3 takeaways: Steve Addazio ejected, CSU football season ends in blowout for sixth straight loss

The season ended in disarray.

Six losses in a row and the head coach ejected in the final game.

That’s the final note of the 2021 season for the Colorado State football team.

The Rams were blown out 52-10 by Nevada in front of a meager crowd Saturday night at Canvas Stadium, and coach Steve Addazio was ejected in the second quarter.

Here are takeaways from the season-ending loss.

Steve Addazio’s season ends early

The second-year CSU head coach picked up two unsportsmanlike penalties in a matter of minutes, the second leading to an automatic ejection.

CSU was trailing Nevada 28-0 in the second quarter when quarterback Todd Centeio completed a pass to Trey McBride into the Nevada red zone. The play was called back for an ineligible man downfield and Addazio picked up his first unsportsmanlike flag after that penalty.

The Rams picked up a first down on the next play, but it was called back for holding. Centeio fumbled after being sacked on the next play.

During a commercial break following the turnover, Addazio was flagged for his second unsportsmanlike, which led to an automatic ejection.

He was ejected with 4:41 left in the first half and CSU down 28-0.

The rule that two unsportsmanlike penalties lead to an ejection went into place in 2016. Addazio is the second coach to be ejected for it, following Scot Loeffler of Bowling Green earlier this season.

Senior associate head coach and running backs coach Brian White ran the team in Addazio’s absence.

The Rams trailed 31-0 at halftime.

More: CSU football coach Steve Addazio ejected in first half of game against Nevada

Game was over early

This game was done and dusted early. Nevada (8-4, 5-3 Mountain West) went five plays for 75 yards and a touchdown (a 27-yard pass from Carson Strong to Tory Horton) on its first drive.

The Wolf Pack scored on their next play, a 54-yard pass to Horton to make it 14-0 less than 4 minutes into the game.

A Devonte Lee run made it 21-0 early in the second quarter and a Strong 11-yard pass to Romeo Dubs made it 28-0 less than 21 minutes into the contest.

The game was done as a contest by then.

Strong had the most casually superb game you'll see. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 288 yards and four touchdowns and didn't play in the fourth quarter.

Nevada tallied 528 yards of offense, including 226 rushing. Nevada's previous high rushing total on the season was 145.

The lone fun moment for CSU fans was when Trey McBride took a direct snap on a fake punt and ran for 69 yards and a touchdown. It was only the second TD of the season for the great tight end, who is a finalist for the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end.

More: CSU football's last players from Hughes Stadium era play their final game for Rams

What is next for CSU football?

At one point this season, CSU was 3-3, had won three of its last four and was battling to take control of the Mountain Division of the Mountain West.

That chance was wiped out when CSU botched a game-winning field goal attempt at the end of the Utah State game (the Aggies will play in the Mountain West title game) and the season unraveled from there.

The Nevada loss was the sixth consecutive defeat for the Rams, who finish the season 3-9 and 2-6 in Mountain West play.

During the six-game losing streak, the Rams gave up more points in each game than the week before.

Saturday’s game was the stunning finale. A sparse crowd watched CSU get run out of the stadium immediately and the head coach ejected in the first half.

Will the Rams move forward with this into next season? Athletic director Joe Parker has staunchly preached patience and Addazio has led the Rams for less than two full seasons (16 total games), but the results are alarming.

CSU is 4-12 under Addazio (3-9 in conference play). His career record is now 61-67 and Addazio is 32-51 all-time in conference play.

His buyout right now is $5 million, but it drops to $3 million on Dec. 2.

The anger from CSU fans has been and was again palpable. Tough conversations may have to be had after this game.

Opinion: How can you sell another year of Steve Addazio-led CSU football?

Follow Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle. Coloradoan sports can also be followed on Twitter. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: CSU football season ends in blowout loss with Steve Addazio ejected