Colorado State University Athletics
What We Saw: New Mexico
10/13/2019 12:00:00 PM | Football
Warren Jackson makes an impact on offense
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Offensively, it was the latest of the big blows.
First it was the loss of quarterback Collin Hill, then a game later, receiver Warren Jackson went down with an injury. In his return Friday night – a scant two weeks after a nasty shoulder separation – the Rams saw exactly what they've been missing.
Nine catches. Good for 214 yards. Another two-touchdown performance, both big plays in a 35-21 victory over New Mexico.
"Warren Jackson obviously made a big difference. He's a special player, he's a special person," CSU head coach Mike Bobo said. "He's got the right attitude, he's a team player and it was good to get a team victory tonight."
Before the game started, he was already a big part of the game plan as the Rams trotted out their ideal starting receiving trio of him, Nate Craig-Myers and Dante Wright. Early in the game, Craig-Myers went down injured, throwing a major wrench into the cog.
No matter, Jackson had five catches for 141 yards and he was just getting started.
"He was just being Warren," Bobo said. "He ramped it up tonight, especially with Nate going down early. It kind of screwed us up with our game plan, because we had some different personnel groups with Warren playing three different positions. We had to make some adjustments. We kinda got stalled out there a little bit when Nate went down, but I thought we made good adjustments at halftime, getting the right people in there. He just makes a difference."
Jackson's first touchdown was the classic example of what a player of his abilities brings to an offense. His route put him deep in the middle third, but it wasn't as if he was alone. Still, in that situation, quarterback Patrick O'Brien knows it's never a bad option to give the 6-foot-5 target a chance.
Jackson rose to the ball in front of the unfortunately named Letayveon Beaton, because at that point, he was. So was the rest of the Lobo defense, as Jackson evaded him, then outsprinted the field for a game-tying score.
He then put a capper on the scoreboard by snatching a ball down the sideline for a 26-yard play.
His 214 yards in the game made him the ninth receiver nationally to surpass 200 yards in a game this season, the second in the Mountain West (Hawaii's Cedric Byrd had 224 vs. Arizona).
Bobo figured it could have been more in the game, and with a bit of a reminder, the rest of the season. There were times, the coach said, where Jackson had single coverage, and in those moments, Jackson should be the lone thought.
"Me and Patrick, it's something we always talk about all the time," Jackson said. "He trusts me, and I trust him as well. Me and him, our chemistry is really starting to come together."
Jackson's performance was the 11th time a CSU receiver history to have 200-plus yards in a game, his total ranking eighth. Nine different Rams have hit the number, with Michael Gallup the only one to do it multiple times, three overall.
The top 10 all-time are:
265 Olabisi Johnson 12/22/16
263 Michael Gallup 10/14/17
256 Greg Primus 9/28/91
248 Preston Williams 11/22/18
233 David Anderson 10/2/04
230 Willie Miller 11/23/74
219 Jeff Champine 11/5/83
214 Warren Jackson 10/11/19
213 Michael Gallup 11/12/16
212 Michael Gallup 9/30/17
Hello, Good Bye
The Rams opened the season with seven consecutive games coming of four weeks of fall-camp preparation. A week off was almost as welcomed as the victory.
"We need this a lot," Jackson said. "It's good for us, for guys. We can catch back up on school work, get healthy, get our minds ready to go win these next few games."
Jackson returned from being sidelined, and the week off may allow Craig-Myers a chance to get healthy, as well as defensive end Manny Jones, who missed his first game of the season, as well as defensive tackle Toby McBride, who has been out more than a month.
Even guys who are still playing are feeling the effects of it, a tender ankle here, bumps and bruises there, there and there.
"I'm looking forward to next week being off. We've got to get healthy, then we've got a two-game stretch and then another off week, so it's a good chance to build some moment and get healthy," Bobo said. "We've got to do the right things off the field to get our bodies back and be ready play the remaining five games."
Better Resolve
The Rams enjoyed the moment, as they should have after snapping a four-game losing streak. In the locker room, they weren't thinking about the two fumbles, nor the 11 penalties for 117 yards.
But they will.
"We can't linger on the stuff, but we have to go over it and get things fixed and look at our next opponent," linebacker Dequan Jackson said.
A roughing the punter flag extended New Mexico's second touchdown drive of the night, there were three pass interference flags (another was declined) and a roughing the passer.
But instead of having those mistakes lead to a collapse, the Rams regrouped. The offense didn't turn the ball over and the defense collected three in the second half, two in the fourth quarter.
"We're a resilient team, and I think that showed in the second half with those three turnovers," safety Logan Stewart said. "Everybody was stepping up on defense after we gave up those big plays."
After losing control of tight games earlier in the season, with CSU allowing three fourth-quarter defensive touchdowns earlier in the campaign, they stiffened up and made plays.
When the Lobos made it a one score game, the Rams responded with two scoring chances. Kicker Cayden Camper missed a 46-yarder wide left on the first, but the defense gave the offense a reprieve when Dequan Jackson recovered his second fumble, this one in New Mexico territory. Three plays later, Warren Jackson was celebrating in the end zone.
In the locker room, mistakes were mentioned, but the resolve was celebrated. And rightly so.
"Morale is definitely up. We're going into a bye week now, too," O'Brien said. "We're going to be ready to play, we're going to get guys back healthy, and we're going to come ready to play. Fresno State is next. We're going to take the win, build off it, keep our confidence up and keep playing. We're a good team; we've got to keep rolling."
First it was the loss of quarterback Collin Hill, then a game later, receiver Warren Jackson went down with an injury. In his return Friday night – a scant two weeks after a nasty shoulder separation – the Rams saw exactly what they've been missing.
