CSU continues to lose the games that matter most — Jay Norvell's biggest task is to change this

Boise State still owns Colorado State. 

The Broncos moved to 12-0 all-time against the Rams with a 49-10 beatdown of the Green & Gold Saturday night. 

In the 39-point victory the Broncos did whatever they wanted offensively and looked equally as impressive defensively. They gained 514 yards of total offense, scored on all seven trips to the Red Zone and converted on half of their third-down attempts. Conversely the Rams produced just 170 yards of offense, finished 1-of-12 on third down and ran 33 less plays than Boise State did. It was pretty much complete and total domination. 

This game was not as embarrassing as 2020, when CSU had multiple punts blocked in a 52-21 defeat, or when the Rams lost 63-13 in the inaugural matchup in 2011. It did not sting like 2017, when CSU surrendered a 28-3 in a heartbreaking 59-52 overtime loss to Boise State. It was a humbling reminder though that while there may be reason for optimism, the Rams still have a long way to go with this rebuild. 

CSU went 2-1 in the first three Mountain West games of the season and really had a good opportunity to be 3-0. In those matchups we saw CSU run the ball effectively, which in turn helped the offense stay out of third and long. The consistent run game allowed the Rams to eat up time of possession and helped the defense out with field position as well. Even if CSU did not mount a scoring drive, a lot of the time they were able to at least get a couple of first downs and flip the field. 

Unfortunately, Boise State is a different animal and the Broncos bucked the hell out of a young Rams team that continues to lose players by the week. According to Kevin Lytle of the Coloradoan, defensive back Angel King and linebacker Tavian Brown are the latest departures this fall. 

The bright side is that while this season has been difficult, CSU does clearly have some talent to build around. Clay Millen needs time to develop, like most freshman quarterbacks do, but his deep ball is a thing of beauty and his early efficiency numbers and lack of turnovers are encouraging. 

Tory Horton and Justus Ross-Simmons are home run hitters at wide receiver, Avery Morrow has been a monster in the backfield, the safety tandem of Jack Howell and Henry Blackburn continue to inspire, and that’s not even getting into all of the bright spots we’ve seen.

We could talk about recruiting, CSU currently has the top-rated class for the 2023 cycle. We could focus on community engagement or any of the other things this staff has done to reinvigorate the fan base. 

The thing is — while there is legitimate reason for optimism for the future of the program — as Mike Bobo used to say, it’s a results business. And when you lose to Boise State by four or more scores for the sixth time in the last 12 years, that’s what sticks with the fans. They’re tired of losing the games that matter and they should be. 

In games against Air Force, Boise State, Colorado, Wyoming or the postseason, CSU is 1-23 since the start of the 2016 season. Of all the things that Norvell needs to fix about this program, and there are many, this is the most important. There is nothing that matters more to the fans than these types of games, and for far too long CSU has essentially been a no-show in the biggest moments. 

Sitting at 2-6, (2-2), with games against three of the better teams in the conference still to come, the odds of CSU earning a bowl bid are slim to none. That does not mean that there is nothing to play for though.

Ram Nation is desperate for a win that truly means something. We’ll see if this young group can find a way to win a big game and give everyone something to feel good about before the end of the 2022 campaign. Seeing CSU return the Bronze Boot to its rightful home, or snapping the losing streak to Air Force would go a long way with the supporters. And it would remind everyone that college football is in fact a fun experience, not just some brutal test of everyone’s commitment.

Four weeks left, four games to show something, we’ll see what they’ve got left in the tank.