FORT COLLINS — The chip Jack Howell carried around on his shoulder for the past week didn’t weigh him down. In fact, it inspired him and his Colorado State teammates. “No one hung their head,” the senior linebacker said after Colorado State’s impressive 31-24 win over San Jose State on Saturday afternoon at Canvas Stadium. “We see everything that everyone writes about us, right?” Howell continued, referring to the feedback after the Rams’ gut-wrenching, double-overtime loss at Oregon State. “That just puts a chip on our shoulder. This team is fired up. … This team is well-knit. I think you could see that today.” You certainly could. The Rams didn’t just beat the Spartans, they finally proved they could close the deal against a quality opponent. “The quality of our football team has got to show up now,” coach Jay Norvell said after CSU improved to 3-3 and won its Mountain West Conference opener.. “All of the things we have been working on for so many months, we’ve got to show in these moments.” There were several of “these moments” on Saturday, none bigger than the victory-sealing, 62-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to receiver Armani Winfield late in the fourth quarter to extend CSU’s lead to 31-21. “First of all, I saw that their ‘backers were blitzing, so I knew the shallow route was going to be open,” said Winfield, who caught six passes for 108 yards. “I was expecting to get the ball. Once I saw the green grass in front of me, I started running faster than I have ever run before.” He got help from receiver Dane Olson, who made a critical downfield block. When star wide receiver Tory Horton went down with a left knee injury late in the first half, Winfield knew he had to step up. “Tory is a major piece of our offense, and once he went down, you could tell the coaches started looking around, hoping someone would make a play,” Winfield said. “Once I made my first play, I knew I was going to be able to step up.” Colorado State wide receiver Armani Winfield tries to stay upright as San Jose State defensive back Amir Wallace latches on during the Rams’  game against the Spartans at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins on Saturday. (Photo by Alex McIntyre/Special to The Denver Post) Horton came back in briefly in the second half but he was limping noticeably. Norvell said Horton would undergo an MRI on his knee. The Spartans entered the game 10-2 over their past 12 games and had won eight straight Mountain West games dating back to last season. But the Spartans committed 12 penalties for 103 yards, while the Rams made big plays in the big moments. Plus, the Rams eliminated the mistakes that cost them so dearly last Saturday. Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (16) runs in for a touchdown during the Colorado State Rams football game against the San Jose State Spartans at Canvas Stadium at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Photo by Alex McIntyre/Special to The Denver Post) “Speaking for myself, I 100% felt like I had the best communication I’ve had all season, with my receivers, my O-line, everybody,” Fowler-Nicolosi said after completing 22 of 30 passes for 269 yards, with one TD and one interception. At one point, he completed 16 consecutive passes. A two-play disaster late in the first half threatened to turn the Rams’ day from promising to troubling. First, Horton went down with his leg injury. Second, San Jose State turned a Rams turnover into an 85-yard touchdown. CSU held a 14-7 lead and was driving for more when Folwer-Nicolosi hit Horton for a 6-yard pass across the middle to the San Jose State 19. But Horton got tangled up in traffic and lay down on the field for several minutes before he was helped off the field. On the very next play, Avery Morrow ran for 4 yards and was pushing the pile for more, but Spartans defensive end John Ward stripped Morrow of the ball. DJ Harvey scooped it up and raced 85 yards, tying the game 14-14. “That play took the wind out of our sails,” Norvell admitted. “But I was so proud with how we responded after halftime.” The Rams defense stuffed the Spartans’ first drive of the third quarter, and then the offense engineered a crisp, nine-play, 91-yard drive for a 21-14 lead. Four big plays fueled the drive: Jalen Dupree gashed the Spartans for a 20-yard run; Folwer-Nicolosi found Winfield for a 12-yard pass; Morrow busted up the middle for a 25-yard gain to the San Jose 17; and tight end Vince Brown II caught a short pass and rumbled for a 13-yard gain to the 2-yard line. Morrow finished the job with a 2-yard TD run, taking a direct snap and plowing up the middle. Morrow rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries. CSU extended its lead to 24-14 on Jordan Noyes’ 58-yard field goal with 8 minutes, 35 seconds left in the game. The Spartans responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took just 3:28 off the clock to cut CSU’s lead to 24-21. Floyd Chalk IV rushed 21 yards for the score, breaking three tackles along the way. But the Rams responded with the 62-yard Fowler-Nicolosi TD pass to salt the game away Colorado State running back Avery Morrow reacts as he runs into the endzone for a touchdown during the Rams’ game against San Jose State at Canvas Stadium on Saturday. The Rams defeated the Spartans 31-24. (Photo by Alex McIntyre/Special to The Denver Post) Related Articles College Sports | CSU Rams vs. San Jose State football: How to watch, storylines and staff predictions College Sports | CFB media: Analyzing Pac-12 TV ratings on The CW (and what it means) College Sports | Keeler: If Jay Norvell’s CSU Rams can’t stop committing penalties in close games, there’ll be more Oregon State heartbreaks to come College Sports | CSU Rams vs. Oregon State football: How to watch, storylines and staff predictions College Sports | CSU Rams used bye week to get healthy Colorado State’s opening drive was nearly perfect. The Rams drove 75 yards in nine plays, with Morrow finishing it off with a 2-yard run. The key play was a 32-yard strike from Folwer-Nicolosi to Jamari Person. The Spartans tied the game on a terrific 27-yard TD reception by Nick Nash, who caught Emmett Brown’s pass in traffic to finish off a nine-play, 77-yard drive. However, CSU limited Nash, one of the nation’s most prolific receivers, to 94 yards on seven receptions. He was targeted 14 times. Howell’s thunderous hit set up the Rams’ second touchdown. The Spartans gambled on fourth-and-2 from their own 44 but Howell stuck Jacob Stewart for no gain on a short pass. Three plays later,  Fowler-Nicolosi scrambled out of the pocket, found some room, and ran for a 23-yard TD to put CSU ahead, 14-7, early in the second quarter. Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.