CSU Rams recap: Football drops 2nd consecutive overtime game

Final Stats | Notes | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 | Photo Gallery 2

By Austin Bengford
Athletics Communications

DENVER - For the second week in a row, the Colorado State Rams suffered an overtime heartbreaker, this time falling to in-state rival Colorado, 27-24, Saturday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.

The loss came in front of a crowd of 66,253—the largest for a Rocky Mountain Showdown game in six years—and drops CSU's record to 1-2. After the Rams' defense forced the Buffaloes to a three-and-out on their first drive, CSU's offense capitalized with a 10-play, 52-yard scoring drive which concluded with a 13-yard touchdown scamper from sophomore running back Dalyn Dawkins.

Dawkins finished the game with a career-high 118 yards and one touchdown while tallying another 59 yards receiving. Forcing CU to punt again on its next series, the Rams' offense would take advantage again with a 7-play 72-yard drive which was led by the arm of sophomore quarterback Nick Stevens who would find junior wide-out Rashard Higgins for a 25-yard touchdown pass, pushing the Rams to an early 14-0 lead over the Buffaloes.

After failing to convert on a fourth-and-short deep in CU territory, the Rams found themselves unable to score in the second quarter. This allowed the Buffaloes to make up ground before the break, hitting a 52-yard field goal and connecting on a 65-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Rams' lead to 14-10 heading into halftime.

Colorado started out the second half constructing a 9-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, giving the Buffaloes their first lead of the game at 17-14. Colorado State would bounce back, though, driving down the field 68 yards and connecting on a 24-yard field goal from freshman Wyatt Bryan, tying the game at 17-17 heading into the fourth quarter.

With the Rams' defense forcing Colorado to punt on three consecutive drives, the Colorado State offense constructed a promising drive, moving the ball to the CU 40-yard line with less than 10 minutes to play in the game. The momentum, however, would shift completely after CU linebacker Kenneth Olugbode intercepted Stevens' pass and returned the ball 60 yards for a touchdown, giving CU a 24-17 advantage with 8:50 to play in the game.

The Rams would quickly recover and respond, assembling a 10-play 75-yard drive that would result in a 1-yard power run by senior running back Jasen Oden Jr, tying the game 24-24 with 4:29 to play in regulation.

The two teams exchanged unsuccessful series resulting in punts until the Buffaloes capitalized on the final possession of regulation. Starting on its own 20, CU drove 50 yards in the final minute to set up kicker Diego Gonzalez for a potential 47-yard game-winning field goal. The kick, however, was blocked by Rams junior defensive back Preston Hodges, sending the game into overtime.

As it did last week against Minnesota, Colorado State lost the overtime coin-toss and was forced to start the extra period on offense. Thanks to a roughing-the-passer penalty against CU on the first play of extra time, the Rams moved to the CU 12-yard line but were unsuccessful in finding the end zone, bringing out Bryan to attempt a field goal. Colorado blocked the kick and came through offensively with a 32-yard field goal from Gonzalez to send the Rams home in defeat, 27-24.

Colorado State looks to bounce back next week in its first road game of the season, as they travel to San Antonio, Texas, to take on the Roadrunners of UTSA. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network with kickoff slated for 5 p.m.

IN THEIR WORDS...
"What we've got to do as coaches and players is continue what we're doing. I believe in our football team and I believe in the way they're playing, I think it's a special group. It's an easy thing to do to say we're 1-2 and stop working the way we're working, but that's not how I'm wired and that's not how my team is going to be wired. We're going to get after it and we'll be ready to play Saturday, and they're going to fight their tails off for Colorado State." --head coach Mike Bobo

"It hurts but I tell you what, when the opponent puts on the film they only have a few choices. Either they are going to play hard or quit. I think we are successful, we are going to be successful in the future because we choose to want to be great. Right now it's dark in the tunnel but our defense and our team we see the light right now. I have to continue to be encouraging, we are going to watch film tomorrow, and see what we can correct. It probably is the little things and at the end of the day you win or you lose, and we lost tonight but we have lots of games to play." --senior safety Trent Matthews

STAT OF THE GAME...
The overtime game was CSU's second in a row and fifth in school history. It marked the second time that the Rocky Mountain Showdown has gone into overtime (2007).

NOTES...

Saturday's attendance of 66,253 was the largest in the Showdown since 2008 (69,619). A total of 31,601 tickets were distributed by CSU, 31,796 by CU and 2,856 through the Denver Broncos.
Of the six neutral-site games in the NCAA FBS in 2015 thus far, the Rocky Mountain Showdown's attendance ranks third (Auburn/Louisville in Atlanta, Ga., 73,927; Texas A&M/Arizona State in Houston, Texas, 66,308; Colorado State/Colorado in Denver, Colo., 66,253; Wisconsin/Alabama in Arlington, Texas, 64,279; Tennessee/Bowling Green, Nashville, Tenn., 61,323; South Carolina/North Carolina, Charlotte, N.C., 51,664).
Statistically, CSU's offense put up more yards (500 to 345), first downs (27 to 18), rushing yards (218 to 125) and passing yards (282 to 220).
CSU has now had 170 or more rushing yards in all three games this season. The Rams totaled 218 yards, led by 118 by Dalyn Dawkins (5.9 per carry) and 80 by Jasen Oden, Jr. (3.2).
Dawkins rushed 20 times for a career-most 118 yards and caught six passes for 59 yards, becoming the first CSU player since Raymond Carter on Sept. 25, 2010 to have more than 100 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in the same game.
Junior WR Rashard Higgins led all players with eight catches for 125 yards, including a first-half touchdown catch and a 37-yard reception in the second half.
The Rams limited the Buffs to 3-of-13 on third down. Conversely, CSU converted 8-of-18 third-down attempts.
Junior LB Kevin Davis led CSU with nine tackles, including a career-high-tying 1.5 for loss. Both TFL came on the same drive when CU was deep in CSU territory late in the second quarter.
CSU had the ball on CU's side of the field 11 times, but could only score on four of the drives.
The Rams' opening score marked the first time since 2012 that CSU has scored first in the Rocky Mountain Showdown (22-17 win). CSU has scored first in all three games this season.
The 10-play, 52-yard scoring drive took 5:18 of the clock, CSU's longest scoring drive of the season. Entering the game, the Rams had been using an average of 1:31 over 14 scores.
Higgins' first-quarter touchdown catch was the second in as many games this season. For his career, the junior has 25 touchdowns (school record) in 15 different games.
Dawkins' 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter marked the second consecutive game that he has scored the game's opening points.
Following a Ken Crawley interception, CU started its final drive at the CSU 35. The Rams recorded three tackles for loss on the drive, with it ending with a blocked field-goal attempt (36 yards) by junior Preston Hodges. It was CSU's first blocked field goal since Oct. 25, 2014 vs. Wyoming.
QB Nick Stevens started the game 8-for-9 for 79 yards, including completions to six different receivers. The sophomore finished with 25-of-39 for 282 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

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