The weird, wonky and remarkable: Most notable moments from Colorado State football’s road win

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — It truly was stunning when everyone realized it was going to be a repeat scenario.

The Colorado State football team was moving the ball (and churning) clock pretty well late on and up eight Saturday at Middle Tennessee, but somehow when the ball neared midfield, the feeling of "really??" started to take over.

Sure enough, a second week in a row with an eight-point lead to hold in the final minutes. This time CSU did, and it's a very important win for a team who wants to make a run at a bowl game (and maybe more?).

Here are some final notes, quotes and thoughts from the road trip.

The postgame scene

There really is something unique about the postgame scene of a road win like this. CSU fans sang the fight song with the team, then gathered outside the locker room.

Young fans had a chance for a close-up look at their favorite players and the random “Go Rams” shouts as players walked toward the buses makes for a fun backdrop.

“It’s awesome to have the families here. Our kids deserve it, you know. To win on the road is special,” CSU coach Jay Norvell said.

‘Victory Monday’

Norvell says he’s giving the team a day off Monday (“Victory Monday”) for the first time in his career as a head coach.

The team is mentally and physically exhausted following tough Power 5 games, the horrible death threats after the CU game and illness going through the locker room.

CSU will be a massive favorite next week against Utah Tech and will hope to rest and recover and add another win before Mountain West play.

The trick play bag

CSU went back into the bag of tricks in the first quarter. Last week, it was a pass from receiver Tory Horton to tight end Dallin Holker to stun CU.

Early in the Middle Tennessee game, I commented to the reporter next to me as CSU ran on the field goal unit: “Interesting. This isn’t CSU’s normal holder.”

Indeed, it wasn’t. Left-handed quarterback Giles Pooler slid in instead of punter Paddy Turner as the holder. He took the snap and sprung to his feet but was immediately under huge pressure. He managed to stave it off and fling a perfect pass to a wide-open Holker, who cruised to a 24-yard TD.

“Whatever it takes. We’ve kind of made a decision as a team that we’re going to go for it and kids have to make plays. We’re going to put them in position,” Norvell said. “I was really proud of Giles on the fake field goal. I thought he made a heck of a play on that. We needed it there.”

Pooler is a born-and-raised Ram from Fort Collins, and it was his first-career TD.

Speaking of Holker

Tight End U, ain’t it?

From Trey McBride to Holker. Not only was there the trick-play TD, but Holker had 11 catches for 112 yards. He had a 100‐yard receiving game for the second consecutive week, the first CSU tight end to do so since McBride opened 2021 with three in a row.

Fun fact: Holker has four touchdowns this season thrown by three different passers in Pooler, Horton and Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Who's next to find Holker in the end zone?

Speaking of Fowler-Nicolosi

It wasn’t a perfect game in his second start of the season and third career, but he again showed plenty of good stuff at QB. His pass for Horton’s first TD was an impressive work through progressions all the way across the field.

He finished 29-42 for 306 yards, two TD’s and an interception. The interception came on a perfectly thrown deep ball where his receiver simply stumbled and coughed the ball up to a DB. Otherwise, the numbers would have been even better.

Fowler-Nicolosi took some time postgame for photos and meet-and-greet with young fans.

Weird plays

There were three different very odd plays in the first half that all went against CSU.

No. 1: CSU led 10-7 when a pass into the flat seemed destined for a pick six for Ayden Hector. But he muffed the catch, and it bobbled to an MTSU receiver who ran for a first down. The Blue Raiders turned that drive into three points for a potential 10-point swing on one drive.

No. 2: First play after that drive where MTSU ties it 10-10, Fowler-Nicolosi threw a bomb to an open Caleb Goodie. It was going to be a huge play, potentially even a touchdown. Then Goodie lost his feet and as he fell the ball bobbled up and into the hands of an MTSU player for an interception.

No. 3: In the final minute of the first, half a bomb was thrown by MTSU's Nick Vattiato. CSU's Ron Hardge seemed camped out for an interception but didn't get up to knock away or pick off the pass, and it was stolen away for a deep completion at the 4. That set up MTSU's TD to go into half up 17-10.

It was weird. But CSU made up for it with well-timed big plays in the second half, including Nuer Gatkuoth blowing up an MTSU trick play to force a fumble for a Mo Kamara TD. That's back-to-back weeks for CSU's defense scoring.

Injury update

CSU finished the game with walk-on Vann Schield at running back after top-two backs Avery Morrow and Kobe Johnson both left the game injured.

While Norvell said he didn’t have an immediate update or timeline, there’s concern about the injuries. Morrow seemed particularly distressed when on the field being tended to by trainers.

Schield was a star of spring ball and had 12 rushing yards and a 12-yard reception against Middle Tennessee.

“We had some great efforts by some backup kids,” Norvell said. “Vann Schield comes in and really gives us some quality running back play after Avery got hurt and Kobe got hurt.”

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on Twitter and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Most notable moments from Colorado State football’s road win