FORT COLLINS — Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell said following the Rams’ 21-17 victory over Northern Colorado on Saturday that there were a lot of players in the locker room that weren’t happy, and that he was one of them.
A combination of turnovers, penalties and a lack of focus and execution led to a closer-than-expected outcome against the Bears, according to the Rams’ fourth-year head coach.
UNC even looked to have scored a go-ahead touchdown with eight seconds remaining, but it was overturned.
“I told the players and the coaches that our responsibility is to play up to our ability,” Norvell said. “And we didn’t do that tonight. And so, we are capable of playing a lot better. I’m responsible for it, and so we’re going to go back to work and see how we can get better.
“We clearly did not play well together as a team, and we have to continue to push and work for that execution and that standard of play.”
On a night when the school announced a sellout crowd of 37.023, the Rams’ lack of focus was on display early. Their first two possessions ended with a punt and a fumble, the first of five turnovers on the night for CSU.
The team’s third drive ended with a missed field goal that would have made the score 7-3 at the time if it had gone through. That wasn’t the only problem the Rams had on special teams, either.
Punter returner Tommy Maher muffed a return early in the second quarter, and the Bears turned it into three points when they kicked a field goal to go ahead 10-0. Late in the period, Maher fumbled another return.
If he hadn’t fumbled the second one, it would have given the Rams the ball inside the Northern Colorado 30-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Instead, the Bears were able to run out the clock and take a 10-0 lead into halftime.
That lack of focus wasn’t limited to special teams. Quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was off target in the first half and threw an interception in the second quarter. He completed only 5 of 12 passes for 46 yards in the first half.
Norvell was quick to point out his quarterback’s struggles.
“He didn’t have a good night, that’s for sure,” Norvell said. “So, we’ve got to look at that. He knows he’s accountable. He’s got to play better. He’s got to prepare better. That’s something we’ve got to find out about, and we’ve got to make sure we’re putting him in the right situations.”
Fowler-Nicolosi said after the game that there is a lot to learn from the game and his performance.
CSU got a spark in the second half from a fumble recovery and a touchdown by Lloyd Avant a few plays later. Avant’s second touchdown of the game pulled the Rams within 17-14, and Fowler-Nicolosi scored the game-winner on a 13-yard run with 44 seconds left.
The four-point victory left a sour taste in the team’s mouth. While they were satisfied with the victory, they weren’t pleased with how it happened.
“Coming out with a win, I’m always going to be happy about that,” CSU defensive back Jahari Rogers said. “I’m always going to be happy about that because you only have 12 guaranteed opportunities. Of course, we’re not happy about how we played and that’s just something we have to work on.”
The Rams will have two weeks to work on those things as they have a bye next week before hosting UTSA on Sept. 20.
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