSURams bowl eligible for the 3rd year in a row. CSU has been to 14 bowls in its history.
The #CSURams have won 5 games in a row over New Mexico, averaging 62.0 points in the past two meetings.
The #CSURams are 2-1 on the road this season, and have won 8 of 12 since 2013, their best stretch since 2001-03.
.@RayGuyAward semifinalist Hayden Hunt ranks 4th in NCAA with 46.3 yards per punt, and 1st for team net punting average (43.4).
Among @RayGuyAward semifinalists, Hayden Hunt ranks 1st for net punting, 2nd for touchbacks and punts inside the 20 and 4th for gross average.
#HollywoodHiggins scored 3 TDs vs. UNLV, the 9th multi-TD game of his career. The WR has a school-record 31 career TDs.
#HollywoodHiggins totaled 102 receiving yards vs. UNLV, moving into 2nd place in #CSURams history with 3,356 career yards.
The #CSURams are 4-0 this season when scoring on their first possession, which they've done each of the past two weeks.
RBs Jasen Oden, Jr. (653) and Dalyn Dawkins (650) are the first set of #CSURams teammates to rush for 600 yards in a season since 2009.
RB Dalyn Dawkins rushed for a career-high 151 yards vs. UNLV. Over the past 2 games, he has 291 rushing yards.
The #CSURams totaled 534 total yards vs. UNLV, including 325 on the ground, CSU's most since Nov. 16, 2013.
Through 8 games, the #CSURams ran the ball on 52% of plays. Over the past 2 games they've ran on 75%.
LB Deonte Clyburn had a career-most 12 tackles vs. UNLV. Over the past 4 games he has averaged 10.0 per game (2.9 previously).
The #CSURams have out-scored opponents 119-54 during the first quarter, and have led in 9 of 10 games.
Kicker Wyatt Bryan has made seven consecutive field goals dating back to Sept. 26, and has at least one make in all 9 games he has played in.
QB Nick Stevens leads the @MountainWest with 19 touchdown passes (25th in NCAA FBS), and ranks 2rd for passing yards (2,020) and pass efficiency (142.7).
CSU was a perfect 7-for-7 in the red zone vs. UNLV (7 TDs) and on the season has scored points on 88.4% of opportunities (30th in NCAA FBS).
CSU's defense is averaging 7.4 tackles for loss per game (24th in NCAA FBS), while the offensive line is allowing just 4.50 (13th).
The #CSURams are 1 of 5 teams in the NCAA FBS to rank in the top 25 for 3rd-down offense (44.5%) and defense (32.8%).
CSU has converted 10-of-15 4th-down attempts, which ranks 21st nationally.
Led by 2 Deionte Gaines returns of 50 yards, CSU ranks 13th in the NCAA FBS with 24.83 yards per kickoff return.
Opponents have started drives on the Rams' side of the field 4 times this season, coming away with just 6 points.
CSU has scored in 32 of 40 quarters this season, including all 4 vs. UNLV.
Despite trailing the turnover battle 25-12 this season, CSU's opponents have scored just 46 points off of turnovers (37 for CSU).
CSU has pass catchers who have accounted for 645 career receptions for 8,637 yards (1st in NCAA FBS) and 72 touchdowns (2nd).
#HollywoodHiggins has at least one catch in all 35 career games he has played in (T-10th in NCAA FBS).
Senior Trent Matthews is one of 11 NCAA FBS players named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team. Fans can #VoteTrent at Allstate.com/captain.
The #CSURams averaged 24,917 fans per game in 2015, the 2nd-best average in the past decade.

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