Three Phases: Rams Excel in Win over Fresno State

Running out of players, but not out of season, Colorado State had to look inward.

Do it for themselves. Do it for those who no longer can. Play with pride. On a night which played out like a script, it's exactly what coach Jay Norvell told him team the night before, when they always gather together for a movie.

"We always have personal pride, but it's it's tough. I usually don't talk to them after we go to the movies, but I did last night," Norvell said after Friday's 49-21 win over Fresno State. "And the one thing that I told our team was, is that the cavalry's not riding in to save us. We have to save ourselves. And so, we have to make plays. We have to go out there and make plays. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us.

"I think they heard me last night. I really do."

One of his favorite sayings is the best ability is availability, and the Rams are running out. At the start of the game, the Rams were missing 10 players who had previously started games. Didn't matter. Others came in and performed. The offense opened with four consecutive scoring drives. The defense collected four turnovers – scoring on one – and five sacks.

They played complementary football. They executed the plan on both sides of the ball.

"You guys could see this, but I had so much fun on the field tonight. And I thought that (we were) playing for each other," linebacker Owen Long said. "I thought that's what was going on the whole game. Offense, defense, special teams. A lot of guys, I mean, this locker room cares about each other so much. And it showed."

Offense

There were no astonishing numbers, but plenty of great performances. There was no 300-yard passer, but Jackson Brousseau directed the offensive with precision, throwing for three scores. Rocky Beers only had three catches, but two were for touchdowns. Javion Kinnard had four touches but produced two big plays, one a diving touchdown catch, the other a reception out of the backfield where he slashed for 41 yards into the red zone on a third-down play. Justin Marshall opened it all with a 73-yard jaunt down the home sideline the first drive.

Four drives to open the game. Four touchdowns. It's been a long time since the Rams have had that type of production – 2017, to be exact.

"I thought the guys played hard, the whole line stepped up, they played really hard," Brousseau said. "We also started the game with a huge run, 73 yards by Jay Marsh. So that really sparked us, that helped us out a lot. And we just strung drives together and we just did our assignments."

Brousseau only threw for 144 yards but was an efficient 12-of-18. Things clicked early, third downs were converted and drives extended. They took advantage of short fields for the next two drives, then marched 11 plays to cover 75 for a score.

Once it started rolling for the Rams, they had an impressive run.

"I think momentum started a lot before the game," Beers said. "I mean, these guys were hyped. We were hitting our heads against the walls, against each other, and we just came out ready to play."

Better than banging their heads against the wall, which is what the first part of the season had felt like on offense, averaging just 22.3 point entering the night. A lot of points came out of just 334 yards of total offense.

Efficient.

"I think it was definitely better execution. But I think it's just the kids are settling down and they're understanding their roles and they're executing," Norvell said. "And Jackson is executing things the way that we are asking him to do it. I just think it's about the kids doing the things they're coached to do. And, you know, Matt (Mumme, now calling plays) did a great job. You know, I think Matt did a great job, but the kids responded and they executed. We've got to build on that. They're capable of producing at a high level."

Defense

The unit which surrendered seven consecutive scoring drives a week prior responded in a big way.

The Rams created four turnovers, three off interceptions, two from Jace Bellah. The offense turned all of them into points. They also recorded five sacks, one more than they'd had the previous five games.

Splash plays, but the biggest of all came when Paul Tangelo returned a fumble forced by Kenyon Agurs on a hustle play, going 34 yards for paydirt. He ran over Bulldogs, avoided a few others, then carried a few over the goal.

Norvell said most good college linebackers were good high school running backs.

"That's not my case. I was strictly defense in high school," Tangelo said. "It felt awesome. That was my first touchdown I ever scored. It felt awesome to get in a game like that for sure."

It took effort, kind of like the way Novell described back Lloyd Avant, a guy who can take guys on and make them miss. When a Bulldog caught up with him at the end, he drug him the final 5 yards.

He was in no mood to be denied his first score.

"I had to get it done," he said. "I got close a couple times, but that time I had to get it done for sure."

The defense gave up some yards – 464 in all – but took some back, too. Bellah's two picks came with 53 yards of returns, putting the offense in prime position to score. C.J. Blocker's first career pick came in the end zone when the Bulldogs were in the red zone.

Fresno State was good on just 4-of-12 third downs and 1-of-4 fourth downs.

Owen Long, the nation's leader in tackles per game, had a career-best 17 in the game, including a sack and a two tackles for loss. Robert Edmonson had nine stops with two TFLs.

"We had a great week of practice. Our best one yet," Long said. "And coach (Tyson) Summers really had us locked in and ready to roll. We had a great game plan. And, shoot, you've got guys like Paul, you got Rob Edmondson, you got Jace Bella. I mean, guys just making plays at the end of the day. And when that happens, it's so fun to be a part of."

Special Teams

They were solid, and never in a bad position. The one time they sent out kicker Isaiah Hankins to try a field goal, the Bulldogs jumped, giving the Rams a first down. And that became a touchdown.

Bryan Hansen averaged 48 yards on his six attempts, two good for 50-plus, one inside the 20. The Rams didn't have a return in the kick game, and Fresno State averaged 7.0 on punt returns. In general, they kept field position in Colorado State's favor.

Despite it all – including the blow late in the week when they found out captain and graduate student JaQues Evans was going to miss the rest of the season – the Rams held together.

Which is what Norvell expected.

"I think they're playing for each other. I think they genuinely care for each other," he said. "I think you can see that when they play. I think it's fairly obvious that they care about each other and play so hard for one another. And that's all we've been trying to generate is that that closeness and that feeling of one."

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