Three Phases: Rams Excel in Win over Fresno State

Running out of gamers, however not out of season, Colorado State needed to look inward.
 
Do it for themselves. Do it for individuals who not can. Play with pleasure. On an evening which performed out like a script, it is precisely what coach Jay Norvell advised him staff the evening earlier than, once they all the time collect collectively for a film.
 
“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 stated after Friday’s 49-21 win over Fresno State. “And the one factor that I advised our staff was, is that the cavalry’s not driving in to avoid wasting us. We have to avoid wasting ourselves. And so, we have now to make performs. We must go on the market and make performs. Nobody’s going to really feel sorry for us.
 
“I think they heard me last night. I really do.”
 
One of his favourite sayings is the very best means is availability, and the Rams are working out. At the beginning of the sport, the Rams had been lacking 10 gamers who had beforehand began video games. Didn’t matter. Others got here in and carried out. The offense opened with 4 consecutive scoring drives. The protection collected 4 turnovers – scoring on one – and 5 sacks.
 
They performed complementary soccer. They executed the plan on either side 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 stated. “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 had been no astonishing numbers, however loads of nice performances. There was no 300-yard passer, however Jackson Brousseau directed the offensive with precision, throwing for 3 scores. Rocky Beers solely had three catches, however two had been for touchdowns. Javion Kinnard had 4 touches however produced two large performs, one a diving landing catch, the opposite a reception out of the backfield the place he slashed for 41 yards into the crimson zone on a third-down play. Justin Marshall opened all of it with a 73-yard jaunt down the house sideline the primary drive.
 
Four drives to open the sport. Four touchdowns. It’s been a very long time because the Rams have had that sort of manufacturing – 2017, to be precise.
 
“I thought the guys played hard, the whole line stepped up, they played really hard,” Brousseau stated. “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 solely threw for 144 yards however was an environment friendly 12-of-18. Things clicked early, third downs had been transformed and drives prolonged. They took benefit of brief fields for the subsequent two drives, then marched 11 performs to cowl 75 for a rating.
 
Once it began rolling for the Rams, that they had a formidable run.
 
“I think momentum started a lot before the game,” Beers stated. “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 towards the wall, which is what the primary a part of the season had felt like on offense, averaging simply 22.3 level coming into the evening. Lots of factors got here out of simply 334 yards of complete 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 stated. “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 every week prior responded in a giant approach.
 
The Rams created 4 turnovers, three off interceptions, two from Jace Bellah. The offense turned all of them into factors. They additionally recorded 5 sacks, yet one more than they’d had the earlier 5 video games.
 
Splash performs, however the largest of all got here when Paul Tangelo returned a fumble pressured by Kenyon Agurs on a hustle play, going 34 yards for paydirt. He ran over Bulldogs, averted a number of others, then carried a number of over the aim.
 
Norvell stated most good faculty linebackers had been good highschool working backs.
 
“That’s not my case. I was strictly defense in high school,” Tangelo stated. “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, sort of like the way in which Novell described again Lloyd Avant, a man who can take guys on and make them miss. When a Bulldog caught up with him on the finish, he drug him the ultimate 5 yards.
 
He was in no temper to be denied his first rating.
 
“I had to get it done,” he stated. “I got close a couple times, but that time I had to get it done for sure.”
 
The protection gave up some yards – 464 in all – however took some again, too. Bellah’s two picks got here with 53 yards of returns, placing the offense in prime place to attain. C.J. Blocker’s first profession choose got here ultimately zone when the Bulldogs had been within the crimson zone.
 
Fresno State was good on simply 4-of-12 third downs and 1-of-4 fourth downs.
 
Owen Long, the nation’s chief in tackles per recreation, had a career-best 17 within the recreation, together with a sack and a two tackles for loss. Robert Edmonson had 9 stops with two TFLs.
 
“We had a great week of practice. Our best one yet,” Long stated. “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 had been strong, and by no means in a foul place. The one time they despatched out kicker Isaiah Hankins to attempt a subject aim, the Bulldogs jumped, giving the Rams a primary down. And that grew to become a landing.
 
Bryan Hansen averaged 48 yards on his six makes an attempt, two good for 50-plus, one contained in the 20. The Rams did not have a return within the kick recreation, and Fresno State averaged 7.0 on punt returns. In normal, they saved subject place in Colorado State’s favor.
 
Despite all of it – together with the blow late within the week once they came upon captain and graduate scholar JaQues Evans was going to overlook the remainder of the season – the  Rams held collectively.
 
Which is what Norvell anticipated.
 
“I think they’re playing for each other. I think they genuinely care for each other,” he stated. “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.”