A disappointment.
That’s the easiest way to describe the Colorado State football team’s performance on Saturday night.
There was a college football atmosphere on campus. Barbecues lasted for hours and students filled the stadium long before kickoff for a nationally televised game. Rival Colorado was in town to host the first Rocky Mountain Showdown in Fort Collins since 1996.
And the football team didn’t deliver on its promise. Colorado beat CSU, while the Buffs defended the Centennial Cup with a 28-9 victory over the Rams.
Here are three takeaways from CSU’s loss in the Rocky Mountain Showdown.
Colorado States Offensive Seems Lost
What is the identity of CSU’s offense? Jay Norvell came to CSU as the Air Raid coach, but this is not an Air Raid offense. He has tried to build a physical running game this season, but that didn’t translate into much on Saturday and QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and the passing attack look lost and lacking in confidence.
Fowler-Nicolosi made a bad catch up the middle in the third quarter that led to a Colorado touchdown (Shedeur Sanders to Travis Hunter).
Later in the third quarter, he threw another interception (to Hunter). CSU fumbled inside CU’s 5-yard line in the third quarter as Keegan Holles scrambled for extra yards.
Early on, when CSU started relatively well, the Rams got into the red zone and sabotaged themselves with a bad snap that led to a field goal instead of a chance for a touchdown.
It’s a lost offense with no confidence. That’s not good for a team with a head coach who calls the plays on offense. The only CSU TD came in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided for the Buffs.
It was a weak attempt by the CSU.
The CSU’s major mistakes cast their shadows ahead
The Rams played like the lights were too bright. A late score on CU’s first touchdown drive turned a third-and-long attempt into a CU first down.
A personal foul by CSU also helped during CU’s second TD drive.
The Rams were given several ill-timed penalties. Add those to the turnovers and it was a sloppy, ugly performance. The defense continues to be put under pressure on big plays.
CSU had two unfortunate snaps in the red zone (one was captured by CU).
CSU is considered a fairly experienced team, but keeps making the same mistakes.
The pressure on the coaching staff is increasing
This was a huge opportunity for the CSU.
The school announced this week that it will move to the Pac-12 starting in 2026. A record crowd was in attendance for the first Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium.
Everything was there to create tremendous momentum.
Instead, the CSU football team has disappointed its fans. This trend has continued for many years and under several successive head coaches.
Norvell can still salvage this season. The Rams will be favored in many games and rivalry wins over Wyoming and Air Force could ease the pain of this night.
But right now, the pressure is mounting. It’s Norvell’s third year and fans are frustrated by the apparent lack of progress in the first three games of this season.
The defense, led by Freddie Banks, continues to be overwhelmed by big plays and has seemingly made little progress. Norvell’s offense looks lost.
Norvell is currently 9-18 at CSU. Yes, he inherited a disaster, but now he needs to make progress (in the form of wins).
It is still too early in the season to say that all potential has fizzled out, but the aggressive leadership of the CSU will not have enjoyed Saturday’s performance.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
