After giving up a combined 118 points over the previous two weeks, a defensive masterclass was not on my bingo card for the Cougs’ trip to Fort Collins—but it sure was a welcome sight. As an optimistic person, I’d love to say I expected us to win this game, but if I’m being honest, I was just hoping we’d be competitive. After a couple of tough results, I wasn’t sure where the team would be morale-wise. What I can say, though, is these guys care, these guys play hard, and that’s a great sign of the leader Jimmy Rodgers is.
What changed for the Cougs to pull this out?
Defense!
Can anything else be more important than this? No way. My expectation going in was simply that we could hold them under 30 and win in somewhat of a shootout. Instead, we held them to three points. A couple of moments stood out: stopping them three straight times on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-and-1 late in the second quarter; #53 Soni Finau coming up with back-to-back monster sacks to force a turnover on downs; and overall, our best tackling performance since the San Diego State game. According to PFF, it was also our best coverage-graded game of the season. The coaching staff had a great plan, and the players went out and executed it. Awesome job, fellas!
Winning the turnover battle
After coughing it up eight times over the last two weeks, it was no secret that turnovers were a major focus for the coaching staff. Seeing a zero in that column was essential. On the other side, the defense forced its first turnover since Week 1 against Idaho, stripping a fumble as the Rams were driving in our territory and flipping the momentum of the game. Winning the turnover battle might be the single most important stat to watch the rest of this season.
The running game got going
After just 91 total rushing yards in the last two games, 158 yards on the ground feels almost historic. This is the blueprint of how OC Danny Freund wants to manage a game. With five different rushers gaining 20+ yards, there wasn’t one star back, but the offensive line deserves a big shoutout for opening things up. Averaging over 5 yards per carry led to more manageable 3rd downs and kept Zevi from having to put on the Superman cape as often. I don’t expect 150+ yards every week, but cracking 100 will be an important benchmark for us to be successful.
This is a different team with Zevi
Zevi’s stat line (16/28, 189 yards, 2 touchdowns) doesn’t jump off the page, but I thought he was fantastic. At all times, he feels in control. He mixes in a QB sneak every couple of series to keep the defense honest, and he just throws a really good ball. It’d be nice to see the receivers help him out and make a few more plays, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Big-picture takeaway
This felt like a potential turning-point game. If the Cougs didn’t perform, the season could have started to slip sideways. Instead, the coaching staff and players sent a clear message: this season is just beginning. I’m so excited to see where it goes. Go Cougs!