MW rankings: Norvell’s Rams jump to No. 5 after big comeback

Jay Norvell finally has his first signature victory as head coach of the Colorado State Rams.

The former Nevada Wolf Pack coach saw his Rams rally from a 30-10 deficit with six minutes to play on Saturday to stun the Boise State Broncos, 31-30.

The victory, in front of 34,901 fans at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo., lifted the Rams (3-3, 1-1) four spots to No. 5 in this week’s Nevada Appeal Mountain West football rankings.

“As a coach I’m always trying to encourage my kids to continue to believe,” said Norvell, now 6-12 as Rams coach the last two seasons. “But I was motivated by them (on Saturday). They just would not fold.”

Colorado State, led by former Nevada quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, scored three touchdowns in the final four minutes. The game-winning score was a 33-yard Hail Mary pass from Fowler-Nicolosi to tight end Darrin Holker with a second left to play.

“I was pretty confident I got it,” said Holker, who grabbed the ball just before it hit the ground after it deflected off Boise State defenders in the end zone. “Then everybody came up to me and said, ‘Did you catch it? Did you catch it?’

“Then I began to second think it. But I was confident I got my hands underneath it.”

Colorado State receiver Tory Horton, another former Pack player, was confident the Rams would execute the play. “Hear me out,” Horton said. “We’ve been practicing this Hail Mary thing for so long. I told Darrin, ‘Look, it’s either going to be tipped to me or to you. I saw they (Boise State’s defense) were playing back so I was like, ‘Darrin, it’s going to go to you.’”

Holker, who transferred to Colorado State from BYU after last season, added, “That’s my job, to stand on the goal line and see what happens. It worked perfectly.”

Two of the three Colorado State losses this year were after building big leads. Colorado State led Utah State 17-0 before losing 44-24 and led Colorado 28-17 before losing 43-35 in triple overtime.

“Everybody made one mistake tonight,” Rams’ safety Jack Howell said. “They doubted the Rams. And we didn’t.”

“This is a real testament to faith,” Norvell said.

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty had 212 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries.

“This is unacceptable,” Jeanty said. “We have to finish games off.”

“There’s nothing we can say that makes this better,” said Boise State head coach Andy Avalos, whose No. 6 Broncos fell to 3-4, 2-1. “We had every opportunity to win that game. This is hard to swallow.”

No. 1 Air Force (6-0, 4-0) ran for 356 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-27 victory over No. 2 Wyoming (5-2, 2-1). John Eldridge III scored on a 58-yard run with 2:17 to play to break a 27-27 tie.

Wyoming led 14-0 after a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Andrew Peasley and a 6-yard scoring pass from Peasley to Wyatt Wieland.

No. 3 Fresno State (6-1, 2-1) outlasted No. 7 Utah State (3-4, 1-2), 37-32. Fresno’s Malik Sherrod scored on an 11-yard run with 2:19 to play to win the game.

Sherrod finished with 131 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. Logan Fife, playing for injured starter Mikey Keene, was 22-of-39 for 291 yards for Fresno State at quarterback.

“I feel a little relieved,” Fife said.

No. 4 UNLV (5-1, 2-0) rolled over No. 10 Nevada (0-6, 0-2), 45-27, at Mackay Stadium. The Rebels jumped out to a 35-7 lead to win the Fremont Cannon for the fourth time in the last six games and sixth time in the last 11 games.

UNLV has also won four of its last six games at Mackay Stadium.

“It’s big, it’s huge,” UNLV coach Barry Odom said. “There’s momentum. You can feel it.”

“This is big for the community, the city and for us,” said UNLV wide receiver Ricky White, who caught touchdown passes of 59 and 82 yards.

No. 8 San Diego State (3-4, 1-2) beat No. 11 Hawaii (2-5, 0-2), 41-34, at Honolulu. San Diego State’s Deshawn McCuin returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown.

Hawaii, though, took a 24-20 lead on the final play of the third quarter on a 52-yard touchdown pass from Brayden Schager to Nick Cenacle.

Hawaii had the ball for just under 24 minutes but had more first downs (19-17) and yards (480-378). San Diego State scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, on a 69-yard pass from Jalen Mayden to Mekhi Shaw and a pair of 1-yard runs by Lucky Sutton and Jaylon Armstead.

“Things just got away from us,” Hawaii coach Timmy Chang said. “But I told the kids that there is still a lot of season left. I’m excited for these guys. They are trending in the right direction.”

No. 9 San Jose State (2-5, 1-2) rolled over No. 12 New Mexico (2-4, 0-2), 52-24, in Albuquerque. San Jose State quarterback Chevan Cordeiro was just 8-of-17 but he threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns. He had completions of 44, 54, 55 and 61 yards.

San Jose running back Kairee Robinson had 126 yards and scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving).

The Nevada Appeal Mountain West football rankings for the week of Oct. 16:

1. AIR FORCE (6-0, 4-0). Last week: Air Force 34, Wyoming 27. This week: Air Force at Navy, Saturday.

2. WYOMING (5-2, 2-1). Last week: Air Force 34, Wyoming 27. This week: Bye.

3. FRESNO STATE (6-1, 2-1). Last week: Fresno State 37, Utah State 32. This week: Bye.

4. UNLV (5-1, 2-0). Last week: UNLV 45, Nevada 27. This week: Colorado State at UNLV, Saturday.

5. COLORADO STATE (3-3, 1-1). Last week: Colorado State 31, Boise State 30. This week: Colorado State at UNLV, Saturday.

6. BOISE STATE (3-4, 2-1). Last week: Colorado State 31, Boise State 30. This week: Bye.

7. UTAH STATE (3-4, 1-2). Last week: Fresno State 37, Utah State 32. This week: Utah State at San Jose State, Saturday.

8. SAN DIEGO STATE (3-4, 1-2). Last week: San Diego State 41, Hawaii 34. This week: Nevada at San Diego State, Saturday.

9. SAN JOSE STATE (2-5, 1-2). Last week: San Jose State 52, New Mexico 24. This week: Utah State at San Jose State, Saturday.

10. NEVADA (0-6, 0-2). Last week: UNLV 45, Nevada 27. This week: Nevada at San Diego State, Saturday.

11. HAWAII (2-5, 0-2). Last week: San Diego State 41, Hawaii 34. This week: Hawaii at New Mexico, Saturday.

12. NEW MEXICO (2-4, 0-2). Last week: San Jose State 52, New Mexico 24. This week: Hawaii at New Mexico, Saturday.