CSU set to begin conference play with offensive stars shining – The Denver Post

Colorado State will be the last Mountain West team to begin conference play when the Rams travel to Logan, Utah on Saturday to face Utah State.

Coming off back-to-back wins over Middle Tennessee and Utah Tech, the Rams have both confidence and momentum heading into their eight-week league slate, mostly thanks to an offense finally hitting its stride.

Case in point, the Rams’ passing game is one of the best in the nation, with quarterback Brandon Fowler-Nicolosi, receiver Tory Horton and tight end Dallin Holker among the national statistical leaders in several categories.

“We just have some players that are special and when they get their hands on the ball, good things happen,” CSU head coach Jay Norvell said. “So, we’ve just got to continue to put the ball in their hands and let them make plays and do what they do. I think Brayden has a lot of confidence in those guys, but we can certainly grow. We’re still not really scratching the surface of what we are capable of as a team.”

Since taking over for Clay Millen in the Rams’ season-opening loss to Washington State, Fowler-Nicolosi has passed for 1,358 yards and 11 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

Last week alone, he passed for 462 yards, the third-highest single-game total in CSU history and the most ever by a freshman. It was also the highest total in the country last week, enough to earn him Mountain West freshman of the week honors.

But even with his success since taking over the starting job, Fowler-Nicolosi knows there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“The coaches and the dudes around me have done a great job showing me it’s not all about me trying to make big plays and score touchdowns,” Fowler-Nicolosi said. “I think there’s a lot of room to grow, but sometimes it hurts me and sometimes it benefits me, so I’m grateful for it and I’m trying to get better every day.”

It helps that Fowler-Nicolosi has two targets earning national attention as well in Horton and Holker. Both have made significant impacts in an offense that is beginning to live up to the Fort Air Raid nickname Norvell and offensive coordinator Matt Mumme brought with them from Nevada.

Horton leads the nation in total receptions (45) and receiving yards per game (125). His 227 receiving yards last week were the seventh-most in a single game in CSU history. His three touchdown receptions gave him six on the season. His three-touchdown performance against Utah Tech last week made him the third player in CSU history to have multiple three-touchdown games.

Holker leads the nation’s tight ends in receptions (26), receiving yards (362) and touchdowns (five).

“I just think he’s getting warmed up, I really do,” Norvell said of Horton. “I think I’m foolish if we don’t call his number and get him the ball. To me, that’s what coaching is. When you have good players, you have to put them in position to do what they do well. Same thing with Dallin. Dallin’s a special tight end. We’ll just continue to give those guys opportunities. I think we have some of the best receivers in this conference. Now we have to go prove it.”

The Rams have also shown their explosiveness. They have had 19 plays of 20 yards or more, including Kobe Johnson’s 98-yard kickoff return in the season opener. Fowler-Nicolosi has initiated 16 of those plays, with six going to Horton and Holker each.

On the heels of last week’s 586 yards of total offense, the Rams will look to continue their offensive success against a team they haven’t defeated since 2017. CSU has lost the past four meetings against Utah State, including last year’s 17-13 defeat at Canvas Stadium.

However, the Rams have won their last two conference openers, and a win Saturday would not only match the team’s victory total from last year but set the tone for the remaining seven Mountain West games that will follow.

“We’re excited about starting conference play,” Norvell said. “We had four important nonconference games that kind of gave us an idea of what we have as a team. Now we go to Utah State. They have played a lot of high-scoring games and they’ve had to come back in the second half and win. We’re going to have to go play our best football. We’re going to have to play four quarters and we’re going to have to play with detail.”

Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Logan. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

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CSU set to begin conference play with offensive stars shining – The Denver Post

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