Colorado State University Athletics
Friday, October 11
Albuquerque, N.M.
6 PM MT
Colorado State
2-5 , 1-2
35
at
21
New Mexico
2-4 , 0-2
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
Colorado State
7
14
7
7
35
New Mexico
6
8
0
7
21
Rams End Skid With Win Over New Mexico
10/11/2019 10:39:00 PM | Football
O'Brien throws for 420; Jackson has 214 receiving yards in his return
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The evening was starting to look like most of those in the recent past.
Colorado State would move the ball, get a lead and then start turning it over. Mix in a big play or two by the opponents and the Rams are trailing in a football game.
Entering Friday night at Dreamstyle Stadium to face New Mexico, Colorado State had hit a point where it had to try everything it could to overcome those moments when the Rams just can't seem to get out of their own way.
So you throw deep, and Warren Jackson outleaps a defender, then races 87 yards for a touchdown. A tie game, just a few scant seconds on the clock in the first half and facing fourth down on the Lobos 1, you roll the dice and run the ball – just six days after the same situation blew up in their face at home in a loss to San Diego State.
Not this time, and to up the risk factor, the 1-yard touchdown plunge was completed by Marvin Kinsey Jr., who had fumbled inside the 5 yard line earlier in the game, his seventh lost fumble of the season.
Roll the dice.
"Most definitely," safety Logan Stewart said. "Our coaches had a good game plan going in, and going in, we just wanted to play fast this whole game, and that's what we did. I think everybody was pretty level headed, and everyday we're coming to work to get better. We try not to get too high, get too low."
What did look familiar was the final result, a 35-21 victory over the Lobos, the 10th in a row in the series for the Rams, now 2-5 on the year, 1-2 in Mountain West play. It snapped a 10-game losing streak to FBS competition, with the Lobos playing the role of victim then, too.
Colorado State needed the win, no matter what it looked like, no regard for who it came against. It wasn't flawless, not with 10 penalties for 117 yards.
"I'm just really, really proud of the football team. We've been through a lot, and to find a way to get a victory tonight I thought was awesome," head coach Mike Bobo said. "I thought we played complimentary football. It wasn't easy. That's not what we do. They say all year we've shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times, but we didn't fold. We kept fighting. I thought the guys went out there and had fun. Just an excellent game all the way around."
New Mexico running back Bryson Carroll rushed for 196 yards in the game, as the Lobos picked up 256 yards, scoring all of their touchdowns on the ground.
The Rams countered through the air, with quarterback Patrick O'Brien throwing for 420 yards with touchdowns to Jackson and Trey McBride, his opening the scoring on a 42-yard play.
They hit big plays downfield, and he gave Jackson a chance to make them, just a week back from injury. Because, as Bobo said, he's a special player, a special person with the right attitude.
"I just have great trust with him, and we just have to keep building," O'Brien said of Jackson. "That long one, it was a check play and we probably should have killed it, but we went with it anyway and gave the guy a chance. He made a good play and ended up scoring a touchdown.
"It's big time. It looks good on my stats, as well. I'm very appreciative of him."
By the end of the evening, the numbers he and Jackson ballooned like the festival the town is hosting. The junior quarterback hit a career best in yardage and touchdowns with three. Jackson was his main target, catching nine passes for a career best 214 yards, the first Rams to have 200 yards receiving in a game since Preston Williams did a year ago (248) the final week against Air Force.
A rather nice return from injury, and he was determined during the week to make a difference.
"It was tough for me this week," Jackson said. "Actually, practicing, regaining that timing and getting my legs back to run routes and plant the way I want. As the week got on, I felt like I got better at it. I stayed after practice to work a little bit. This week of practice was something that we've probably never done before after a tough three, four losses. We just came out and worked and worked and worked. We were relentless, and I think that showed tonight."
Dante Wright had a big play in the run game (64 yards) as the offense gained 551 yards of total offense after two weeks of not moving past 300.
In the second half, the defense gained back three turnovers as Dequan Jackson recovered two fumbles (the second caused by a Livingston Paogofie strip sack) and an interception by Andre Neal.
"We gave up a few things, it was stuff that we did," Dequan said. "It was early in the game, and I think just doing our assignments and recovering from it worked, and we were flying around in the fourth quarter. We recovered a couple turnovers, and that helped us out.
"We definitely needed it. The fourth quarter, it's a big time to get turnovers. It hard to come back from it in the fourth, and we've seen that on our own. That was a big thing for us. It was good to be able to get a couple."
It may not have been picture perfect, but it was a win, which is exactly what the Rams needed.
Colorado State would move the ball, get a lead and then start turning it over. Mix in a big play or two by the opponents and the Rams are trailing in a football game.
Entering Friday night at Dreamstyle Stadium to face New Mexico, Colorado State had hit a point where it had to try everything it could to overcome those moments when the Rams just can't seem to get out of their own way.
So you throw deep, and Warren Jackson outleaps a defender, then races 87 yards for a touchdown. A tie game, just a few scant seconds on the clock in the first half and facing fourth down on the Lobos 1, you roll the dice and run the ball – just six days after the same situation blew up in their face at home in a loss to San Diego State.
