FORT COLLINS • Honolulu isn’t exactly a place known for business trips, but Colorado State is taking one to the Aloha State next week.

In what is turning into quite the rivalry, the Rams pulled out a somewhat ugly 30-20 win over Nevada in the home finale as Jay Norvell improves to 2-0 against his former team.

“I just got done congratulating 10 seniors, but I’ve got almost as many on the other side of the field that are graduating,” Norvell said. “I got a chance to see some of those guys after the game and that was great. After last year’s game, they didn’t really want their kids talking to me, and I get it, but I was really happy to see some of those guys and let them know how much I care about ‘ em.”

It certainly wasn’t pretty, as CSU saw a 17-point lead turn into a three-point lead midway through the third quarter and former CU quarterback Brendon Lewis played his best game of the season, but a missed field goal by the Wolf Pack early in the fourth quarter turned into a touchdown on the other end, and that was enough to secure the victory.

“That’s the best I’ve seen (Nevada) play all year, and I knew we’d get a really good performance out of them and their best effort,” Norvell said. “We just had to withstand that, and they did make it a game. I give our kids credit for being resilient and playing through the fourth quarter and the rough patches of the game. That’s something they’ve learned to do, and that’s what we have to continue to do if we’re going to continue to win games.”

Senior defensive lineman Mohamed Kamara had the big sack that preceded the missed field goal in what was his final home game at CSU. The sack also gave him 30 for his career, making him just the second player in program history to reach that mark.

“Mo is just a big ball of will,” Norvell said. “He wears it on his sleeve every game. Mo’s just relentless, and that’s what people love about him, and that’s what makes him a great pass rusher.” The Rams were able to seal the win on the back of freshman running back Justin Marshall, who backed up his breakout performance with another 98 yards, and more than a few really hard runs that CSU needed in the final minutes.

“I think he’s gained a lot of confidence,” Norvell said. “For a young guy, it’s so important that he is helping the team, that he is doing his job. I’m just proud of him that he can do that here at the end of the year.

“Next week’s going to be big, too. Those runs have given us a tremendous shot on the arm.”

Everyone’s attention quickly turns to Hawaii now and a chance to make the program’s first bowl game in six years.

It’s a clear step in the right direction for year two under Norvell and an important game on the schedule for the Rams, but they know it won’t be easy. Traveling all that way has proven difficult for just about everyone in the Mountain West over the years. Just ask Air Force, who lost by two touchdowns to the Rainbow Warriors just last week.

“It’s a game we believe we should win,” Norvell said. “We’ve got to go prepare to win it, though. That’s what we’ve been trying to teach this team. If you want to be a winning program, if you want to be looked at as winners, you have to sacrifice and prepare to win.”

Changing the perception of this program has been thanks in part to Colorado natives safety Jack Howell and linebacker Chase Wilson, both of whom eclipsed 100 tackles for the season on Saturday.

“Coming into this season, I had six total wins at CSU, and that’s frustrating,” Howell said. “I come from a family that likes to win. I’m really competitive. This year, to be able to have five wins and going for our sixth and our bowl game, that’s huge. Being able to do it with this group of guys is really special to me.”

It’s all there to play for next week in a stadium more than 3,300 miles away.

“It’s all or nothing,” Howell said. “You lose this game, and your season’s over. You win this game, and we’re getting to a goal that we’ve had and something that CSU hasn’t done in a while. “We’ve just got to look at this game and know what it means to win this football game and know what it means to lose this football game, too.”

The Game

WHAT HAPPENED: Colorado State (5-6, 3-4 Mountain West) hung on for a 30-20 win over Nevada (2-9, 2-5 MW) to give the program its most wins in a season since 2017. It was a second straight win on Senior Day for the Rams, and Jay Norvell moved to 2-0 against his former team since taking over in Fort Collins.

ON OFFENSE: The Rams scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the game but had to settle for field goals, until the big pass from QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to WR Louis Brown IV extended the lead back to 10 points in the fourth quarter. Fowler-Nicolosi completed just 50% of his passes, but had 245 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman RB Justin Marshall led the way with 98 yards on 19 carries on the ground, while Tory Horton had a game-high 78 receiving yards on six catches, one of which went for a touchdown.

ON DEFENSE: CSU racked up four sacks and 10 tackles for loss as players were swarming to the ball all afternoon, despite how many plays they were on the field for.

Mohamed Kamara got a sack in his final home game in college, adding another 1.5 tackles for loss. Senior safety Henry Blackburn had a interception on the third play of the game.