2023 Colorado State Rams football team

The 2023 Colorado State Rams football team represented Colorado State University as a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by second-year head coach Jay Norvell, the Rams played home games at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado, .

2023 Colorado State Rams football
Conference	Mountain West Conference
Record	5–7 (3–5 MW)
Head coach	Jay Norvell (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Matt Mumme (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Air raid
Defensive coordinator	Freddie Banks (2nd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Canvas Stadium
Uniform

2023 Mountain West Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
UNLV y		6	–	2					9	–	5
Boise State y$		6	–	2					8	–	6
San Jose State		6	–	2					7	–	6
Air Force		5	–	3					9	–	4
Wyoming		5	–	3					9	–	4
Fresno State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Utah State		4	–	4					6	–	7
Hawaii		3	–	5					5	–	8
Colorado State		3	–	5					5	–	7
Nevada		2	–	6					2	–	10
New Mexico		2	–	6					4	–	8
San Diego State		2	–	6					4	–	8
Championship: Boise State 44, UNLV 20
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant

Preseason

Mountain West media poll

The 2023 Mountain West preseason media poll was released on July 19. The Rams were predicted to finish seventh in the conference.

Mountain West Conference media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Boise State	433 (28)
2	Air Force	364 (2)
3	Fresno State	351 (5)
4	San Diego State	338 (1)
5	San Jose State	293
6	Wyoming	281
7	Colorado State	201
8	Utah State	194
9	UNLV	177 (1)
10	Hawaii	102
11	Nevada	92
12	New Mexico	60

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	5:00 p.m.	Washington State*	Canvas Stadium Fort Collins, CO	CBSSN	L 24–50	31,497
September 16	8:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Colorado*	Folsom Field Boulder, CO (Rocky Mountain Showdown, College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff)	ESPN	L 35–43 2OT	53,141
September 23	5:00 p.m.	at Middle Tennessee*	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium Murfreesboro, TN	ESPN+	W 31–23	19,806
September 30	5:00 p.m.	Utah Tech*	Canvas Stadium Fort Collins, CO	MW Network	W 41–20	27,932
October 7	6:00 p.m.	at Utah State	Maverik Stadium Logan, UT	MW Network	L 24–44	22,864
October 14	7:45 p.m.	Boise State	Canvas Stadium Fort Collins, CO	FS1	W 31–30	34,901
October 21	5:00 p.m.	at UNLV	Allegiant Stadium Paradise, NV	MW Network	L 23–25	22,585
October 28	5:30 p.m.	No. 19 Air Force	Canvas Stadium Fort Collins, CO (rivalry)	CBSSN	L 13–30	22,570
November 3	6:00 p.m.	at Wyoming	War Memorial Stadium Laramie, WY (Border War)	CBSSN	L 15–24	27,905
November 11	5:00 p.m.	San Diego State	Canvas Stadium Fort Collins, CO	CBSSN	W 22–19	22,033
November 18	1:00 p.m.	Nevada	Canvas Stadium Fort Collins, CO	MW Network	W 30–20	20,121
November 25	9:00 p.m.	at Hawaii	Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex Honolulu, HI	MW Network	L 24–27	11,013
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 7) - Released prior to game All times are in Mountain time

Game summaries

Washington State

See also: 2023 Washington State Cougars football team

Washington State Cougars (0-0) at Colorado State Rams (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	7	10	12	21	50
Rams	3	0	0	21	24

at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado

• Date: September 2nd
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Wind: SW at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 31,497
• Referee: Jeff Dahle
• TV announcers (CBSSN): Dave Ryan (play-by-play), and Corey Chavous (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Washington State	Colorado State
First downs	30	18
Plays–yards	556	357
Rushes–yards	90	37
Passing yards	466	320
Passing: comp–att–int	--	--
Time of possession	37:40	22:20

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Washington State	Passing	Cameron Ward	27-49,451 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Cameron Ward	13 rushes, 40 yards, TD
	Receiving	Lincoln Victor	11 receptions, 168 yards
Colorado State	Passing	Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi	13-20, 210 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Avery Morrow	11 rushes, 29 yards
	Receiving	Justus Ross-Simmons	5 receptions, 123 yards, TD

at No. 18 Colorado

See also: 2023 Colorado Buffaloes football team

Colorado State Rams (0-1) at No. 18 Colorado Buffaloes (2-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Rams	14	7	0	7	7	0	35
No 18 Buffaloes	14	0	0	14	7	8	43

at Folsom Field • Boulder, Colorado

• Date: September 16th
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. MST/7:00 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: SW at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Clear
• Game attendance: 53,141
• Referee: Mike McCabe
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Colorado State	No. 18 Colorado
First downs	24	24
Plays–yards	87-499	72-418
Rushes–yards	102	70
Passing yards	397	348
Passing: comp–att–int	35-48-3	38-47-1
Time of possession	34:37	25:23

