Colorado State University Athletics
Seeking Maximum Output
10/24/2023 2:00:00 PM | Football
CSU offense has to create and capitalize
Whenever a team plays Air Force, the subject comes up. It's unavoidable.
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It centers around the Falcons' ability to control the clock, a stat where they rank second in the country, at 34:19 minutes per game, just one second behind co-leaders Utah and Liberty. This is as much a tradition for the program as the live Falcon on the sidelines at home games.
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Opponents bring it up because it limits their chances on offense. The less you have the ball, the less chance to score. Which is why Colorado State knows it has to maximize every opportunity in Saturday's game against No. 19 Air Force, which is unbeaten at 7-0.
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"That's pretty much how we're looking at it. We need to make the most of every time we get the ball and capitalize on the opportunities we have," quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi said. "I think we need to get started offensively a little bit early; I think we've struggled with that the past couple of weeks. We need to help the defense out in that area of the game and put some points up early.
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"I think it's important to recognize they do like to hold the ball for a while, and we do need to capitalize for sure."
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Colorado State is seeking production it hasn't been able to produce lately, particularly at the start of the past two games. In the first three drives the past two weeks, the Rams have punted six times, five of them following three-and-outs.
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Not exactly maximizing chances.
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"We play at a pretty good tempo, and one of the things you have to be mindful of is we're getting 16-18 possessions in a game," CSU coach Jay Norvell said. "When you play against Air Force, you usually get about eight, so they cut your opportunities in half because they control the ball for so long. You have to be efficient, and you have to make sure that when you have the ball, you're doing the right things with it. You just have to be very, very focused in your execution.
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"Our guys understand that, and you have to take advantage of it."
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Which translates to picking up first downs and moving the chains and at the very least, flipping the field. It helps keep a defense off the turf, allowing it to be fresh.
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Colorado State has been converting on third down 42.2 percent of the time, just a bit better than the national average. It's a number which will require a boost on Saturday.
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As for the slow starts, center Jacob Gardner said they can't wait around, not as a unit, not as a collection of individuals doing their part.
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"I hate the feeling of waiting on something. I've done it before and it's not a good thing, but you wait on other people to make plays," he said. "As an O-lineman, you think about it we are waiting for somebody to make a play. At the same time, we have to have the mentality we make plays, too. We want Norvell to trust us if he calls a run. We want the back to get as many yards as we can. We want them to trust us, so we need to be playmakers too."
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Colorado State isn't concerned in the slightest about winning the time of possession battle with Air Force. That's the Falcons' style of play, a byproduct of the offense. They have a defense which matches, allowing teams to convert on third down less than 33 percent of the time, which leads the Mountain West.
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No, the Rams are looking at the end zone, how many times they can get there and how early in the game. Playing catchup to Air Force is no fun. Norvell has said the goal is to score on half of their possessions, and against Air Force, that still may not make the cut. Touchdowns over field goals, explosives instead of imploding.
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"You've got to extend drives. Three-and-outs are not good in this game," Norvell said. "You have to extend drives, you've got to get first downs, you have to control the clock and you've got to score points to really stay in a game like this. They have an ability to score as well, and we have to score probably 35 points to win a game like this. That's something that's pretty much week to week for us right now."
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It centers around the Falcons' ability to control the clock, a stat where they rank second in the country, at 34:19 minutes per game, just one second behind co-leaders Utah and Liberty. This is as much a tradition for the program as the live Falcon on the sidelines at home games.
Â
Opponents bring it up because it limits their chances on offense. The less you have the ball, the less chance to score. Which is why Colorado State knows it has to maximize every opportunity in Saturday's game against No. 19 Air Force, which is unbeaten at 7-0.
Â
"That's pretty much how we're looking at it. We need to make the most of every time we get the ball and capitalize on the opportunities we have," quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi said. "I think we need to get started offensively a little bit early; I think we've struggled with that the past couple of weeks. We need to help the defense out in that area of the game and put some points up early.
Â
"I think it's important to recognize they do like to hold the ball for a while, and we do need to capitalize for sure."
Â
Colorado State is seeking production it hasn't been able to produce lately, particularly at the start of the past two games. In the first three drives the past two weeks, the Rams have punted six times, five of them following three-and-outs.
Â
Not exactly maximizing chances.
Â
"We play at a pretty good tempo, and one of the things you have to be mindful of is we're getting 16-18 possessions in a game," CSU coach Jay Norvell said. "When you play against Air Force, you usually get about eight, so they cut your opportunities in half because they control the ball for so long. You have to be efficient, and you have to make sure that when you have the ball, you're doing the right things with it. You just have to be very, very focused in your execution.
Â
"Our guys understand that, and you have to take advantage of it."
Â
Which translates to picking up first downs and moving the chains and at the very least, flipping the field. It helps keep a defense off the turf, allowing it to be fresh.
Â
Colorado State has been converting on third down 42.2 percent of the time, just a bit better than the national average. It's a number which will require a boost on Saturday.
Â
As for the slow starts, center Jacob Gardner said they can't wait around, not as a unit, not as a collection of individuals doing their part.
Â
"I hate the feeling of waiting on something. I've done it before and it's not a good thing, but you wait on other people to make plays," he said. "As an O-lineman, you think about it we are waiting for somebody to make a play. At the same time, we have to have the mentality we make plays, too. We want Norvell to trust us if he calls a run. We want the back to get as many yards as we can. We want them to trust us, so we need to be playmakers too."
Â
Colorado State isn't concerned in the slightest about winning the time of possession battle with Air Force. That's the Falcons' style of play, a byproduct of the offense. They have a defense which matches, allowing teams to convert on third down less than 33 percent of the time, which leads the Mountain West.
Â
No, the Rams are looking at the end zone, how many times they can get there and how early in the game. Playing catchup to Air Force is no fun. Norvell has said the goal is to score on half of their possessions, and against Air Force, that still may not make the cut. Touchdowns over field goals, explosives instead of imploding.
Â
"You've got to extend drives. Three-and-outs are not good in this game," Norvell said. "You have to extend drives, you've got to get first downs, you have to control the clock and you've got to score points to really stay in a game like this. They have an ability to score as well, and we have to score probably 35 points to win a game like this. That's something that's pretty much week to week for us right now."
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