FORT COLLINS — This could have been one of the worst days in Colorado State football history.
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, and a controversial overturned touchdown in the waning moments, made sure it was just a massive scare, and not a stunning upset for the Northern Colorado Bears. The Rams (1-1) survived Saturday night with a 21-17 victory at Canvas Stadium, but there will be plenty of coaching tape from this one.
“There’s a lot to learn from, I’ll tell you that,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “I mean, we wouldn’t have been in the position we we were in (to win) without our defense and the run game.
“I just wasn’t on today, didn’t have game like I usually do. It’s awesome to know I have people to lean on in that situation.”
Fowler-Nicolosi fled the pocket on third-and-10 from the Bears’ 13-yard line and dove just inside the pylon in the front-left corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 45 seconds remaining. He was originally ruled down, but a review confirmed one of the most important touchdowns in recent Rams history.
Even the ending wasn’t easy for the Rams. The Bears (1-1) moved the ball to the CSU 28-yard line, and UNC quarterback Eric Gibson Jr. appeared to connect with Carver Cheeks on a touchdown pass with eight seconds left, but it was ruled incomplete after a lengthy review. Gibson’s last-second heave into the end zone was intercepted by cornerback Jahari Rogers.
“Last week, we didn’t finish to the standard that we wanted,” Rogers said, referring to a 38-21 loss at Washington. “This week, we finished. I mean, the bottom line is Lemondre (Joe) played his heart out to the end on that play and he got it out.”
The Rams were driving for a potential go-ahead score midway through the fourth quarter, but UNC’s Andres Rodriguez forced a Lloyd Avant fumble inside the Bears’ 30-yard line, and linebacker Sione Tuha recovered with 5:27 remaining.
That was the fifth turnover of the game for Colorado State. The Rams also committed 10 penalties, including one that put UNC in a position to nearly steal this one in the final seconds.
“I was just very disappointed with how we were playing,” CSU coach Jay Norvell said of his emotions during the review. “I was just disappointed that it got to that point, because I know we can play much better. I told the players and the coaches that our responsibility is to play up to our ability. And we didn’t do that tonight.”
Colorado State’s last gasp started at the Rams’ 23-yard line with 3:49 remaining. It had been a day to forget for Fowler-Nicolosi, CSU’s third-year starting quarterback, but he saved his best work for the final drive.
The redshirt junior completed four passes, caught one on a trick play from Tay Lanier and ran for the deciding score on the drive. He finished 13-of-25 passing for 132 yards with an interception.
“I think a lot of that is on me,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “Something was off today. I think the receivers and I will get on the same page. I’m not super concerned with it.
“We’ll go watch the film and learn from it and get better.”
For the Bears, it was very nearly the biggest win for the program since moving to the FCS level. UNC played this game without its starting quarterback, Peter Costelli, and leading rusher from Week 1, running back Mathias Price.
But an Aliou-Rocco Traore 1-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter made an upset feel possible.
“The longer the game goes like that, we knew we would have a great opportunity to win,” UNC coach Ed Lamb said. “I think we put ourselves in a position to win. It didn’t work out today.
“I’m so impressed with the effort our players gave and the clutch moments where they delivered and put themselves in a chance to win the game.”
Colorado State got a break on the second play of the second half when UNC quarterback Eric Gibson fumbled on a rush to the right and Rams linebacker Owen Long recovered at the Bears’ 12. Avant scored from two yards out after a pass interference call in the end zone, and CSU cut UNC’s advantage to 10-7 after just 1:37 of play.
However, if the first half wasn’t enough to scare the Rams into believing an upset was plausible, UNC answered CSU’s first touchdown with an impressive scoring drive. When Traore scored on a 1-yard dive, it capped a 13-play, 75-yard march, and the Bears restored a double-digit lead at 17-7 midway through the third quarter.
Avant’s second touchdown of the game brought the Rams back within a field goal again with 1:25 left in the third quarter.
The best thing that happened for Colorado State during a disastrous first half was that it ended. UNC led 10-0 at the break.
Fowler-Nicolosi lost a fumble and threw an interception. Tommy Maher muffed one punt deep in his own territory and fumbled at the end of a long return on another. Isaiah Hankins missed a 46-yard field goal. The Rams didn’t convert on fourth-and-short in the red zone.
“Yeah, I’m surprised. I’m surprised we didn’t play better and execute better earlier in the game,” Norvell said. “Our goal was to play efficiently, we certainly didn’t play efficiently — especially offensively and in the passing game. We have to go back and look at that and evaluate why that didn’t happen.
“(Fowler-Nicolosi) missed some throws early in the game. He didn’t have a good night, that’s for sure. We’ve got to look at that. He knows he’s accountable and he’s got to play better.”
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