FORT COLLINS — Anyone who figured that Colorado State didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hades of hanging with No. 19 Air Force hasn’t been paying attention to the spirited Rams this season.
No, the Rams didn’t shock anyone, but for two quarters they gave the undefeated Falcons all they could handle Saturday night at the snow globe formally known as Canvas Stadium. But Air Force finally got its vaunted running game going in the second half to pull away for a 30-13 victory.
Air Force controlled the ball for 20 minutes and 38 seconds in the second half, compared to just 9:22 for CSU.
The Falcons, who notched their seventh straight win over the Rams, improved to 8-0 for the first time since 1985 and kept their dreams of a New Year’s Six bowl game very much alive. Air Force has won 13 consecutive games dating back to last season, matching a 13-game streak from 1984-85 for the longest in school history.
“I thought both teams handled the elements well and it was a really spirited, competitive game,” Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. “Their guys played incredibly hard, so hats off to CSU.”
Said CSU coach Jay Norvell: “Give Air Force credit, they did what they had to do in the second half to win the game. I thought our defense played really hard, although we gave up a couple of drives in the second half. We just couldn’t respond offensively in the second half.”
The Falcons, 5-0 in the Mountain West Conference, took control in the third quarter, doing what they do best — running the football. They rushed for 61 yards on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take a 20-13 lead to open the third quarter. Quarterback Zac Larrier pushed it in from the 1-yard line for the score.
Air Force got a boost from a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty call against CSU because fans in the student section continued throwing snowballs at the Air Force bench after multiple warnings to stop.
Norvell said he didn’t understand what the officials were talking about when they announced the penalty. Calhoun said he understood why the call was made.
“I haven’t seen that (before) but I’ll tell you honestly, there is a concern there,” Calhoun said. “Because you can get ice balls and hit somebody in the head. And there had been ample heads up and warnings. It’s just unfortunate because you want the student body into it but that’s just going a step too far.”
Fullback Emmanuel Michel was the Falcons’ leading rusher, gaining 130 yards on 20 carries. He busted loose for a 53-yard run in the third quarter to set up Matthew Dapore’s 29-yard field goal and boost AFA’s lead to 23-13.
“I just stayed in my pathway, made a cut inside and found some green right there,” Michel said.
Michel added a 5-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter to ice the game for the Falcons.
It was the first snow game of Michel’s life and he loved every second of it.
“I was checking for the forecast all week,” he said. “I’m from Georgia originally and we don’t get too much snow, so I was excited for it.”
The Rams, who rushed for just 42 yards, were forced to pass to try and get back into the game late, but in the cold and snow, the passing game went mostly nowhere. CSU quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi finished with 297 yards on 28-of-45 passing, and didn’t throw an interception for the second straight game, but he had just one touchdown throw.
The Rams (3-5, 1-3) had a bounce in their stride as they ran off the field at halftime, with good reason. They dominated the line of scrimmage and outplayed Air Force, outgaining the Falcons 226-100 in total yardage.
Still, with the score tied 13-13, the Rams had little to show for their first-half dominance.
One huge turnover, forced by defensive end Bo Richter, kept Air Force on track. On second down at the CSU 32, Richter stripped Fowler-Nicolosi of the ball on a pass attempt and returned it 8 yards to the CSU 11. Three plays later, John Lee Eldridge III bounced outside for a 10-yard score to give the Falcons a 13-10 lead with 4 minutes left in the half. Mathew Dapore shanked the extra-point attempt.
“That was a big play by (Richter) and we needed it,” Calhoun said. “They had been moving the ball quite well and we had struggled a little bit. We went through a couple of series on offense, after that first drive, where they had bottled up.
“So that was a gigantic play. Bo’s a savvy player and he’s made a bunch of plays all season.”
The Rams came back to tie the game on Jordan Noyes’ 49-yard goal through the swirling snow with 45 seconds left. Midway through the second quarter, Noyes drilled a 40-yarder to give CSU a 10-7 lead.
Winning the battle of inches in the trenches gave Air Force a 7-0 first-quarter lead and it looked as if the Falcons’ ground game might steamroll the Rams again.
CSU put together a nice opening drive, but it stalled out on a fourth-and-one play at the Air Force 46. Fowler-Nicolosi tried to sneak up the middle but was stopped about a half-yard short by defensive linemen Trey Taylor and safety Jalen Mergerson.
The Falcons took over and put together a methodical, 12-play, 54-yard drive. Unlike the Rams, AFA was able to convert on a fourth-and-one play when Larrier pushed for 2 yards. Larrier finished off the drive with a slick, play-action pass to Dane Kinamon for a 9-yard TD.
But the Rams didn’t flinch, they just got even. Fowler-Nicolosi threw a perfect first-down strike downfield to Justus Ross-Simmon, who beat cornerback Jerome Gaillard for a 56-yard touchdown and a 7-7 tie.
But in the end, the Falcons showed why they remain on track for a big bowl game.
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