Dirty play costs CSU their moral victory on Saturday night in Boulder

Colorado State fell to 0-2 on Saturday night, losing a 43-35 heartbreaker to Colorado in double overtime. Rams fans will view it as a moral victory, however, given that their team entered the game as a 24-point underdog.

CSU didn’t buckle under the pressure. They weren’t intimidated by Coach Prime, Shedeur Sanders, the Folsom Field crowd or the star-studded audience in Boulder.

The Rams deserve a ton of credit for playing extremely well in a tough environment. Jay Norvell had his team ready to play, especially considering the spotlight the head coach put his team under with misguided comments earlier in the week.

But in the end, Colorado State came out on the short end of the stick. And not just on the scoreboard.

It was bad enough that they blew an eight-point lead with 2:06 to go, allowing CU to march 98 yards in 90 seconds to tie the game and force overtime. The Rams had a 99.4% chance of winning prior to Colorado’s epic drive, but still found a way to lose.

That’s brutual. But it wasn’t the ugliest part of the night.

Instead, that honor went to the way the Rams played. They committed 17 penalties on the night, the result of a team that tried to compete by making the game ugly.

Norvell knocked Deion Sanders earlier in the week for wearing a hat and sunglasses when talking to adults, commenting that he wasn’t raised that way. The coach then went out and let his team play a reckless, dirty brand of football.

That’s not the opinion of a CU fan. It was the general consensus on Saturday night.

This Colorado State team plays like the prison guards in The Longest Yard. Needless to say I’m not a fan!!!!

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) September 17, 2023

Of course, the most-notable cheap shot came in the first quarter. It sent CU’s star player to the hospital.

Henry Blackburn was assessed a personal foul after this late hit on Travis Hunter. pic.twitter.com/0avKi1erLU

— ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2023

It was a hit heard around the sports world. Everyone was chiming in on social media.

Like I don’t understand the difference between targeting and what I just witnessed. I’ve seen others get thrown out for far less. That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 17, 2023

It wasn’t just that play. CSU took their shots all night long, trying to rough up the Buffs.

For a while it worked. The Rams were in the driver’s seat, poised to win the game. But CU didn’t back down. And Henry Blackburn got burned for the game-tying touchdown.

Colorado State went low in order to compete against Colorado. They got in the mud and made it ugly.

It worked for a while. But it didn’t pay off in the end.

Ultimately, it cost the Rams the win. And it even spoiled their moral victory.

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