The clash between the Colorado State Rams and Coach Prime-led Colorado Buffaloes started well with a 3–0 lead for the CSU. However, for the Rams, things took a turn for the worse quickly as they ended up losing 28–9, despite showing promise early on in their running game performance.
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Following the loss, in his evaluation after the game, CSU head coach Jay Norvell didn’t mince words and provided an honest analysis of his team’s downsides. Understandably frustrated, Norvell pledged to “either get players better or replace them; It is that simple” – a strong message for the urgent call for improvement.
The Rams came out strong in the beginning and gained momentum against the Buffaoles’ defense with their running game. However, the momentum shifted swiftly and CSU’s offense faced challenges in finding their rhythm in their passing plays.
Talking about the quick momentum switch, Norvell was quite candid in his assessment and acknowledged that his team fell short when it counted the most. “We ran the ball well early but we weren’t good enough in the passing game,” he said.
Norvell was also concerned about not being able to create openings and failing to capitalize on opportunities.
Besides, the Head Coach was upset with the performance of his offensive line and did not hesitate to mention that his quarterbacks frequently had to scramble when under pressure. “We were running around a lot,” he continued pointing out the inconsistency in protecting the pocket.
The unstable situation led to consequences as the Rams struggled to capitalize on chances in the red zone where completing drives became a recurring problem. Now, with this performance behind them, Norvell is looking ahead optimistically by placing expectations on their strong offensive abilities.
Norvell thinks “We’ve got to do better”
In spite of what the scoreboard showed, Jay Norvell remained optimistic about his offense’s potential, saying,
“We have some skill players that are growing in our offense.”
He put the spotlight on the roster’s abundance of up-and-coming skill players–which consists of a new Tight End and two young Wide Receivers and said, “I think we have some confident players.”
Nevertheless, the Head Coach understands that progress takes time and growth will be gradual for these emerging talents.
“Tor’s the guy that’s been here playing the most,” Norvell added–giving a nod to Tory Horton–CSU’s most seasoned wide receiver.
Yet, even with Horton at the helm, the offense scrambled to rise against the Colorado Buffaloes’ strong defense.
“We didn’t improve or get better enough tonight to win,” Norvell shared with no hesitance with a somber face, admitting to mistakes like the third-quarter fumble by Keegan Holles. Another costly mistake was when CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw an interception to Travis Hunter on a deep fourth-down attempt.
Being the HC, Norvell understands that CSU has raw talent. However, at the same time, he is aware that that potential alone won’t secure wins. The Rams thus need to grow quickly, correct their errors, and find consistency.
For Jay Norvell, improvement isn’t just a goal anymore—it has become a necessity now.
