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The Colorado State Rams fell 61-50 to the Idaho Vandals in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Thursday night in Boise, Idaho. The postseason game marked the Rams’ fourth consecutive bowl appearance, and their 7-6 final record gives the Rams a winning record for the fourth year in a row.
The Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 52-yard touchdown pass from junior Nick Stevens to sophomore wideout Olabisi Johnson on the first play of the second quarter, but struggled from that point as the Vandals scored 41 unanswered points. Colorado State had an offensive outburst in the fourth quarter, scoring 36 points in just over five minutes of possession time, but ultimately couldn’t overcome its early struggles. The Rams allowed 606 total yards on the night and turned the ball over three times.
“It’s a disappointing finish to our season,” Head Coach Mike Bobo said following the game. “We did not play very disciplined, we lost our composure, and we did not handle the elements well. Sometimes you get your butt whooped. That’s life. But I have zero doubt in where we’re going as a program, and I have zero doubt about how we’ll get there.”
Johnson set the all-time CSU record for receiving yards in a game with 265 yards on seven catches, to go with a pair of touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Michael Gallup pulled in six catches for 108 yards and three touchdowns, while junior running back Dalyn Dawkins rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Stevens passed for 445 yards—a figure that rests just four yards short of the CSU single-game record—and tied his career high with five touchdowns.
“Bisi Johnson is a guy that came to work every day at practice and I’ve mentioned several times is improving,” Bobo said. “We knew he was going to have his day, and he had a good day today. I’m proud of the way he kept competing, and I’m proud of the way he locked in and continued to try to make big plays.”
Sophomore linebacker Josh Watson led the way for the Rams defensively, recording 10 total tackles, followed closely by senior linebacker Kevin Davis who logged nine stops and a tackle for loss. True freshmen Jamal Hicks and Toby McBride each recorded a sack in a starting role, to go along with five and two tackles, respectively.
