Postgame Notes

Sept. 12, 2015

Postgame Notes
CSU football vs. Minnesota

Saturday marked the first time since 2007 that a school from a Power-5 conference has played at Hughes Stadium.
The sellout crowd (32,500) is CSU’s third in its past six home games. Prior to last season, the program’s most-recent sellout was in 2004.
Saturday marked CSU’s fourth-ever overtime game, and first since a double-overtime win at Utah State (Sept. 24, 2011).
Despite the loss, CSU led for 40:40, taking its first lead 4:06 into the game and holding the advantage for the majority of the contest.
Redshirt freshman QB Coleman Key took over the offense with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter, scoring 10 points during a span of 5:12. He finished 8-for-13 for 91 yards and one touchdown.
Key hit senior WR Joe Hansley for a 49-yard touchdown two plays into the fourth quarter, giving the Rams a 17-13 lead. Hansley now has a touchdown reception in both games this season, and has eclipsed 50 yards receiving in both contests (59).
CSU’s first scoring drive went for 64 yards, all on the ground. QB Nick Stevens gained 10 yards on a third-and-long scramble, while RB Dalyn Dawkins rushed six times for 54 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown (first of his career).
Dawkins rushed for 31 yards into Gopher territory on his first carry of the game, a career long. Dawkins’ previous high was 17 yards while playing for Purdue in 2013. That year he had 32 carries for 123 yards.
Senior Hayden Hunt’s first punt came 69:42 into the season. It was initially returned 69 yards for a touchdown, but Minnesota’s Craig James called for a fair catch, resulting in a 5-yard delay-of-game penalty. Hunt was credited with a 55-yard punt. On the day, he averaged 49.6 yards over nine punts.
Hunt’s third punt of the game rolled to the two-yard line, totaling 73 yards. The punt was the eighth-longest in school history, and the longest since Pete Kontodiakos on Sept. 29, 2012.
Redshirt freshman K Wyatt Bryan hit a career-most two field goals, going 2-for-2 (26, 37).
Junior LB Kevin Davis led the Rams’ defense with 11 tackles, including 1.5 for loss (previous high: 8 vs. Fresno State, Oct. 6, 2012). He has 3.0 TFL this season.
Also with career highs: Redshirt freshman DL Colton Foster, 2 tackles (tie); senior DL Martavius Foster, 3 tackles (tie); sophomore DB Kevin Nutt, Jr. (1 tackle); sophomore LB Kiel Robinson, 8 tackles; junior DB Tyree Simmons, 7 tackles, 4 pass breakups.
Senior DE Joe Kawulok had a sack for the second consecutive game. He also added four tackles and a pass breakup.
Sophomore DL Josh Lovingood’s third-quarter fumble recovery was the second of his career (at San Jose State, Nov. 1, 2014). Junior LB Deonte Clyburn forced his first career fumble, while senior DB Nick Januska recovered his first.
Sophomore WR Sammie Long caught his first career pass, a 19-yard reception in the third quarter.
CSU was 3-for-3 in red-zone chances, and on the year is 10-for-11.
CSU had two more scoring drives go 1:00 or less. On the season, the Rams have scored in a minute or less on eight of 14 scoring drives.
This season, CSU has held opponents to 18 total yards of offense and one first down through the first quarter. Minnesota had 19 yards and zero first downs in the first quarter.
Minnesota’s first six drives consisted of five punts and a fourth-down fumble (28 total yards and zero first downs).
Minnesota had two first-quarter, special-teams touchdowns negated. One was on a Gophers punt, the other was on one by the Rams.
CSU’s top three running backs played on the first three drives of the game. Dawkins started the game, Jasen Oden, Jr. played the second (8 carries, 30 yards) and Treyous Jarrells made his season debut late in the first quarter (7 carries, 28 yards).
After a Dawkins fumble at the Rams’ 27 two plays into the second quarter, CSU’s defense kept Minnesota off the board, forcing a fumble on 4th-and-1 at the 18-yard line.
CSU limited Minnesota to 22 yards on 10 plays (zero first downs) in three drives following the Rams’ first three turnovers. The Gophers didn’t score off of a turnover until overtime (six plays, 24 yards).
Following CSU’s touchdown drive, the Rams punted six times and fumbled twice over their next eight complete drives, before scoring on three of their final six of regulation.
After giving up a third-and-long completion late in the third quarter, CSU forced a fumble three plays later, taking over at the Minnesota 13. The turnover resulted in a field goal, and extended into a 10-point swing for CSU.
The Rams were one stop away from likely securing the victory. Late in the game, CSU stopped Minnesota on back-to-back passes before Minnesota converted on 4th-and-7. Six players later, the Gophers scored their second touchdown of the game to take a 20-17 lead with 55 seconds remaining.
Down by 3 with 55 seconds on the clock, Key led CSU on a seven-play, 55-yard drive to score a game-tying field goal as regulation expired. The drive included a 4th-and-8 conversion to WR Joe Hansley and a 23-yard pass to TE Steven Walker.
Saturday’s captains were Sam Carlson, Martavius Foster, Joe Kawulok and Jake Schlager.

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Postgame Notes

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