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LARAMIE, Wyo. — Reality check? CSU was already checked out.
Wyoming came to play Saturday night. The Rams came to pout. Or maybe plan, to a man, for life after Fort Collins.
If the 117th edition of the Border War was a boxing match, they’d have called it after three rounds. If it were a Broadway show, they’d have closed it at intermission.
If it was a harbinger, it’s going to be an awfully long, awfully cold final four weeks in Fort Fun.
Wyoming 28, CSU 0. And that scoreline probably flatters the Rams, who looked flat from the jump.
It was the Cowboys’ largest margin of victory in a battle for the Bronze Boot since 2010 — a 44-0 Pokes victory. That was also the last time CSU got blanked in the series. It was three hours of negative superlatives, each stacking on top of the other like poisoned LEGO blocks.
You can fake a lot of these things in this world. You can’t fake football when the administration fires the coach and sets fire to the rest of the season. You can’t fake giving a hoot in a rivalry game when you don’t.
That’s not a knock. It’s just human nature. Jay Norvell was given his walking papers last Sunday. CSU’s franchise QB, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, walked out right after him.
The pair dug a lot of the holes this program finds itself in right now, granted. But there isn’t enough talent — or brotherhood, or camaraderie or trust — left among the remaining pieces to climb out.
The lines between the NFL and the upper levels of the college game are getting blurrier by the day. But when everybody’s a free agent, that whole “checking out” thing becomes endemic.
You know how a pro locker room looks in December when the guys inside it wake up with a 3-11 record?
That’s what CSU looked like Saturday. 50 guys. 50 taxis. 50 agendas.
In the old days, a college coach — even an interim one — rarely lost a locker room entirely. Too many guys would be too worried about keeping their scholarships, never mind their snaps.
That’s gone, baby.
Thanks to the transfer portal, most of these guys are gone, too. And they already know it.
The Rams (2-6, 1-3 Mountain West) have four games left. They might well be underdogs in all of them. If Saturday was any indication, they won’t be close in many of them.
If you’re not going to show up for the Boot, when are you ever going to show up?
And if I’m interim coach Tyson Summers, here’s what I’ve got to say to reach this CSU roster and its communal wanderlust:
“You might not care about us. Or about putting something on tape for us, going forward. But you’re going to want to put something on tape for somebody, gentlemen. And I’m not playing guys who don’t want to put something on tape.”
Or something along those lines.
Owen Long? He’s got tape good enough for anybody, Power 4 schools included. After three quarters, the CSU linebacker and California native had already piled up nine stops. He collected four on the first seven Wyoming snaps of the evening.
Whatever that guy wants on the revenue-sharing market, you give him.
Whatever running back Jalen Dupree wants, best listen. Same with speedy runners Javion Kinnard and Lloyd Avant. And Tanner Morley on the offensive line.
Among underclassmen, after that?
Don’t know.
Awfully short list.
Then again, that’s how a coach gets fired.
That and CSU’s QB room right now.
If there was ever a time to ride with redshirt freshman Darius Curry (9 of 16, 112 passing yards) behind center, though, this would be it. Because with Jackson Brosseau (10 for 18, three interceptions), we’ve already seen enough. And we’ve probably already seen his peak.
With 1:52 left in the first quarter, on first down from the CSU 44, Brousseau locked eyes on wideout Tommy Maher on an “out” route up the left boundary and never unlocked them, despite an open man spilling past the hash marks. Wyoming defensive back Desman Hearns followed Brousseau’s eyes, too, stepping in front of Maher and cradling the pick at the CSU 49.
Same song. Different Hearns.
The Rams threatened to make it interesting again with 3:22 left in the half, facing a third-and-7 at their own 43 while trying to dent a 14-0 Wyoming lead. Brousseau rolled right this time, only instead of setting himself, he heaved a prayer off his back foot.
The ball, no shock, air-mailed past everybody. Everybody in green, at any rate.
Only at the last instant, Pokes free safety and former Poudre High star Jones Thomas slid under the ball before it could hit the turf for Wyoming’s second pick of the first half.
As daggers go, it was as ironic as it was painful: Thomas is the grandson of CSU legend Earlie Thomas. A Rams legacy.
With six minutes left in the first half, CSU was averaging 5.6 yards per carry on eight totes. Yet they were down 14-0. Why?
They’d managed all of two passing yards. Two.
At the half, Brousseau had completed four of eight throws for 18 yards. CSU had logged 62 offensive yards as a team. Wyoming had 228, and led 21-0.
Same song. Different curse.
Both rivals brought new play-callers to the Border War. But only one side really showed it.
While the Rams were shaking things up this past Sunday and Monday, Wyoming kept pace. After a 24-21 loss at Air Force, Sawvel demoted Jay Johnson from offensive coordinator to analyst.
Enter Jovon Bouknight. And exit huddles. Wyoming’s opening drive stalled at the Rams’ 37. The Cowboys’ second punch, alas, landed. The Pokes marched 67 yards on 12 plays, capping the jaunt on backup QB Landon Sims’ keeper in the end zone from a half-yard out with 2:43 to go in the quarter.
Turns out that was enough. When Summers signed up to try and right a 2-5 ship, nobody told him it was the Titanic.
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Originally Published:
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Sean Keeler
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