Colorado State upsetting Toledo 22-6 this past weekend was unexpected. Probably even more so was special teams carrying the load for the Rams.

CSU junior kicker Cayden Camper entered the game having made only one of four field-goal attempts this season. He missed both attempts in a 24-21 Week 2 loss at home against Vanderbilt.

Camper redeemed himself the next week by hitting all five field-goal tries at the Glass Bowl, his longest being from 47 yards. He was honored on Monday as the Mountain West special teams player of the week.

“Cayden did a great job. I’m very happy for him,” CSU coach Steve Addazio said after the game. “A lot of people were asking will we still try to kick field goals, and I said yes, of course we will. He has a great leg. He was great during training camp, he just lacks game experience. This will be a great boost for him.”

Camper is the first Rams kicker to go 5 for 5 on field goals in a single game since Jeff Babcock hit the same mark in a victory over Virginia to begin the 2002 season. That year the Rams went 10-4 and won their most recent Mountain West Conference championship.

Camper has made 6 of 9 field goals this season and 12 of 22 in his career. He has made all 23 of his point-after attempts, including one at Toledo.

Camper joined Colorado State as a walk-on from Pueblo. He made first collegiate appearance at Arkansas, hitting two field goals and converting all four PATs. His longest career kick went for 50 yards against UNLV.

Camper only appeared in one game last season for a kickoff in the final game of the season at San Diego State. Robert Liss, a freshman walk-on, served as the primary kicker and made 4 of 7 of his field-goal attempts and all 11 PATs for the Rams during the four-game COVID season. Liss entered the transfer portal in August.

The Rams (1-2) travel to No. 5 Iowa for a 1:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff in Iowa City.