Nine catches. Good for 214 yards. Another two-touchdown performance, both big plays in a 35-21 victory over New Mexico.
"Warren Jackson obviously made a big difference. He's a special player, he's a special person," CSU head coach Mike Bobo said. "He's got the right attitude, he's a team player and it was good to get a team victory tonight."
Before the game started, he was already a big part of the game plan as the Rams trotted out their ideal starting receiving trio of him, Nate Craig-Myers and Dante Wright. Early in the game, Craig-Myers went down injured, throwing a major wrench into the cog.
No matter, Jackson had five catches for 141 yards and he was just getting started.
"He was just being Warren," Bobo said. "He ramped it up tonight, especially with Nate going down early. It kind of screwed us up with our game plan, because we had some different personnel groups with Warren playing three different positions. We had to make some adjustments. We kinda got stalled out there a little bit when Nate went down, but I thought we made good adjustments at halftime, getting the right people in there. He just makes a difference."
Jackson's first touchdown was the classic example of what a player of his abilities brings to an offense. His route put him deep in the middle third, but it wasn't as if he was alone. Still, in that situation, quarterback Patrick O'Brien knows it's never a bad option to give the 6-foot-5 target a chance.
Jackson rose to the ball in front of the unfortunately named Letayveon Beaton, because at that point, he was. So was the rest of the Lobo defense, as Jackson evaded him, then outsprinted the field for a game-tying score.
He then put a capper on the scoreboard by snatching a ball down the sideline for a 26-yard play.
His 214 yards in the game made him the ninth receiver nationally to surpass 200 yards in a game this season, the second in the Mountain West (Hawaii's Cedric Byrd had 224 vs. Arizona).
Bobo figured it could have been more in the game, and with a bit of a reminder, the rest of the season. There were times, the coach said, where Jackson had single coverage, and in those moments, Jackson should be the lone thought.
"Me and Patrick, it's something we always talk about all the time," Jackson said. "He trusts me, and I trust him as well. Me and him, our chemistry is really starting to come together."
Jackson's performance was the 11th time a CSU receiver history to have 200-plus yards in a game, his total ranking eighth. Nine different Rams have hit the number, with Michael Gallup the only one to do it multiple times, three overall.
The top 10 all-time are:
265 Olabisi Johnson 12/22/16
263 Michael Gallup 10/14/17
256 Greg Primus 9/28/91
248 Preston Williams 11/22/18
233 David Anderson 10/2/04
230 Willie Miller 11/23/74
219 Jeff Champine 11/5/83
214 Warren Jackson 10/11/19
213 Michael Gallup 11/12/16
212 Michael Gallup 9/30/17
Hello, Good Bye
The Rams opened the season with seven consecutive games coming of four weeks of fall-camp preparation. A week off was almost as welcomed as the victory.
"We need this a lot," Jackson said. "It's good for us, for guys. We can catch back up on school work, get healthy, get our minds ready to go win these next few games."
Jackson returned from being sidelined, and the week off may allow Craig-Myers a chance to get healthy, as well as defensive end Manny Jones, who missed his first game of the season, as well as defensive tackle Toby McBride, who has been out more than a month.
Even guys who are still playing are feeling the effects of it, a tender ankle here, bumps and bruises there, there and there.
"I'm looking forward to next week being off. We've got to get healthy, then we've got a two-game stretch and then another off week, so it's a good chance to build some moment and get healthy," Bobo said. "We've got to do the right things off the field to get our bodies back and be ready play the remaining five games."
Better Resolve
The Rams enjoyed the moment, as they should have after snapping a four-game losing streak. In the locker room, they weren't thinking about the two fumbles, nor the 11 penalties for 117 yards.
But they will.
"We can't linger on the stuff, but we have to go over it and get things fixed and look at our next opponent," linebacker Dequan Jackson said.
A roughing the punter flag extended New Mexico's second touchdown drive of the night, there were three pass interference flags (another was declined) and a roughing the passer.
But instead of having those mistakes lead to a collapse, the Rams regrouped. The offense didn't turn the ball over and the defense collected three in the second half, two in the fourth quarter.
"We're a resilient team, and I think that showed in the second half with those three turnovers," safety Logan Stewart said. "Everybody was stepping up on defense after we gave up those big plays."
After losing control of tight games earlier in the season, with CSU allowing three fourth-quarter defensive touchdowns earlier in the campaign, they stiffened up and made plays.
When the Lobos made it a one score game, the Rams responded with two scoring chances. Kicker Cayden Camper missed a 46-yarder wide left on the first, but the defense gave the offense a reprieve when Dequan Jackson recovered his second fumble, this one in New Mexico territory. Three plays later, Warren Jackson was celebrating in the end zone.
In the locker room, mistakes were mentioned, but the resolve was celebrated. And rightly so.
"Morale is definitely up. We're going into a bye week now, too," O'Brien said. "We're going to be ready to play, we're going to get guys back healthy, and we're going to come ready to play. Fresno State is next. We're going to take the win, build off it, keep our confidence up and keep playing. We're a good team; we've got to keep rolling."
Players Mentioned
K
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DE
/ Football
DL
/ Football
QB
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ FootballColorado State Football: K'saan Farrar - 2026 Spring Scrimmage #1
Saturday, March 28
Colorado State Football: Oumar Diomande - 2026 Spring Scrimmage #1
Saturday, March 28
Colorado State Football: Jim Mora - 2026 Spring Scrimmage #1
Saturday, March 28
Rams Live Exclusive - Spring Football Preview
Tuesday, February 24