FORT COLLINS — The Colorado State Rams didn’t just beat San Jose State on Saturday afternoon, they finally proved they could close the deal against a quality opponent.
Quarterback Brayden Folwer-Nicolosi connected with Armani Winfield for a 62-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter to seal the Rams’ impressive 31-24 victory at Canvas Stadium.
CSU improved to 3-3 and won its initial Mountain West Conference game of the season.
The Spartans entered the game 10-2 over their 12 games and had won eight straight Mountain West Conference games dating back to last season. But the Spartans committed 12 penalties for 103 yards, and the Rams made big plays in the big moments.
CSU took a 21-14 lead in the third quarter with a crisp, nine-play, 91-yard drive. Four big plays fueled the drive: Jalen Dupree gashed the Spartans for a 20-yard run; Folwer-Nicolosi found Winfield for a 12-yard pass; Morrow busted up the middle for a 25-yard gain to the San Jose 17; and tight end Vince Brown II caught a short pass and rumbled for a 13-yard gain to the 2-yard line.
Morrow finished the job with a 2-yard TD run, taking a direct snap and plowing up the middle.
CSU extended its lead to 24-14 on Jordan Noyes’ 57-yard field goal with 8 minutes, 35 seconds left in the game.
The Spartans responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took just 3:28 off the clock to CSU’s lead to 24-21. Floyd Chalk IV rushed 21 yards for the score, breaking three tackles along the way.
A two-play disaster late in the first half seemed to turn the Rams’ day from promising to troubling.
First, star receiver Tory Horton went down with a leg injury, and though he returned later in the game, he played with a noticeable limp and played sparingly.
Second, San Jose State turned a Rams turnover into an 85-yard touchdown.
CSU held a 14-7 lead and were driving for more late in the second quarter when Folwer-Nicolosi hit Horton for a 6-yard pass across the middle to the San Jose State 19. But Hornton laid down on the field for several minutes and had to be helped off the field.
On the very next play, Morrow ran for 4 yards and was pushing the pile for more, but defensive end John Ward stripped Morrow of the ball, DJ Harvey scooped it up and raced 85 yards, tying the game 14-14.
Colorado State’s opening drive was nearly perfect. The Rams drove 75 yards in nine plays, with Morrow finishing it off with a 2-yard run. The key play was a 32-yard strike from Folwer-Nicolosi to Jamai Person.
The Spartans tied the game on a terrific 27-yard TD reception by Nick Nash, who caught Emmett Brown’s pass in traffic to finish off a nine-play 77-yard drive.
Senior safety Jack Howell’s thunderous hit set up the Rams’ second touchdown. The Spartans gambled on fourth-and-two from their own 44 but Howell stuck Jacob Stewart for no gain on a short pass. Three plays later, Fowler-Nicolosi scrambled out of the pocket, found some room, and ran for a 23-yard TD to put CSU ahead, 14-7, early in the second quarter.
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