The CSU Rams persevere and win at Air Force for the first time since 2002

AIR FORCE ACADEMY – The Colorado State Rams have endured many long, grim bus rides from Falcon Stadium back home to Fort Collins.

Not Saturday night.

The Rams earned a thrilling 21-13 victory over Air Force, turning the 125-mile trip into something of a joyride.

CSU made a lot of mistakes – early and late – but made enough big plays to earn its first Academy win since 2002. It could well be the Rams' last win here for a while, as they leave the Mountain West Conference and Air Force are behind schedule when they move to the Pac-12 in 2026.

The game-winner was an 85-yard highlight reel reception by sophomore receiver Caleb Goodie that gave CSU a 21-0 lead with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

Goodie cut across the middle, intercepted Brayden Fowler-Nicolsi's pass with one hand, split the Air Force defense and sprinted the final 57 yards unmolested.

CSU needed every bit of this game as Air Force scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

The Falcons' best last-chance drive ended with CSU's Dom Jones intercepting a pass at the CSU 45 with 2:30 to play. AFA got the ball back and gave its fans some hope, but quarterback John Busha's last-second Hail Mary pass was deflected in the end zone.

On Saturday, CSU won a rivalry game for the first time in coach Jay Norvell's three years at the helm. The Rams, who improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West, took a step toward a bowl game appearance for the first time since 2017.

In fact, Saturday marked the first time in 17 that the Rams had a winning record past the midway point of the season.

Air Force, which fielded 41 players for the first time this season, had beaten CSU seven straight times and won 15 of the last 17 in the series.

The Falcons finally found the end zone on a 33-yard pass from Busha to Tylor Lathom with 11:49 to play. Busha's 1-yard TD turn capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive and cut the Rams' lead to 21-13 with 5:50 left. AFA went for a two-point conversion but failed.

CSU led 14-0 at halftime and erased the Falcons' only scoring threat on the final play of the game when Gabe Kirschke blocked Matthew Dapore's 45-yard field goal attempt.

The Rams dominated the Falcons in the first two quarters, outscoring them by a combined 233 to 101. To be honest, the game should have been a blowout, but CSU's mistakes and Air Force's strong third-down defense ensured that the game remained relatively close.