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It was desperation. It was gutsy. It was a thing of beauty. That was what Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson’s 46-yard pass to Rashard Higgins from Colorado State’s 32-yard line with a minute to go in regulation was all about.
Grayson knew he had to come up with a big play. He had no interest in playing it safe and going to overtime. Not after he was battered and bruised by Utah State all game long. That’s why he decided to throw a long pass. He had nothing to lose.
That decision paid off. It was good enough for Colorado State kicker Jared Roberts to be in a position to kick the game-winning 46-yard field goal. He did just that to help the Rams get a 16-13 victory over Utah State last night at Hughes Stadium.
It was a rewarding game for the CSU senior quarterback. He was sacked eight times in the game. He was out of sync with his receivers. He had a hard time throwing to Higgins with Utah State’s defense smothering that tandem.
It could have been easy for Grayson to be frustrated. Being sacked under pressure all game long can wear down a quarterback. But that’s not what he is about.
Grayson has that intangible that reflects what third-year Colorado State coach Jim McElwain wants from his players, which is toughness. It is about handling adversity as well as possible. It is about rising to the occasion.
Toughness is important when it comes to the role of a quarterback. This intangible represents what a leader should be. It is an it factor that can’t be taught. Either he has it or he doesn’t. Grayson has, and that was evident after being knocked down yet found a way to win. His 46-yard pass to Higgins set the game-winning field goal shows he will find a way to get it done even when he is struggling.
Grayson is an extension to McElwain. He is molded into the coach’s image, which is being mentally tough when the going gets tough and playing smart. He showed that against Utah State.
In the stat world we live in, football fans and fantasy football owners are caught up with how many yards a quarterback has to throw. They measure greatness of a quarterback based on whether or not he can throw for great numbers. It’s a ridiculous standard they have.
Fortunately, football coaches don’t look at it that way. They have more of a clue of what is a good quarterback than your average couch potato football fan.
McElwain was Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator for four years, and he learned from his boss about what is the standard of a good quarterback. He knows it’s not about throwing for high number of yards. It’s about having a quarterback being opportunistic in making plays when he has to. It’s about playing smart. That’s why he has an appreciation for Grayson.
Grayson will never be Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota or highly touted college quarterbacks. He is never going to be pretty to watch. That’s okay. As long as he knows how to lead the Rams to victories like he did against Utah State, that’s all that matters.
The Rams have a quarterback that knows what he is doing. He has been an integral part of Colorado State’s progression with his improved play under McElwain. He has engineered a comeback victory against Boston College this season after the Rams trailed 21-14 in the fourth quarter. He has showed no one can count him and Colorado State out in the game even when they are behind.
Grayson’s play is why CSU has a shot to win all out and win the Mountain West Conference.
With many more games to go, he will be must-watch TV. Everyone will be intrigued to see if he can continue his fine run. They want to find out if he can continue to engineer comebacks. With Colorado State being on the way up, he will be watched closely. He has many moments to accomplish this season as the stakes get higher.
Who knows? Maybe he makes an impression to NFL scouts where he can be drafted late.
Grayson has made an impression to his teammates and his coaches.
He showed he has the resolve to be a winning quarterback.
His story could only be the beginning of what could be a good future in the next level.
Contact or Follow Leslie Monteiro: @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
