FORT COLLINS — Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell has named Jackson Brousseau the starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against Washington State.
The redshirt freshman replaced starter Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi in the fourth quarter against UTSA last Saturday and led the Rams on a pair of touchdown drives.
“Jackson will start this week,” Norvell said Monday at his weekly press conference. “I looked at a lot of things and sat down with Brayden and showed him the areas that we need improvement. I feel good about that position.”
In a quarter of action against the Roadrunners, Brousseau completed 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards.
His first touchdown drive erased a 10-3 UTSA lead and his second, a 4-yard pass to Rocky Beers, pulled the Rams within a point with 29 seconds remaining. CSU lost the game when a two-point conversion for the lead failed.
“I put him in in the fourth quarter and he had two successful scoring drives with him at the helm,” Norvell said. “He made several really good plays. He did things the way that we are coaching them. He had great execution.”
After almost rallying the Rams to a come-from-behind victory, Brousseau was humble afterward.
He knew his time would come and he was ready for it.
“It starts back in January, just preparing like you’re going to be the guy every single day,” he said. “The process never changes, and you’ve got to be ready for your number to be called.
“You get a little adrenaline, but nothing crazy. I’ve played this game since the first grade.”
A native of Utah, Brousseau had only played in two games for CSU before the fourth quarter against UTSA. He played in a blowout victory against Utah Tech in 2023 and the Rams’ season-opening loss to Texas in 2024.
Norvell believes he is ready to step in and be the starter.
“I think Jackson has a lot of respect for his teammates,” Norvell said. “He’s the kind of guy that does exactly what you want him to do. I sat down with him and told him how proud I was of him and how he’s handled himself as a backup.
“It’s not easy to prepare yourself every week and not know if you’re going to play or not. I think he’s done a fantastic job of that.”
Brousseau’s first start as a Ram against Washington State on Saturday will kick off at 5:30 p.m. at Canvas Stadium.
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