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing	Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi	34-47, 367 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Kobe Johnson	15 carries, 54 yards
	Receiving	Troy Horton	16 receptions, 133 yards, 1 TD
No. 18 Colorado	Passing	Shedeur Sanders	38-47, 348 yards, 4 TDs
	Rushing	Dylan Edwards	10 carries, 57 yards
	Receiving	Xavier Weaver	9 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD

at Middle Tennessee

See also: 2023 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team

Colorado State Rams (0-2) at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (1-2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	10	0	7	14	31
Blue Raiders	10	7	0	6	23

at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, Tennessee

• Date: September 23rd
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 19,806
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Colorado State	Middle Tennessee
First downs	18	26
Plays–yards	378	430
Rushes–yards	33	151
Passing yards	345	279
Passing: comp–att–int	31-44-1	30-41-0
Time of possession	26:03	33:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing	Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi	30-43, 321 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Avery Morrow	6 carries, 20 yards
	Receiving	Dallin Holker	11 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD
Middle Tennessee	Passing	Nicholas Vattiato	30-41, 279 yards, 2 TDs
	Rushing	Nicholas Vattiato	15 carries, 47 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Holden Willis	9 receptions, 118 yards, 1 TD

vs Utah Tech

See also: 2023 Utah Tech Trailblazers football team

Utah Tech Trailblazers (FCS) (0-0) at Colorado State Rams (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Trailblazers (FCS)	3	14	3	0	20
Rams	14	7	6	14	41

at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado

• Date: September 30th
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 27,932
• TV announcers (MW Network): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Utah Tech (FCS)	Colorado State
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Utah Tech (FCS)	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Utah State

See also: 2023 Utah State Aggies football team

Colorado State Rams (0-0) at Utah State Aggies (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	17	0	0	7	24
Aggies	3	14	14	13	44

at Maverik Stadium • Logan, Utah

• Date: October 7th
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. MST/5:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 22,864
• TV announcers (MW Network): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Colorado State	Utah State
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Utah State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Boise State

See also: 2023 Boise State Broncos football team

Boise State Broncos (0-0) at Colorado State Rams (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	10	0	13	30
Rams	0	0	10	21	31

at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado

• Date: October 14th
• Game time: TBD p.m. MST/TBD p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 34,901
• TV announcers (FOX/FS1/FS2): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Boise State	Colorado State
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Boise State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at UNLV

See also: 2023 UNLV Rebels football team

Colorado State Rams (0-0) at UNLV Rebels (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	13	0	10	23
Rebels	0	3	13	9	25

at Allegiant Stadium • Las Vegas, Nevada

• Date: October 21st
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 22,585
• TV announcers (MW Network): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Colorado State	UNLV
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UNLV	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs No. 19 Air Force

See also: 2023 Air Force Falcons football team

No. 19 Air Force Falcons (7-0) at Colorado State Rams (3-4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Falcons	7	6	10	7	30
Rams	0	13	0	0	13

at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado

• Date: October 28th
• Game time: 5:30 p.m. MST/4:30 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 22,570
• TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst), and Brandon Baylor (sideline)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Air Force	Colorado State
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Air Force	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Wyoming

See also: 2023 Wyoming Cowboys football team

Colorado State Rams (0-0) at Wyoming Cowboys (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	7	0	8	15
Cowboys	3	7	14	0	24

at War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, Wyoming

• Date: November 3rd
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. MST/5:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 27,905
• TV announcers (CBSSN): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Colorado State	Wyoming
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Wyoming	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs San Diego State

See also: 2023 San Diego State Aztecs football team

San Diego State Aztecs (0-0) at Colorado State Rams (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Aztecs	0	0	6	13	19
Rams	5	10	7	0	22

at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado

• Date: November 11th
• Game time: 5:00 p.m. MST/4:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 22,0333
• TV: CBSSN

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	San Diego State	Colorado State
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
San Diego State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Nevada

See also: 2023 Nevada Wolf Pack football team

Nevada Wolf Pack (0-0) at Colorado State Rams (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolf Pack	3	10	7	0	20
Rams	14	6	3	7	30

at Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, Colorado

• Date: November 18th
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. MST/12:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 20,121
• TV: MWN

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Nevada	Colorado State
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nevada	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Hawaii

See also: 2023 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team

Colorado State Rams (0-0) at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (0-0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	7	3	0	14	24
Cowboys	7	7	7	6	27

at Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, Hawaii

• Date: November 25th
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. MST/8:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 11,013

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	Colorado State	Hawaii
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Hawaii	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving