Colorado State University Athletics
What We Saw: Offense Misses Chances To Extend Lead
11/17/2019 3:25:00 PM | Football
Defense continues late run
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Given chances to seize control of the game, Colorado State's offense couldn't find the footing it needed to extend an early advantage.
Situational football wasn't a strong suit, converting just four of 16 third-down chances. An interception in the red zone not only took away points from the Rams, but produced them for the Falcons, the net result of a 99-yard scoring interception return in the fourth quarter.
Twice in the middle frames, the Rams were presented with excellent field position inside the Air Force 40 and didn't score.
"Our defense is doing a great job putting us in great field position," CSU quarterback Patrick O'Brien said. "For us not to capitalize on it is heartbreaking."
O'Brien was sacked eight times, with the junior transfer shouldering some of the blame on those losses. The last team to record eight sacks against the Rams was Utah State in 2014.
The Rams offense came to life after falling behind in a game it lead through three quarters, even outgaining Air Force (386-353) in the end. But the pick-six put the game on ice as the offense failed to hit 400 yards of total offense for the third time this year.
Nearly a quarter of the offense came on successive plays – a 58- and a 17-yard connections with Dante Wright leading to a touchdown and a 24-21 deficit with more than six minutes still on the clock.
"It feels like a loss. A tough loss that I thought our guys -- especially defensively --played their tails off," CSU head coach Mike Bobo said. "We played our tails off offensively, too. The wind was a factor in the first half. We were pretty much staying the game plan; controlling the ball, keeping it out of their hands and got it to a fourth-quarter game and punted the wind again in the fourth quarter."
Still Growing
Colorado State's defense played well for a fifth consecutive week, but the unit as whole felt it should have played better, especially in the final quarter.
After limiting the Falcons to less than 200 yards of offense through three quarters, the visitors finished out the game with 21 points offensively in the final stanza. It might have been the Rams' most impressive effort, to date.
"I'm sure it was, and I think we played hard," linebacker Dequan Jackson said after finishing with 11 tackles. "We played physical. We knew it was going to be a tough game, be mano-y-mano. We played well very well early on, and we probably left some things out there at the end of the game. They make you pay for your mistakes. I'm proud of how we kept fighting, and I'm pretty sure we're going to keep fighting."
After giving up more than 400 yards on the ground a year ago – 260 to the fullback – the Rams held the Falcons 96 yards shy of their season-rushing average of better than 320 yards. It was DJ Hammond III's ability to hit big plays in the passing game which hurt most. His 31-yarder to Benjamin Waters in the second made it a 14-7 game, and a simple crossing route turned into a 50-yard gain for the first score in the fourth. A drive later, Waters was left wide open in a busted coverage, giving the Falcons a 10-point edge.
"We've been working on them for two weeks, and we had a good game plan going," linebacker Tron Folsom said. "We missed a couple of plays, but for the majority of the day, we played great defense. They ran some plays we weren't really prepared for, some plays they've never shown on film. That was a great job on their sideline."
The current five game run of the defense allowing 400 yards or less of total offense to an FBS foe matches the longest runs by the program since 2000, done previously in 2000 and 2007. The Rams have never had a six-game stretch in that time.
Final Touch
Added up, the results led to an issue which has haunted the Rams this season, and that's putting away games in the final quarter. Heading into the game, the Rams had been 24-4 when leading at halftime under Bobo.
Colorado, Arkansas and now Air Force have scored fourth-quarter defensive touchdowns to help put games away. The Falcons scored 28 points in the fourth, Arkansas 21 and Colorado 14.
"Every game is a lesson, whether it's a win or a loss," Folsom said. "We're just going to learn from this game. We had a good couple of quarters, we've just got to learn how to finish all the way through."
Situational football wasn't a strong suit, converting just four of 16 third-down chances. An interception in the red zone not only took away points from the Rams, but produced them for the Falcons, the net result of a 99-yard scoring interception return in the fourth quarter.
Twice in the middle frames, the Rams were presented with excellent field position inside the Air Force 40 and didn't score.
"Our defense is doing a great job putting us in great field position," CSU quarterback Patrick O'Brien said. "For us not to capitalize on it is heartbreaking."
O'Brien was sacked eight times, with the junior transfer shouldering some of the blame on those losses. The last team to record eight sacks against the Rams was Utah State in 2014.
The Rams offense came to life after falling behind in a game it lead through three quarters, even outgaining Air Force (386-353) in the end. But the pick-six put the game on ice as the offense failed to hit 400 yards of total offense for the third time this year.
Nearly a quarter of the offense came on successive plays – a 58- and a 17-yard connections with Dante Wright leading to a touchdown and a 24-21 deficit with more than six minutes still on the clock.
"It feels like a loss. A tough loss that I thought our guys -- especially defensively --played their tails off," CSU head coach Mike Bobo said. "We played our tails off offensively, too. The wind was a factor in the first half. We were pretty much staying the game plan; controlling the ball, keeping it out of their hands and got it to a fourth-quarter game and punted the wind again in the fourth quarter."
Still Growing
Colorado State's defense played well for a fifth consecutive week, but the unit as whole felt it should have played better, especially in the final quarter.
After limiting the Falcons to less than 200 yards of offense through three quarters, the visitors finished out the game with 21 points offensively in the final stanza. It might have been the Rams' most impressive effort, to date.
"I'm sure it was, and I think we played hard," linebacker Dequan Jackson said after finishing with 11 tackles. "We played physical. We knew it was going to be a tough game, be mano-y-mano. We played well very well early on, and we probably left some things out there at the end of the game. They make you pay for your mistakes. I'm proud of how we kept fighting, and I'm pretty sure we're going to keep fighting."
After giving up more than 400 yards on the ground a year ago – 260 to the fullback – the Rams held the Falcons 96 yards shy of their season-rushing average of better than 320 yards. It was DJ Hammond III's ability to hit big plays in the passing game which hurt most. His 31-yarder to Benjamin Waters in the second made it a 14-7 game, and a simple crossing route turned into a 50-yard gain for the first score in the fourth. A drive later, Waters was left wide open in a busted coverage, giving the Falcons a 10-point edge.
"We've been working on them for two weeks, and we had a good game plan going," linebacker Tron Folsom said. "We missed a couple of plays, but for the majority of the day, we played great defense. They ran some plays we weren't really prepared for, some plays they've never shown on film. That was a great job on their sideline."
The current five game run of the defense allowing 400 yards or less of total offense to an FBS foe matches the longest runs by the program since 2000, done previously in 2000 and 2007. The Rams have never had a six-game stretch in that time.
Final Touch
Added up, the results led to an issue which has haunted the Rams this season, and that's putting away games in the final quarter. Heading into the game, the Rams had been 24-4 when leading at halftime under Bobo.
Colorado, Arkansas and now Air Force have scored fourth-quarter defensive touchdowns to help put games away. The Falcons scored 28 points in the fourth, Arkansas 21 and Colorado 14.
"Every game is a lesson, whether it's a win or a loss," Folsom said. "We're just going to learn from this game. We had a good couple of quarters, we've just got to learn how to finish all the way through."
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