Rams hang tough but can’t complete the upset of No. 5 Iowa

DENVER — Nobody expected Colorado State to hang with No. 5 Iowa. The Rams entered Saturday’s matchup as 23.5 underdogs to the Hawkeyes. It was just a game for a paycheck, an opportunity for the athletic department to take the $1.35 million and run. After all, the team that lost to Vanderbilt couldn’t possibly beat one of the top teams in the country, right? 

If the Green & Gold were supposed to roll over in this one, nobody seemed to tell them though. CSU gave Iowa everything it could handle on Saturday afternoon and actually led at halftime and well into the third quarter. Unfortunately for the Rams, a fumble from running back A’Jon Vivens deep in their own territory allowed Iowa to tie the game at 14 apiece about halfway through the third. And from there Iowa was able to wear the Rams down and ultimately put the game away.

But the truth is despite ultimately falling to the 5th ranked team in the nation, CSU challenged Iowa in a very significant way; and had a few plays gone differently, this very well might have ended with one of the biggest upsets in program history. As the old saying goes, though, close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades, so the record will show a 24-14 loss.  

When the final whistle sounded at Kinnick Stadium, the Hawkeyes held a slim advantage in total yardage (278 vs. 262). However, CSU did hold Iowa to just 54 rushing yards on 32 attempts (1.7 yards per carry), in what was another stellar showing from the defensive front seven. As they have throughout the season, Scott Patchan (DE), Toby McBride (DT) and Dequan Jackson (LB) shouldered much of the load for defensive coordinator Chuck Heater. The trio combined for 18 total tackles, six of which went for a loss, and they recorded a pair of sacks to boot. 

In the secondary it was a standout day for cornerback Robert Floyd. The walk-on from Florida, turned starter, made a tremendous play on the football in the second quarter to record his first career interception. He came dang close to taking it to the house but was caught from behind. Jack Howell had another strong day at safety as well with six total tackles (5 solo).

Offensively the Rams struggled to get much going through the air without Dante Wright (WR) on the field. Losing starting running back David Bailey on the first offensive series was also less than ideal. That said, the Rams did a nice job of keeping the chains moving on third down (11-of-23), they scored on both Red Zone opportunities, and ran more plays and won time of possession as well.

There may be no moral victories in the FBS but this was an extremely gritty performance from the Rams on the road. It was the type of game that can inspire confidence and potentially turn around a season as CSU begins to enter conference play.  Ram fans should be disappointed about the missed opportunities but should feel proud about the effort their team gave in one of the toughest atmospheres in college football.