After weeks of frustration and heartbreak, Colorado State finally delivered a night its head coach will never forget. Following the game, Jay Norvell sat before the assembled media and let emotion take over. It was a mix of relief, gratitude, and faith from a coach who had spent weeks climbing through adversity before his team’s breakout performance.
“I’m just very grateful,” Jay Norvell said, his voice heavy with sincerity. “This ball…Jesus Christ got a game ball tonight. It’s the last thing we talked about when we left the locker room. I’m very, very proud that we can do this.”
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This wasn’t just any win, it was a 49–21 throttling of Fresno State, and it came with a huge number of starters sidelined. The Rams dominated from the opening series, scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions and never letting the Bulldogs back in the game. The defense forced four turnovers, including a Paul Tangelo fumble return touchdown that sent Canvas Stadium into a frenzy. It was the kind of all-phases performance Norvell had been chasing all season.
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The night before the game, his message to the team had been clear and defiant. “The Cavalry is not riding in to save us,” he told his players. “We have to save ourselves. We have to make plays. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us.”
When the final whistle blew, the emotion poured out. “We play the one sport where people can see your soul…If you can’t appreciate this football team’s soul, then you’ve got a problem. And I’ll say that out loud every day and twice on Sundays,” said Norvell.
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