Despite QB change, Colorado State stumbles through 17-16 loss to UTSA at Canvas Stadium
FORT COLLINS — An off week did little to solve Colorado State’s offensive issues with Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi under center.
However, the Rams may have found an answer on offense with Jackson Brousseau.
Brousseau, a redshirt sophomore quarterback, entered the game with 11:43 remaining and guided the Rams to their two touchdown drives of the night. However, Colorado State’s two-point attempt to win the game was incomplete, finishing off a 17-16 loss that had little drama until Brousseau entered the game.
He finished 10-of-12 for 78 yards and threw a 5-yard touchdown to Rocky Beers with 29 seconds remaining to pull the Rams within 17-16.
While Brousseau dazzled for CSU, it was UTSA’s Robert Henry Jr. who was the difference-maker.
Henry was as good as advertised, running for one touchdown and catching another, and that was enough for UTSA to squeak out the victory. Henry, UTSA’s stellar running back, burst up the middle for a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to break a scoreless tie and start what would be the downfall for the Rams on the way to a 1-2 record.
Henry, who entered the game leading all FBS rushers in total rushing yards (480) and touchdowns (seven), finished the first half with 121 yards on 11 carries, quickly making him the second running back to top the century mark against the Rams this season.
The senior running back finished with 144 yards on the ground, but it was his 74-yard catch and run down the sideline on a third-and-nine swing pass that would prove to be the dagger for the Rams.
Henry’s rushing touchdown, however, would be the high mark of a first half that was riddled with penalties and ineffectiveness from both teams. UTSA and Colorado State each had a touchdown wiped off the board in the first half, part of a combined 13 penalties before intermission that kept either team from finding its rhythm.
While Henry, who posted his sixth consecutive 100-yard game dating back to last season, was the focal point for the Roadrunners’ offense, Colorado State once again couldn’t find its offensive focus.
Coming into Saturday ranked 113th among the 136 FBS teams in total offense at 318.0 yards per game, Fowler-Nicolosi and the Rams offense heard plenty of boos from the crowd of 32,061. Fowler-Nicolosi finished 14-of-25 for 176 yards before being replaced by Brousseau in the fourth quarter.
The move sparked the Rams, who pieced together a nine-play, 67-yard drive capped by Tahj Bullock’s 10-yard run to tie the game at 10-10 with 6:19 left. Brousseau went 4-for-4 on the drive for 27 yards to shake CSU out of its doldrums.
UTSA entered as a 4.5-point favorite in a game Rams head coach Norvell called “important” earlier in the week, not only because of Colorado State’s early-season stumbles but also preserving home-field advantage after the Rams needed a last-minute touchdown to squeeze past Northern Colorado two weeks again.
Colorado State’s defense certainly lived up to the challenge against UTSA, a team that had scored 20-plus points in 13 straight contests and 40-plus points in six of its last nine games. However, on Saturday, outside of two big plays from Henry, the UTSA offense was bottled up. Thanks to Colorado State’s fourth-quarter burst, the Rams outgained the Roadrunners 407-345.
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Texas-San Antonio 17, Colorado State 16
What happened: In a defensive struggle until the fourth quarter when the two teams combined for 20 of the game’s 33 points, UTSA and Colorado State totaled 14 punts and 20 penalties. Neither team could find consistency until CSU switched quarterbacks in the fourth quarter, benching Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and inserting Jackson Brousseau.
What it means: The Rams will have plenty of questions to answer about their offensive direction heading into next Saturday’s game against Washington State. Under Brousseau, the Rams seemed to have life on offense. What could CSU look like for four quarters with him under center and a defense that was more than effective on Saturday against UTSA?
Quotable: “Brayden played the first three quarters and struggled a little bit. We weren’t able to move the ball. I thought Jackson deserved an opportunity to come in. He came in in the fourth quarter and did a really nice job.” — CSU coach Jay Norvell
What’s next: The Rams return to Canvas Stadium next Saturday to take on Washington State (2-2) at 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Both the Rams (38-21) and Cougars (59-24) have already lost to Washington this year.
