Mature Effort Leads to Easy Win for Colorado State
By Joe Morrone
Oct 4, 2014; Fort Collins, CO, USA; Colorado State Rams running back Dee Hart (10) runs the ball ahead of Tulsa Golden Hurricane defensive end Chris Hummingbird (46) in the first quarter at Hughes Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Colorado State ran their record to 4-1 on Saturday with an easy win over Tulsa at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins. The win, by itself, is not a surprise but the Rams took another step towards being a top program in the Mountain West with a very mature effort.
The game versus Tulsa had all the signs of a trap game. The Rams were coming off of a huge win over Boston College and Tulsa barely beat the University of Texas at San Antonio. Everyone was praising the Rams and talking about how far the program had come under Head Coach, Jim McElwain. The Rams could have come out flat but it was the exact opposite.
The Rams would let everyone know early that there would be no let down on this day. They scored 14 quick points to take a two touchdown lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a 42-17 blowout of the Golden Hurricanes.
Running back Dee Hart got things started with a 53 yard run to the Tulsa 11 and then finished the drive off with a touchdown run. Hart finished the game with 143 yards and two touchdowns.
If it wasn’t Hart doing the damage on the ground, it was Garrett Grayson and Rashard Higgins taking care of business through the air. Higgins set a Ram record with four touchdown receptions and Grayson continued his strong play.
This game was more that the numbers though, it was about a program taking another step. Last week, the Rams got their signature win and this week the Rams showed they are ready to be the hunted.
It’s easy to be that team that comes from nowhere and upsets a big favorite. There’s no pressure in those games. It takes a level of maturity to understand that teams are now coming after you. The Rams did not need to play their best game to beat Tulsa on Saturday but if they had taken them for granted, then we are writing a whole different story.
The Rams are contenders for the Mountain West Title now and contenders do not lose home games to inferior teams. After jumping out to that 14-0 lead, the Rams kept the pressure on and led 28-7 at the half. Tulsa knew from the onset that they were overmatched and out classed, and that’s the number one thing to take out of Saturday’s win.
McElwain has rebuilt this program but now he is teaching them how to be the hunted instead of the hunters, and the Rams passed another big test this weekend.