“I'm proud of our team and our kids and the way that they competed”: Jay Norvell applauds Colorado State's grit in battle with Deion Sanders' Buffs
Before kickoff at Folsom Field, the Colorado State Rams were considered massive underdogs against the Colorado Buffaloes, but Rams coach Jay Norvell never counted them out. Colorado State did not fall under pressure and fought until the end, losing 43-35 in double overtime in the Rocky Mountain Showdown last night.
Rams coach Jay Norvell spoke to the assembled media after the game, praising the team's efforts and not being intimidated by the hype train surrounding the Buffaloes.
“I’m just really proud of our team and our kids and the way that they competed,” Norvell said. “It was a really good football game for sure – one of the best college games I’ve ever been a part of. I give Colorado credit. They competed hard, as well, and came back.”
Jay Norvell also said he did not want to talk about the 17 penalties that his team committed that cost Colorado State 182 yards. Despite being 0-2 now on the season, the Rams will have a lot of confidence going forward with their ability to play with a top team last night.
What should we expect from Jay Norvell and the Colorado State Rams in 2023?
Colorado State coach Jay Norvell had his team ready to play as they entered enemy territory and played well nonetheless. It seemed as if the Rams were not going to be punked out and were coming in with a bully mentality. They got into an altercation during pre-game warmups and some chippy plays throughout the game.
That was the only game they have on their schedule against a ranked opponent as of this writing, and they should have a lot of momentum from their performance. Colorado State's defense has a lot of struggles after giving up 93 points in the first two games (46.5 points per game). However, they can improve as they will not face incredible offensive teams going forward.
Jay Norvell must have learned a lot of things in the loss and was able to survive the verbal game with Deion Sanders. The Rams need to be more consistent offensively to put less pressure on their defense, which will put them in a great position to win games.
Will the Colorado State Rams win the Mountain West Conference after beginning 0-2? Likely not, but they can be a legitimate force that competes until the whistle in every game.