Colorado State University Athletics
Pick Six: Six takeaways from CSU's 27-14 win at Utah State
10/8/2017 3:22:00 PM | Football
Rams defense shines as team moves to 2-0
The Colorado State Rams beat the Utah State Aggies 27-14 on Saturday in Logan, Utah. CSU is 2-0 in Mountain West play for the first time since 2005, and won its first two road conference games for the first time since 2002.
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CSU is alone atop the Mountain Division standings in the MW, and is one of three schools that sit 2-0 in the conference as a whole (West Division teams Fresno State and San Diego State are also 2-0).
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The Rams built an early 24-0 lead with strong play on all sides of the ball and held on to win by two touchdowns in an efficient victory.
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DEFENSE DOMINATES
CSU's defense was stalwart on Saturday, allowing a season-low 212 yards of total offense. The yardage total was the lowest by a CSU opponent since the Rams held Savannah State to 183 yards on Sept. 5, 2015.
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The Rams defense spent a significant amount of time in the Aggies backfield. CSU totaled seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss – both season highs.
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The sack total was the highest by a CSU defense since the Rams registered nine at New Mexico on Sept. 3, 2011. Six Rams were in on at least one sack, with freshman linebacker Emmanuel Jones and sophomore defensive end Arjay Jean each posting 2.0 sacks.
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OFFENSIVE LINE LEADS THE CHARGE
The CSU offensive line has been a strength all season. For the fifth time this season, the Rams did not allow a single sack of quarterback Nick Stevens. The Rams now rank fourth in the NCAA in fewest sacks allowed.
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The o-line paved the way for the CSU offense to post 509 total yards, marking the second consecutive game that the Rams have eclipsed the 500-yard plateau (and the fourth time in six games this season). CSU had 293 yards passing and 216 yards on the ground – the third time the team has gone over 200 yards rushing this year.
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Senior center Jake Bennett, who is on the Rimington Trophy watch list, also showed off his sense of humor after the game.
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RAMS 2-0 IN MW FOLLOWING TWO POWERFUL ROAD PERFORMANCES
CSU is 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2005. The 2-0 start in 2005 came after home wins against Air Force and Utah.
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The last time the Rams won their first two MW road games was 2002, and the last time the Rams began MW play with their first two games on the road and won both was 1994. In 2002, the Rams went 10-4 (6-1 MW) on their way to a conference championship. The 1994 squad was the WAC champion following a 10-2 season and a peak national ranking of No. 10.
ARJAY JEAN TAKES OVER
Sophomore defensive end Arjay Jean made his first start of 2017 (and the second of his career), and he took full advantage of the opportunity.
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Jean had a 2.0 sacks on the day (one full sack and two half sacks), and led the team with 3.5 tackles for loss. His six total tackles tied for the team lead. All of those statistics were season highs, and the sacks and TFLs were career highs.
DALYN DAWKINS RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE MW
Senior running back Dalyn Dawkins had 21 carries for 121 yards on Saturday, giving him 100-plus rushing days in both MW games this season. He currently ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards, and third in rushing yards in league games.
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Dawkins now has 11 100-yard games in his career, which is tied for fifth all-time at CSU (Gartrell Johnson).
RAMS OFF TO FAST STARTS AGAINST MW FOES
CSU jumped out to a 17-0 lead through one quarter at Utah State. The Rams are outscoring their MW foes 31-0 in the first quarter through two league games.
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Even more staggering is the yardage disparity between CSU and its opponents. The Rams outgained Hawai'i and Utah State by a combined 365-31 margin in the first quarter.
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Dating back to last season, the Rams have led at the end of the first quarter in each of their last eight MW games.
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CSU is alone atop the Mountain Division standings in the MW, and is one of three schools that sit 2-0 in the conference as a whole (West Division teams Fresno State and San Diego State are also 2-0).
Â
The Rams built an early 24-0 lead with strong play on all sides of the ball and held on to win by two touchdowns in an efficient victory.
Â
DEFENSE DOMINATES
CSU's defense was stalwart on Saturday, allowing a season-low 212 yards of total offense. The yardage total was the lowest by a CSU opponent since the Rams held Savannah State to 183 yards on Sept. 5, 2015.
Â
The Rams defense spent a significant amount of time in the Aggies backfield. CSU totaled seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss – both season highs.
Â
The sack total was the highest by a CSU defense since the Rams registered nine at New Mexico on Sept. 3, 2011. Six Rams were in on at least one sack, with freshman linebacker Emmanuel Jones and sophomore defensive end Arjay Jean each posting 2.0 sacks.
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OFFENSIVE LINE LEADS THE CHARGE
The CSU offensive line has been a strength all season. For the fifth time this season, the Rams did not allow a single sack of quarterback Nick Stevens. The Rams now rank fourth in the NCAA in fewest sacks allowed.
Â
The o-line paved the way for the CSU offense to post 509 total yards, marking the second consecutive game that the Rams have eclipsed the 500-yard plateau (and the fourth time in six games this season). CSU had 293 yards passing and 216 yards on the ground – the third time the team has gone over 200 yards rushing this year.
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Senior center Jake Bennett, who is on the Rimington Trophy watch list, also showed off his sense of humor after the game.
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Fantastic photobombs by @CSUFootball player @JDBennett78 on @stevens7nick count them up! pic.twitter.com/vGvZPT4h2X
— Jeff Howe (@sportsdenver) October 8, 2017
RAMS 2-0 IN MW FOLLOWING TWO POWERFUL ROAD PERFORMANCES
CSU is 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2005. The 2-0 start in 2005 came after home wins against Air Force and Utah.
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The last time the Rams won their first two MW road games was 2002, and the last time the Rams began MW play with their first two games on the road and won both was 1994. In 2002, the Rams went 10-4 (6-1 MW) on their way to a conference championship. The 1994 squad was the WAC champion following a 10-2 season and a peak national ranking of No. 10.
ARJAY JEAN TAKES OVER
Sophomore defensive end Arjay Jean made his first start of 2017 (and the second of his career), and he took full advantage of the opportunity.
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Jean had a 2.0 sacks on the day (one full sack and two half sacks), and led the team with 3.5 tackles for loss. His six total tackles tied for the team lead. All of those statistics were season highs, and the sacks and TFLs were career highs.
DALYN DAWKINS RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE MW
Senior running back Dalyn Dawkins had 21 carries for 121 yards on Saturday, giving him 100-plus rushing days in both MW games this season. He currently ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards, and third in rushing yards in league games.
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Dawkins now has 11 100-yard games in his career, which is tied for fifth all-time at CSU (Gartrell Johnson).
RAMS OFF TO FAST STARTS AGAINST MW FOES
CSU jumped out to a 17-0 lead through one quarter at Utah State. The Rams are outscoring their MW foes 31-0 in the first quarter through two league games.
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Even more staggering is the yardage disparity between CSU and its opponents. The Rams outgained Hawai'i and Utah State by a combined 365-31 margin in the first quarter.
Â
Dating back to last season, the Rams have led at the end of the first quarter in each of their last eight MW games.
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