FORT COLLINS — This could have been one of the worst days in Colorado State football history.
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, and a controversial overturned touchdown in the waning moments, made sure it was just a massive scare, and not a stunning upset for the Northern Colorado Bears. The Rams survived Saturday night with a 21-17 victory at Canvas Stadium, but there will be plenty of coaching tape from this one.
Fowler-Nicolosi fled the pocket on third-and-10 from the Bears’ 13-yard line and dove just inside the pylon in the front-left corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 45 seconds remaining. He was originally ruled down, but a review confirmed one of the most important touchdowns in recent Rams history.
Even the ending wasn’t easy for the Rams. The Bears moved the ball to the CSU 28-yard line, and UNC quarterback appeared to connect with Carver Cheeks on a touchdown pass with eight seconds left, but it was ruled incomplete after a lengthy review. Gibson’s last-second heave into the end zone was intercepted.
The Rams were driving for a potential go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter, but UNC’s Andres Rodriguez forced a Lloyd Avant fumble inside the Bears’ 30-yard line, and linebacker Sione Tuha recovered with 5:27 remaining.
Colorado State’s last gasp started at the Rams’ 23-yard line with 3:49 remaining. It had been a day to forget for Fowler-Nicolosi, CSU’s third-year starting quarterback, but he saved his best work for the final drive.
For the Bears, it was very nearly the biggest win for the program since moving to the FCS level. UNC played this game without its starting quarterback, Peter Costelli, and leading rusher from Week 1, running back Mathias Price. But an Aliou-Rocco Traore 1-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter made an upset feel possible.
Colorado State got a break on the second play of the second half when UNC quarterback Eric Gibson fumbled on a rush to the right and Rams linebacker Owen Long recovered at the Bears’ 12. Avant scored from two yards out after a pass interference call in the end zone, and CSU cut UNC’s advantage to 10-7 after just 1:37 of play.
However, if the first half wasn’t enough to scare the Rams into believing an upset was possible, UNC answered CSU’s first touchdown with an impressive scoring drive. When Traore scored on a 1-yard dive, it capped a 13-play, 75-yard march, and the Bears restored a double-digit lead at 17-7 midway through the third quarter.
Avant’s second touchdown of the game brought the Rams back within a field goal again with 1:25 left in the third quarter. Given CSU’s struggles when the ball was in the air during the first half, the Rams went heavy on the ground game. The 11-play drive featured 10 rushes by a trio of CSU backs, plus a short throw to one of them.
The best thing that happened for Colorado State during a disastrous first half was that it ended. Halftime could not have come sooner for the reeling Rams.
UNC led 10-0 at the break, but it might take until just before kickoff next week for the Rams to sort out everything that went wrong in the first 30 minutes. Here is an attempt at a concise recap:
• Spiritually, a three-and-out on the first drive, though a well-underthrown deep ball on the first play of the game led to a pass interference-induced first down.
• Ezra Ekuban (Regis Jesuit) sacked Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, and the Bears recovered his fumble at the CSU 39, which led to a Bears touchdown.
• Isaiah Hankins missed a 46-yard field goal.
• Cam Chapa (Eaglecrest) intercepted a Fowler-Nicolosi pass at the UNC 18.
• Tommy Maher muffed a punt, and UNC recovered at the CSU 12, which led to a Bears field goal.
• Tahj Bullock’s fourth-and-2 keeper was stopped for a turnover on downs at the UNC 15
• Maher returned a punt to the UNC 25-yard line, but he was stripped before reaching the ground, and the Bears recovered
• CJ Blocker intercepted a pass that wouldn’t have counted because the Rams were offside, but he added an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play. That nearly gave the Bears a chance to add to the lead in the final seconds of the half.
Fowler-Nicolosi finished the first half 5 of 12 for 46 yards and an interception. Redshirt freshman Jalen Dupree, who had 92 yards rushing and a touchdown last week against Washington, was injured on his third carry of the game, but did return in the second half.
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