Not this time, and to up the risk factor, the 1-yard touchdown plunge was completed by Marvin Kinsey Jr., who had fumbled inside the 5 yard line earlier in the game, his seventh lost fumble of the season.
Roll the dice.
"Most definitely," safety Logan Stewart said. "Our coaches had a good game plan going in, and going in, we just wanted to play fast this whole game, and that's what we did. I think everybody was pretty level headed, and everyday we're coming to work to get better. We try not to get too high, get too low."
What did look familiar was the final result, a 35-21 victory over the Lobos, the 10th in a row in the series for the Rams, now 2-5 on the year, 1-2 in Mountain West play. It snapped a 10-game losing streak to FBS competition, with the Lobos playing the role of victim then, too.
Colorado State needed the win, no matter what it looked like, no regard for who it came against. It wasn't flawless, not with 10 penalties for 117 yards.
"I'm just really, really proud of the football team. We've been through a lot, and to find a way to get a victory tonight I thought was awesome," head coach Mike Bobo said. "I thought we played complimentary football. It wasn't easy. That's not what we do. They say all year we've shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times, but we didn't fold. We kept fighting. I thought the guys went out there and had fun. Just an excellent game all the way around."
New Mexico running back Bryson Carroll rushed for 196 yards in the game, as the Lobos picked up 256 yards, scoring all of their touchdowns on the ground.
The Rams countered through the air, with quarterback Patrick O'Brien throwing for 420 yards with touchdowns to Jackson and Trey McBride, his opening the scoring on a 42-yard play.
They hit big plays downfield, and he gave Jackson a chance to make them, just a week back from injury. Because, as Bobo said, he's a special player, a special person with the right attitude.
"I just have great trust with him, and we just have to keep building," O'Brien said of Jackson. "That long one, it was a check play and we probably should have killed it, but we went with it anyway and gave the guy a chance. He made a good play and ended up scoring a touchdown.
"It's big time. It looks good on my stats, as well. I'm very appreciative of him."
By the end of the evening, the numbers he and Jackson ballooned like the festival the town is hosting. The junior quarterback hit a career best in yardage and touchdowns with three. Jackson was his main target, catching nine passes for a career best 214 yards, the first Rams to have 200 yards receiving in a game since Preston Williams did a year ago (248) the final week against Air Force.
A rather nice return from injury, and he was determined during the week to make a difference.
"It was tough for me this week," Jackson said. "Actually, practicing, regaining that timing and getting my legs back to run routes and plant the way I want. As the week got on, I felt like I got better at it. I stayed after practice to work a little bit. This week of practice was something that we've probably never done before after a tough three, four losses. We just came out and worked and worked and worked. We were relentless, and I think that showed tonight."
Dante Wright had a big play in the run game (64 yards) as the offense gained 551 yards of total offense after two weeks of not moving past 300.
In the second half, the defense gained back three turnovers as Dequan Jackson recovered two fumbles (the second caused by a Livingston Paogofie strip sack) and an interception by Andre Neal.
"We gave up a few things, it was stuff that we did," Dequan said. "It was early in the game, and I think just doing our assignments and recovering from it worked, and we were flying around in the fourth quarter. We recovered a couple turnovers, and that helped us out.
"We definitely needed it. The fourth quarter, it's a big time to get turnovers. It hard to come back from it in the fourth, and we've seen that on our own. That was a big thing for us. It was good to be able to get a couple."
It may not have been picture perfect, but it was a win, which is exactly what the Rams needed.
Team Stats
CSU
NM
Total Yards
551
345
Pass Yards
420
89
Rushing Yards
131
256
Penalty Yards
117
102
1st Downs
23
22
3rd Downs
8
3
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
31:44
28:16
1st Quarter
CSU 7, NM 0
CSU - McBRIDE, Tr. 42 yd pass from O'BRIEN, P. (CAMPER, C. kick) 7 plays, 84 yards, TOP 2:36
CSU 7, NM 6
NM - MORAN, Kentrail 1 yd run (SHELLEY, Andrew kickfailed), 2 plays, 57 yards, TOP 0:17
2nd Quarter
CSU 7, NM 14
NM - MORAN, Kentrail 4 yd run (WILLIAMS, Marcu pass), 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:15
CSU 14, NM 14
CSU - JACKSON, W. 87 yd pass from O'BRIEN, P. (CAMPER, C. kick) 1 plays, 87 yards, TOP 0:13
CSU 21, NM 14
CSU - KINSEY JR., M. 1 yd run (CAMPER, C. kick), 11 plays, 85 yards, TOP 1:56
3rd Quarter
CSU 28, NM 14
CSU - KINSEY JR., M. 3 yd run (CAMPER, C. kick), 5 plays, 85 yards, TOP 2:33
4th Quarter
CSU 28, NM 21
NM - CARROLL, Bryson 4 yd run (SHELLEY, Andrew kick), 12 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:50
CSU 35, NM 21
CSU - JACKSON, W. 26 yd pass from O'BRIEN, P. (CAMPER, C. kick) 3 plays, 27 yards, TOP 1:57
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
CB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
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