FORT COLLINS — There were times when Avery Morrow didn’t think he was ever going to play football again.

As Morrow puts it, “there were some long days and long nights” during the sixth-month period during the first half of 2023 when he was suspended and away from the Colorado State football team after he was arrested for assaulting another CSU student in January of that year.

He rejoined the team for fall camp and was eligible to play during the 2023 season while his legal issues played out off the field, but he wasn’t himself.

“I hit rock bottom, at a point,” Morrow said after a game earlier this season. “From being arrested, being out of shape and not being the player that I was supposed to be last year. I was mentally out of it. My mind couldn’t focus. I was always worried.”

After leading the team with over 800 rushing yards in 2022, Morrow had 262 yards and two touchdowns in all of 2023.

During the offseason, he was found guilty of third-degree assault and eventually sentenced to 60 days in jail, which was served through a work release program, and four years of supervised probation. As he put it, a 38-second incident nearly cost him two to four years of his life.

“I did 46 days of work release,” Morrow said. “It’s like another way of saying you’re in jail, but you’re not in jail. I got to leave and come work out, but I didn’t have my freedom, couldn’t have my phone. Those weren’t gourmet meals, I’ll tell you that. I got humbled. But through it all, I learned a lot. I took some losses, but I learned from them.”

The Seattle native knows Jay Norvell could’ve kicked off the team and out of the program at any time. But Morrow, who followed Norvell from Nevada to CSU in 2022, was given another chance by the same coach who gave him his only scholarship offer out of high school.

“I’ll never forget that and that means the most to me,” Morrow told The Denver Gazette this week. “It’s an honor for him to call my name. That’s why I didn’t want to go anywhere else when I transferred from Nevada. There’s a trust between both of us.

“I was fortunate enough to still be on the team. That’s just another thing that I don’t forget. I owe it to Coach Norvell to give it my best. I owe it to him to try my hardest. I owe it to him to win these games. I know it’s a big year for (the coaches) and their future.”

Now, as Morrow and the Rams head to Reno this weekend with a chance to move to 6-3 on the season and still with plenty of former Nevada players on the roster, Morrow has come out the other side and is arguably the most important player for a CSU offense that has completely transformed into a run-heavy, gritty unit.

Morrow recently had his streak of games with 100 or more rushing yards snapped at four, but he’s still tallied over 700 yards and six touchdowns through eight games, despite starting the season near the bottom of the depth chart.

He didn’t even play a single offensive snap in the season opener at Texas, but now he’s just 289 yards from 1,000 — a big goal of his.

In conference games, only Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty at Boise State is averaging more rushing yards per game.

Center Jacob Gardner, who arrived at Nevada at the same time as Morrow and transferred to the Rams during the same offseason, calls him ‘ol reliable.’

“I love blocking for Avery,” Gardner said. “He always runs hard, he’s always trying to learn protections and understand who he’s got. He’s just been a really solid, reliable back that the o-line trusts.”

Even when you think Morrow is out of the picture, he finds his way back into the game plan. Just like in 2022, when he was nowhere near the top of the depth chart at the start of the season. But as players ahead of him left the program during the middle of the year and others got hurt, Morrow became the Rams’ lead back.

“Avery is built from the right stuff. He’s a tremendous person,” Norvell said. “He’s been through a lot of tough times in his life, and he’s always remained positive. He’s continued to work, he’s a really good teammate and I’m really proud of him.”

Morrow credits former standout CSU linebacker Ricky Brewer, who’s now the team’s radio analyst. Brewer tested positive for marijuana during his career and it cost him an entire season of his college career. Morrow said Brewer spoke to him at the end of last season and told him when times get tough to write down how he’s feeling so he can remember what it was like.

In the midst of a career year, it’s made a world of a difference.

“Whenever I’m down, I go back and look at those sometimes and I never want to feel like that again,” Morrow said. “I did everything in my power to change that. Just doing everything I can to be the best me and not worry about the outside nose.

“I’m a firm believer in God and I know he’ll never put me in something I can’t handle. Just never quit. Quitting has never got me anywhere and that’s something that was instilled in me as a young kid. Even if it’s not the way you want it to be, just finish and you’ll be happier that you actually gave it your all.”

King’s prediction

Colorado State 27, Nevada 21

No matter how many years it’s been, anytime Norvell returns to Reno is going to be an emotional game. Add in the fact the Rams still have a few former Wolf Pack players on their roster and the team has to clinch its first bowl game in seven years and that should be plenty of motivation for CSU to take care of business in a hostile environment.

Players to watch

Colorado State: QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, DE Gabe Kirschke

Opposing defenses are going to continue to sell out to stop the CSU rushing attack with how much the offense has changed this season and with star WR Tory Horton out for the season. The key for the Rams offensively is going to be how much Fowler-Nicolosi can make teams pay on play action and with his legs. He wasn’t as accurate as he needed to be last week, but he’ll have plenty of chances to have a big game back at the site of where he made his first college start in 2022.

Nevada: RB Savion Red, CB Michael Coats Jr.

Red left last week’s game with a toe injury and his status for this week’s game is uncertain, but the Wolf Pack are going to need him if they want to have a shot at beating the Rams. Defensively, Nevada has an NFL cornerback in Michael Coats Jr.. who’s got four interceptions and nine pass breakups already this season. The Rams would be wise not to test him Saturday night.