Football gameday: CSU Rams at Fresno State, Nov. 28

Nov. 27, 2015

COLORADO STATE (6-5, 4-3 MW) at Fresno State (3-8, 2-5 MW)
KICKOFF: Saturday, 7 p.m. MT
TV: CBS Sports Network (channel finder)
RADIO: CSU Flagship: Listen online | KJAC 105.5 FM | KRFD 100.1 | KJME 890 AM | KKVT 100.7 FM
LIVE STATS:
TWITTER: @CSUFootball | @CSURamsGameday | @CoachBobo_CSU | #CSURams

LINKS: Game Notes | Roster | Media Guide | Schedule

Riding a three-game win streak and already bowl eligible for the third year in a row, Colorado State travels to Fresno, Calif., to take on the Bulldogs Saturday evening on CBS Sports Network.

COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL HEADLINES
OC Will Friend a nominee for 2015 Broyles Award
#NextLevelRams: NFL update Week 11
Hunt named finalist for Ray Guy Award
Game Notes: CSU at Fresno State, Nov. 28

ABOUT COLORADO STATE

Is on a three-game win streak and has qualified for a bowl game for the third consecutive season.
Is 3-1 on the road this season, and 9-4 dating back to the 2013 season (best stretch since 2001-03).
Ray Guy Award semifinalist Hayden Hunt has helped CSU to a 43.4 net punting average, which ranks second nationally.
2014 consensus All-American Rashard Higgins leads the Mountain West with eight touchdown catches. He recently became CSU's all-time receptions leader and needs 139 yards to own its rec. yards record.
QB Nick Stevens leads the MW and ranks 25th nationally with 20 touchdown passes.
The Rams are averaging 189.9 rushing yards per game, led by Dalyn Dawkins (128.3 yards over last three games).
LB Kevin Davis leads CSU with 83 tackles, including 11.5 for loss. He had a sack and his first career interception at New Mexico.
Has converted 47.2-percent of third-down opportunities, which ranks 15th in NCAA FBS.
OL ranks 16th in FBS, allowing 4.6 tackles for loss per game. The defense ranks 28th with 7.2 per game.
During CSU's three-game win streak, the Rams have scored on their first possession in each game.
Is 4-0 when winning the turnover battle, doing so twice in its past three games.

ABOUT FRESNO STATE

Led by fourth-year head coach Tim DeRuyter, who is 29-22 at Fresno State.
Is 3-8 on the season, including 2-5 in Mountain West play and 2-3 on the road.
Has won two of its past five games since a five-game losing streak from Weeks 2-6.
Will recognize 18 seniors prior to Saturday's game. The class has posted a 19-5 home record over the past four seasons, winning two MW championships and three division titles.
Senior LB Ejiro Ederaine (44.5 career tackles for loss) needs 2.5 to become the Mountain West's all-time leader. His average this season of 1.4 per game ranks 21st nationally.
Senior Marteze Waller is expected to become the fifth RB in school history to reach 3,000 career rushing yards.
Is averaging just 4.91 penalties per game (15th in NCAA FBS) and 40.55 penalty yards (12th).
Defense has recovered 11 fumbles, seventh-best in the NCAA FBS, including two by George Helmuth.
Is averaging 2.55 sacks per game (29th in FBS), led by Ederaine's 9.0.
The special teams units are limiting opponents to an average of 20.17 kickoff return yards, best in the MW.

SERIES NOTES

CSU holds a 7-5 advantage in the series, including 3-2 in Fresno.
Saturday will mark the first meeting in the series since 2012. The two teams did not play in 2013 or 2014 because the Mountain West split into two divisions.
As WAC foes in the 1990s, CSU was 4-1 against Fresno State, winning four in a row from 1993-97.
The 2001 meeting was CSU's first-ever overtime game. The Rams came up just short of upsetting the No. 8 Bulldogs.
CSU beat Fresno State in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl, capping a 7-6 season under first-year head coach Steve Fairchild. RB Gartrell Johnson rushed for 285 yards and two touchdowns and totaled 375 combined rushing and receiving yards, the most ever by any player in a bowl game at the time. CSU scored 20 fourth-quarter points to come from behind and earn the victory.
CSU and Fresno State have met just once since becoming Mountain West partners. The Rams lost to Derek Carr and the Bulldogs, 28-7, in 2012 in Fort Collins.
Ten current Rams played in the 2012 contest against Fresno State. Kivon Cartwright, DeAndre Elliott, Cory James and Trent Matthews earned starts, while Kevin Davis, Nu'uvali Fa'apito, Joe Hansley, Nick Januska, Joe Kawulok and Jasen Oden, Jr. also saw time on the field.
Playing defense, Jasen Oden, Jr. had three tackles (one for loss), but his biggest play was a forced fumble at the Rams' 25-yard line. He also returned one punt for 11 yards.
Kevin Davis was CSU's fourth-leading tackler, totaling eight stops, in addition to a pass breakup.
Trent Matthews had five tackles, two pass breakups and one tackle for loss.
WR Joe Hansley rushed two times for nine yards.

