Colorado State heads to Corvallis, Ore., this weekend coming off the first of two bye weeks built into this year’s schedule, and the week without a game was beneficial for the Rams.
One of the team’s main goals coming out of its 27-17 victory over UTEP on Sept. 21, and before Saturday’s game against Oregon State, was to get healthy. And for the most part, the Rams have.
Defensive back Jack Howell, who went to the locker room with an injury against the Miners, has been cleared to play. Defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth says he is ready to go after missing the Rams’ first four games with a toe injury, and head coach Jay Norvell said he expects wide receiver Tory Horton to be able to play as well.
Horton left the team’s game against Northern Colorado with a groin strain. He tried to play the next week against Colorado, but he wasn’t 100% and didn’t play in the second half. He then sat out the game against UTEP.
Another defensive end who hasn’t played yet this year, DeAndre Gill, could make his season debut this week as well.
“Tory gets more reps every day,” Norvell said Wednesday. “Nuer’s been out there this week. DeAndre is getting back. We’re making progress. Jack’s back without a red shirt on, so he should be good to go. It’s exciting to get some of those guys back.”
Getting those players back should not only help the morale of the team, but also the morale of the injured players who had to sit on the sidelines and watch while wishing they were on the field helping contribute to the team’s goal of winning games.
“It’s good, because no one likes to be hurt and no likes to see our teammates hurt,” tight end Vince Brown II said. “You see them, I don’t want to say down, but not their usual selves because they’re off the field and not on the field playing with us. Seeing them back in pads, it’s a better feeling for everybody.”
The week off also gave the Rams (2-2) extra time to prepare for their future conference rival. The Beavers are coming off a bye week as well, having last played on Sept. 21 when they defeated Purdue, 38-21, to improve to 3-1.
Among the team’s focus over the past week and a half has been turnovers. Through four games, the Rams have turned the ball over eight times while only coming up with three turnovers of their own.
“It’s the most glaring stat in our game right now,” Norvell said Monday. “We haven’t created many turnovers on defense and still need to find a way to minimalize them on offense.”
Even though the Rams had one of their best offensive games of the season against UTEP, they know they still have room for improvement. Through four games, the Rams have firmly established a running game, but their passing attack is nowhere near as productive as it was a year ago.
CSU is averaging 174.3 yards per game on the ground this season, but quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi has gone from averaging 288.3 passing yards per game last season to only 150.5 this year. With Horton healthy and the continued progression of the team’s new and young receivers, Norvell hopes to see a big improvement in that aspect of the game.
“We’ve got to get our playmakers going and things that are complementing our run game,” Norvell said. “It was good to get Tory back in practice. We’re really getting a lot of work with Jamari Pearson and Caleb Goodie and our young receivers. Jordan Ross is getting a lot of reps. Those guys have got to start making a real impact in our passing game.
“Armani (Winfield) continues to get better. I was really pleased with the way he battled last game, coming up with the big touchdown. I think that shows progress in his game. We’re just continuing to work these skill players, get them on the same page with Brayden and get that connection going.”
CSU and Oregon State are meeting for only the third time. The Rams own victories in the two previous games. The last time they met, in the opening game for Canvas Stadium in 2017, CSU won 58-27.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.