LOGAN –– Though a losing outcome appeared sealed for Colorado State, chaos materialized at Maverik Stadium as coach Steve Addazio’s squad nearly rode a desperation comeback to triumph.
Trailing by nine points amid a lackluster offensive effort, CSU quarterback Todd Centeio found tight end Gary Williams for a 13-yard touchdown to trim the visitor’s deficit to a mere two tallies with 3:31 remaining against Utah State.
Following a critical defensive stand, Centeio’s unit managed to seamlessly march down the field thereafter –– despite commencing the last-gasp drive at its own 15-yard line with zero timeouts and 44 seconds left.
Ty McCullouch’s timely first-down grab over the middle then pushed the Rams into field-goal range for dependable junior Cayden Camper as the clock struck 0:11.
The chance at sealing an improbable victory was there for the taking. However, after rushing the field-goal team onto the turf, Camper’s 42-yard attempt sailed wide left –– amounting to a heartbreaking 26-24 defeat for the visitors on Friday.
“A game like that really rips your guts out,” Addazio said. “As I said to our team in the locker room, we’re all upset and devastated. And we should be. We should feel like crap and it should hurt.”
Ram fans who witnessed Logan’s late-game madness will go to bed wishing CSU spiked the ball after McCullouch’s clutch grab, rather than scrambling to send the field-goal team out while time ticked away.
Regarding said scenario, Addazio described the matter as a miscommunication.
The Rams second-year coach hoped to clock the pigskin before Camper’s contest-deciding try. However, apparently, the special teams unit raced to the turf before Addazio communicated instructions.
“All we wanted to do was spike the ball,” Addazio said. “But we had to have the fast field goal team ready. So we had that ready and the guys took off onto the field. They weren’t sent, but they went. And it created that confusion at the end. But it isn’t like we weren’t set up to kick the field goal. We were set up and we just didn’t strike it.”
Whether truly a miscommunication between staff and players or not, the green and gold’s quick flight back to Fort Collins could very well feel like an eternity for the program.
“I thought we were going to spike the ball,” tight end Trey McBride said. “But it doesn’t matter. We had a chance to win and came up short…It’s frustrating. It’s heartbreaking.”
Despite trailing for the action’s majority, David Bailey’s barbaric barrage in the run game coupled with the defensive line’s bullish display allowed CSU to hang around before staging Friday’s ferocious comeback.
Scampering full steam ahead from the get-go, Bailey concluded the festivities with 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns off 30 carries.
The running back particularly provided life for the Rams in the first half upon eclipsing 100 yards and scoring for both of CSU’s touchdowns as the visitors entered the halftime locker room trailing 20-14.
Before Centeio got the ball rolling through the air during the fourth fragment, Addazio’s offense had virtually nothing to show for its efforts other than Bailey’s bruising endeavors out of the backfield.
As for CSU’s front five, position coach Antoine Smith’s defensive linemen combined for 5.5 of the squad’s campaign-most eight sacks.
Simply put, the green and gold’s defensive line made life miserable for USU quarterback Logan Ponner –– who entered the contest with a completion percentage of 70 to his name before connecting on just 17-of-31 attempts.
“We’ll take it in for what it is,” graduate Toby McBride said. It was a loss, but there were spurts of good things. The defense did a lot of good things. But we can’t hang onto one week too much. We’re moving onto Boise State now.”
It wasn’t all pretty for the Rams’ defense, though.
Namely, equating to a noticeably sloppy effort, CSU’s defense totaled a year-high nine penalties –– six of which entailed jumping offsides.
Nonetheless, regardless of the errors along the way, the Rams possessed an opportunity to sneak away from Maverik Stadium victorious. But instead of exhaling and allowing its surefire kicker to collect his thoughts, CSU panicked.
“We had a chance to overcome a lot of our sloppiness,” Addazio said. “Our two turnovers, drops, all the penalties. With all that, our kids played hard and battled back and had an opportunity to win. But we just didn’t make that happen.”
