Colorado State erases a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to shock Utah State

On By Littum

Amazing.

Stupefying.

Shocking.

Stupid.

All that and more is a good way to start describing Friday’s college football game at Canvas Stadium.

Colorado State won 42-37 after erasing a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

CSU outscored Utah State 29-7 in the fourth quarter, with Utah State’s only points coming with 15 seconds left in the game.

Utah State recovered an onside kick, but the first play after was picked off by CSU to seal the win.

Here are the takeaways from the wild CSU win to end the 2024 regular season.

A fourth quarter for the ages

CSU (8-4, 6-1 Mountain West) trailed 30-13 after a Utah State pick-six in the final minute of the third quarter.

It looked like game over Aries certainly seemed like a bad loss to end the regular season.

Then the tide turned.

Vince Brown made a short catch and ran toward the end zone to cut the deficit (Jamari Person made a sensational catch on the two-point conversion) as CSU made it 30-21 with about 13 minutes left.

Then Utah State put together a nice drive to put the game away. Or so it seemed. When the Aggies (4-8, 3-4 MW) went in for a sealing score, Ayden Hector forced a fumble and Buom Jock recovered it.

The Rams quickly marched down the field with Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi converting a key fourth down on a pass to Dane Olson. The drive ended in a 22-yard TD catch from freshman Jordan Ross on a quick screen.

That put Utah State up 30-28 with 6 minutes left.

Next? Dominic Morris made a great read on a Bryson Barnes pass as he jumped a short route and picked it off, giving CSU the ball at Utah State’s 19 with a chance to take the lead.

A few plays later, the Rams did just that. Fowler-Nicolosi kept the ball and ran in for a 4-yard TD to make it 35-30 with 2:32 left.

CSU forced a turnover on downs on the next series when Utah State’s fourth-down catch came up about a foot from a first.

The Rams had a 4th and 2 from the Utah State 26 soon after and went for the kill. Fowler-Nicolosi went on the play and connected with Brown, who went all the way for a 26-yard TD to put CSU up 12 points.

Utah State scored with 15 seconds left and recovered an onside kick, but CSU had an interception on the next play.

The 17-point comeback matches the mark from the 2023 win over Boise State.

CSU with an impressive fight back

Social media was on fire when CSU was down 17, with fans calling for Jay Norvell’s job.

That’s predictable in an ugly loss that would have been a mild end to the season after losing to Fresno State.

But the team was not ready to go down so easily. The Rams could have seen the score and known the regular season was over.

They didn’t. They fought.

There are issues that this program will have to face in the offseason, but there is also undeniable proof that this team plays hard.

This was a wild comeback win on senior day.

Memorable trip for CSU seniors

Some of these seniors have been through it all.

They finished high school during COVID when recruiting was nearly impossible.

Some started at CSU, in Steve Addazio’s wild regime. Then they went through a coaching change.

They went through a coaching change and years of losses.

Now they ended the 2024 season with one of the craziest wins. Now they finish a regular season with eight wins, the first time for the program since 2014 to have that many or more.

And next, they will play in CSU’s first bowl game since 2017.

Now CSU awaits the fate of the Mountain West championship

It is now waiting time for CSU.

The Rams are tied in the loss column with UNLV in the Mountain West standings, but UNLV holds the tiebreakers for next week’s conference title game against Boise State.

CSU would need UNLV to lose to Nevada for the Rams to get in.

UNLV hosts Nevada at 6 p.m. Mountain on Saturday (on CBS Sports Network). UNLV is a 17.5 point favorite.

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