Colorado State takes down Wyoming in the 112th annual Border War

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — After five long years, the Bronze Boot is finally back where it belongs — where Army Captain Dan J. Romero first donated it 50-something years ago. And where it sat for so long during the Sonny Lubick era, that it gathered dust in the trophy case. After five years of embarrassment, frustration and disappointment, the Bronze Boot has returned home to Colorado State University. 

On a perfect November night, the Rams defeated the Pokes, 34-24, at Canvas Stadium. Wyoming out-gained CSU in total yards and first downs. They ran 16 more plays and held the ball for roughly six and a half more minutes. In the end, though, three turnovers, including a pick-six by Marshaun Cameron, along with a much-improved passing offense, proved to be enough to help the Rams take down their rivals Thursday night. 

“It was beautiful. I ain’t ever been a part of nothing like this — winning such a big game. I don’t ever want to not have this feeling after a game again,” Cameron said postgame.

“It’s the best kind of energy I’ve felt since I’ve been here,” Patrick O’Brien added. “The boot has been gone from Fort Collins for a long time, so it’s really special for me, but it’s even more special for the guys that have been here longer than I have.”

O’Brien finished the evening with 255 yards on 18-of-26 passing and a pair of touchdowns. While it was not a perfect performance from the veteran QB, he made good decisions with the football, targeted his play-makers frequently, and consistently put the team in position to win by stretching the field vertically. For a CSU offense that is still trying to figure out how to consistently run the ball effectively, O’Brien was exactly what the Rams needed on Thursday night. 

“I thought Pat competed really hard and did a good job,” head coach Steve Addazio said postgame. “He was able to manage the game around him, he made some big throws, and he had good poise.”

Following the Border War victory, CSU’s first since 2015, O’Brien was cool and collected when speaking with the media. The veteran gunslinger took no jabs when asked if the win meant more to him after not getting the start in Game 1. But he was honest, telling reporters that it did mean more to him after what he’d been through. “For sure,” a blunt O’Brien said. 

“It’s always been about the team,” O’Brien continued. “They made a decision and I had to accept it. But you know, I had my opportunity. It’s my senior year, we’re playing against Wyoming — last year we lost, so this year it’s an even bigger game. So, I’m pretty proud of myself but I’m really proud of the team… We went out there and we got the job done.” 

Two of the guys that O’Brien relied on most frequently Thursday night were sophomore wide receiver Dante Wright and junior tight end Trey McBride. After not having Wright in the lineup last week due to contact tracing, having two legitimate NFL prospects on the field at the skill positions, clearly opened things up for the Rams this time around.

The young phenom finished with a game-high 146 yards on 10 receptions (14.6 AVG) . Wright also rushed the ball once for two yards. Quite simply, having him on the field makes the Rams a whole lot more explosive — particularly when defenses also have to worry about No. 85 who was an absolute monster once again. McBride caught five of his seven targets for 90 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in the victory. In four and a half quarters of football with O’Brien under center now, McBride has nine receptions on 13 targets. What’s more, he’s scored three touchdowns — all 20 yards or longer. 

“It doesn’t matter who is back there, I’ve gotta make plays for them,” McBride said. “Patrick had a great game today. He made a lot of plays.”

Moving forward, the Rams will have to continue to get the ball in the hands of their best play-makers — especially as the offense attempts to smoothen things out with the issues in the ground game. Despite getting 62 yards on 14 carries from A’Jon Vivens in the backfield, as a team CSU only averaged 2.4 yards per carry. (87 yards on 37 attempts). With how much Addazio wants running the ball to be a focus of the Rams’ offensive identity, very rarely is CSU going to be able to win with such underwhelming production from the running backs. 

Nevertheless while there is still room for improvement on both sides of the ball, after four consecutive hard seasons, all filled with their own unique heartbreaking situations, Thursday night was hopefully the beginning of a new era of Rams football. An era where the Rams are no longer the doormats of all their rivals, and instead step up and punch back. It’s a slow process creating a winning culture but games like Thursday night are how you begin to build that foundation.