GOING BOWLING
By winning three consecutive games, CSU earned its elusive sixth victory to become bowl eligible for the third year in a row. It marks the first time the program has qualified in three consecutive seasons since doing it five years in a row from 1999-2003. All-time, CSU has played in 14 bowl games - 13 since 1990, plus the 1949 Raisin Bowl.

Like this season, CSU has made late-season pushes toward the postseason several other times. In 2013, CSU needed to win three of its final four games to become bowl eligible, doing exactly that and qualifying for the New Mexico Bowl. In 2008, CSU won its final two games after a 4-6 start to the season; in 2005, the Rams qualified for the Poinsettia Bowl by winning their final game; and in both 2001 and 2003, CSU needed to win its final two regular-season contests to go bowling.

STREAKING
CSU has put together a three-game winning streak during the month of November to improve its season mark to 6-5. In 2014, the Rams won a school-record nine consecutive games. The last time CSU has put together winning streaks of at least three games in back-to-back seasons was 2008 and 2009, closing 2008 with three straight wins before winning its first three contests of the 2009 season.

ROAD WARRIORS
CSU is 3-1 this season on the road, and since the 2013 season has won nine of its past 13 true road contests. It marks the Rams' best stretch since winning nine of 13 from 2001-03. Prior to the Rams' current run, they had lost 10 true road games in a row and 21 of 22.

WATCHING THE RAMS ON THE ROAD
The Boot Grill in Fort Collins is the official watch-party location for CSU fans. Those living in the Denver area are encouraged to attend C.B. & Potts in Westminster or the Tech Center. Additionally, several watch parties take place each week nationwide. Visit www.alumni.colostate.edu for a complete list.

NOTES IN 140

The #CSURams are bowl eligible for the 3rd consecutive season. The Rams have played in 14 bowls, including 5 in a row from 1999-2003.
The #CSURams are 3-1 on the road this season, and have won 9 of 13 since 2013, their best stretch since 2001-03.
.@CoachBobo_CSU is the 2nd #CSURams coach to lead his team to bowl eligibility in his first season (Steve Fairchild, 2008).
CSU holds a 7-5 advantage in the series against Fresno State, including 3-2 in Fresno. Saturday is the first meeting since 2012.
.@RayGuyAward finalist Hayden Hunt ranks 5th in NCAA with 46.3 yards per punt, and 2nd for team net punting average (43.4).
Among @RayGuyAward semifinalists, Hayden Hunt ranks 1st for punts inside the 20, 2nd for net punting and punts inside the 20 and 4th for gross average.
HollywoodHiggins passed David Anderson for most career receptions and needs 139 rec. yards to set another CSURams record.
#HollywoodHiggins leads the @MountainWest with 8 rec. TDs this season. He has 31 career TDs, a #CSURams record.
Nick Stevens set a #CSURams record for most passing yards by a sophomore QB. He has 2,284, passing Kelly Stouffer (1984).
QB Nick Stevens leads the @MountainWest with 20 passing TDs, T-5th in #CSURams history and on pace for 2nd.
The #CSURams did not turn the ball over at New Mexico. On the season, CSU is 5-0 when winning the turnover battle.
The #CSURams are 5-0 this season when scoring on their first possession, which they've done each of the past three weeks.
Over the past 3 games, RB Dalyn Dawkins is averaging 128.3 rushing yards per game, including a career-most 151 vs. UNLV.
Freshman RB set a career high with 89 rushing yards at New Mexico, including the game-winning touchdown.
RBs Dalyn Dawkins (744) and Jasen Oden, Jr. (656) are the first set of #CSURams teammates to rush for 600 yards in a season since 2009.
The #CSURams have out-scored opponents 123-61 during the first quarter, and overall have held leads in 10 of 11 games.
CSU has scored in 36 of 44 quarters this season, including the last 8.
Through 8 games, the #CSURams ran the ball on 52% of plays. Over the past 3 games (all wins) they've ran on 72%.
S Trent Matthews intercepted his 10th career pass at New Mexico, moving him into 10th place in #CSURams history. He has 4 takeaways in 2015.
LB Kevin Davis has a team-most 83 tackles and 11.5 for loss, also adding his first career interception in CSU's win at New Mexico.
LB Deonte Clyburn had a career-most 12 tackles vs. UNLV. Over the past 5 games he has averaged 9.8 per game (2.9 previously).
CSU has blocked three field-goal attempts this season (Elliott, Hodges, Kawulok), which ranks 15th nationally.
K Wyatt Bryan has made 9 of past 10 field-goal attemps, including 2 at New Mexico. He has at least 1 make in all 10 games he has played in.
CSU's defense is averaging 7.2 tackles for loss per game (28th in NCAA FBS), while the offensive line is allowing just 4.6 (16th).
CSU converted 9 of 14 3rd-down chances at New Mexico, improving their season average to 47.2% (15th in NCAA FBS, 2nd in school history).
Led by 2 Deionte Gaines returns of 50 yards, CSU ranks 22nd in the NCAA FBS with 24.2 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.
Despite trailing the turnover battle 25-15 this season, CSU's opponents have scored just 46 points off of turnovers (44 for CSU).
CSU has pass catchers who have accounted for 661 career receptions for 8,901 yards (1st in NCAA FBS) and 73 touchdowns (2nd).
#HollywoodHiggins has at least one catch in all 36 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.

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