Colorado State running back Avery Morrow (25) runs out of bounds near the goal line against Air Force in the first quarter at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post/TNS)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Tribune News Service) — Air Force didn’t let Colorado State get out of this place without a fight.
A hail Mary on the final play was batted away in the end zone, allowing the Rams to leave Falcon Stadium with a 21-13 victory on Saturday night.
The win snaps a seven-game losing streak in the series. It was CSU’s first win here since 2002. And it came in what could be their last trip here for years — even decades — as the teams will part ways, with the Rams joining the Pac-12 in 2026.
For a while in the fourth quarter, it seemed the Rams might not escape a curse in this building.
Or maybe Air Force had simply had enough.
“We’re fighters,” said Falcons senior safety Camby Goff said. “We fight to the last minute.”
The Falcons trailed 14-0 at halftime and 21-0 with 12 minutes remaining when the rally began.
A 32-yard Tylor Latham touchdown — courtesy of a few defender-shaking moves — put Air Force on the board with 11:49 remaining.
The Falcons got the ball back and drove 73 yards, with quarterback John Busha capping it with a 1-yard touchdown.
“We were rolling; we were playing free,” said fullback Dylan Carson, who ran for a team-high 60 yards. “It wasn’t uptight. We got the ball going, we were moving the ball downfield, and we were playing with a little fire, a little passion. And I think that’s the best time you can play football is when you’re nice and free.”
Busha, who started the first five games, was back in after an injury to Josh Johnson. Johnson made his first start after Quentin Hayes, who started last week, was hurt in practice.
That’s kind of how this season has gone.
The Falcons (1-6, 0-4 Mountain West) attempted a 2-point conversion when trailing 21-13. Coach Troy Calhoun explained that since percentages of 2-point tries are around 45%, there was a good chance they would make at least one. Had they made the first, another touchdown would have simply required a PAT.
“When it doesn’t work, you take the bullet,” Calhoun said.
After another stop, a turnover and another stop, the Falcons took possession with 1:47 remaining and no timeouts. Busha, who threw for 175 yards and a touchdown on 10-of-25 passing with two interceptions, put the ball in the end zone, but it was swatted away.
“I think it’s definitely going to sting,” Carson said. “Nobody on the team wants to be 1-6, but the improvements we’re making are substantial. Some teams, when they’re down this low, they’re just going to quit on themselves and everybody else. But we believe in ourselves.”
This is the latest in a string of teams that have broken streaks against Air Force in what is clearly a down year for the program. Navy snapped a four-game skid. New Mexico ended a five-game drought. Now, Colorado State has snapped a seven-game losing streak in the series.
The difference here is that the Rams aren’t coming back.
Colorado State (4-3, 2-0 Mountain West) quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi threw for 178 yards and put a punt down at the Air Force 1-yard line. Running back Kobe Johnson threw for a touchdown, Averay Morrow ran for 132 yards, and Caleb Goodie caught three passes for 103 yard and a touchdown.
It looked like the Rams were going to run away with this. They didn’t. And for an Air Force team searching for positives, that was the easy takeaway.
“We’re really close,” Goff said. “We can do this thing.”
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