In the 2013 New Mexico Bowl, Colorado State came back from a large halftime deficit to win late against Washington State. In the 2014 Las Vegas Bowl, the Rams once again faced a Pac-12 opponent and fell behind early. Unlike last year, however, the deficit could not be overcome, and the Utah Utes stomped CSU on the way to their 14th bowl victory. The Pac-12's weakest offense from all season came to play and their defense shut down the high-powered air attack of Colorado State en route to a 45-10 victory.

Utah came out firing right from the get-go in Sam Boyd Stadium. A slow-developing yet highly effective double-reverse pass from Travis Wilson to Kaelin Clay set up an eventual touchdown run by Wilson. On their following drive, Wilson connected with Delshawn McClellon for a score. Garrett Grayson would lead Colorado State on a touchdown drive shortly after, eventually scoring via the air on his own following a halfback pass. Utah would quickly respond with yet another touchdown, and even with another field goal at the end of the quarter, Colorado State could never recover.

Despite their record, Utah had the weakest offense in the Pac-12 in 2014. It didn't seem that way on Saturday afternoon, as they continuously ran the ball up and down the field against Colorado State. The offenses for both teams slowed down greatly in the middle two quarters of the game, as the only scoring came in the form of 10 points across 2 quarters for the Utes. After taking a 31-10 lead into the fourth quarter, Utah would go on to completely blow out the boys from Fort Collins, Colorado. Two more rushing touchdowns in the final period extended the lead to 45-10, and Colorado State could never get back into the game.

Travis Wilson had a great day at the helm for the Utah offense. He completed 17/26 passes for 158 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, good for a passer efficiency rating of just 121.4. On the ground is where he really dominated, however, gaining 91 yards on 11 carries with 3 scores. Devontae Booker led the team in rushing yards 162, including a 60 yard touchdown run. Kaelin Clay led the Utes in receiving with 63 yards on 4 receptions.

It was a tough day for the Colorado State Rams usually-potent offense. In his final game for CSU, Garrett Grayson was frequently harassed by a strong pass rush from Utah. He finished 20/34 passing for 227 yards and an interception, giving him a rating of 109. He also caught the only touchdown of the game for the Rams. Colorado State's rushing attack was anemic on Saturday, totaling just 12 yards on 19 carries. Dee Hart led the team with 21 yards on 7 carries. Rashard Higgins led the Rams in receiving with 7 catches for 109 yards.

Utah has plenty of promise headed into next season. They will lose Kaelin Clay and possibly Devontae Booker, as well as Nate Orchard on defense, but they still have plenty of pieces to put together a very successful team. The biggest question for Kyle Wittingham's team next season will be who will take over as the starting quarterback. Travis Wilson had an inconsistent season but finished strong, however there are several capable players in waiting behind him. It will be a very interesting story throughout the 2015 season in the Pac-12. Nonetheless, this is a strong team and they will likely continue that trend in the coming year.

It is going to be a very interesting offseason for the Colorado State Rams. In terms of the team itself, they will be losing a couple strong pieces on the offensive line, as well as quarterback Garrett Grayson. They will still have Rashard Higgins on the field next season, a player who can make any quarterback look impressive. The biggest storyline for the entire program, however, will be who takes over as the head coach with the departure of Jim McElwain. Some have insinuated the next head coach will come from within the program, some have speculated it may be a high-profile assistant, like Pat Narduzzi from Michigan State. Whomever it is that takes over in Fort Collins will be charged with the task of keeping Colorado State at the competitive level they have played at in the last couple of seasons under McElwain.

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About the author
Brendan Dzwierzynski
Originally from just outside of Chicago, IL, USA, Brendan is a at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, USA. Brendan has a great deal of experience in broadcasting and journalism. He has won several awards for radio work, including the Best Sports Play-by-Play at the Columbia College Chicago High School Radio Awards, won during his senior year of high school. He currently serves as the FM Sports Director at KJHK-FM. In terms of writing, he currently writes for several publications, including VAVEL, RockChalkTalk.com (an SB Nation website), thewrestlinggame.com, as well as two personal blogs, titled Per audacia ad astra and Press Box Opinions (sports-only). Brendan is a fan of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and all teams at the University of Kansas.