FORT COLLINS – Colorado State and Boise State put the Mountain West on notice Saturday night.

The Broncos, plagued with instability at quarterback and the league’s third-worst mark for total offense, stunned previously unbeaten and 19th-ranked San Diego State, 31-14, bringing an echo of “boos” from the home fans at SDCCU Stadium.

The Rams? They limped their way past Nevada, 44-42, in front of a sold-out homecoming crowd of 36,765 and a national TV audience on ESPN 2.

A 14-0 advantage in favor of CSU 5 minutes, 4 seconds into the game was erased by the end of the first quarter. Less than six minutes into the second half, Nevada (1-6, 1-2 MW) took its first lead, 35-28, capitalizing on a nearly non-existent pass defense by the Rams that allowed 508 yards through the air (CSU surrendered only 56 rushing yards).

Teams seemingly destined to meet Nov. 11 for an unofficial division championship game at Sonny Lubick Field didn’t look like themselves Saturday. One appeared better than advertised. The other: vulnerable.

“Plays happen, teams score and we just have to find a way to stop them and eliminate all mistakes,” CSU linebacker Josh Watson said. “We have to move on from this game.”

Offensively for the Rams (5-2, 3-0), there were few issues. Senior and NFL-destined wide receiver Michael Gallup was targeted 16 times and caught 13 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Nick Stevens lit up the scoreboard for 384 yards and four touchdowns through the air and running back Dalyn Dawkins went over the century mark for the third straight game, posting a career-best 195 rushing yards and, including a 59-yard scamper to the end zone.

But, as has often been the case since dating back to former coach Jim McElwain’s revival of the program in 2013, the Rams’ defense failed to keep pace with a high-powered O. There was nothing they could do to slow down Nevada quarterback Ty Gangi, who finished 23 of 40 passing for 428 yards and four touchdowns.

His biggest weapon – and an Achilles’ heel to the Rams all season – was the deep pass.

Gangi completed eight passes of 20 yards or more, including touchdown strikes of 55 and 65 yards. Another one of his throws went for 70 yards. A halfback pass by Kelton Moore to McLane Mannix resulted in a 57-yard score.

“Early in the year, we did not do very well against explosive plays. We’d given up a lot of explosive plays and … we can’t give up the explosive play, and we weren’t very good tonight,” CSU coach Mike Bobo said.

“We didn’t do a good job of getting any pressure on (Gangi). We were rushing and rushing hard, but we didn’t get near him and affect him tonight.”

CSU’s defense averages better than two sacks per game but got to Gangi only once Saturday.

The defense ultimately did enough late to get the win. After Nevada took a 42-31 lead late in the third quarter, the Rams’ D held strong on three consecutive drives, capped with a pass broken up by Watson on CSU’s 36-yard line with 0:54 to play creating a turnover on downs.

“I didn’t really love it because I about had a heart attack when we dropped a touchdown and missed a field goal, but I love that our defense was the one that had to win the game there at the end,” Bobo said. “ … There are going to be people that are going to say, ‘what’s wrong with this team? They can’t do this, they can’t do that.’ We worry about what’s in our room. We go to work, win or loss, and we got to get ready to play next week.”

Entering Saturday night, CSU was favored to win every remaining game, but after a near heartbreak against the Wolf Pack and the show Boise State put on in San Diego, it’s clear the Rams will have their hands full the rest of the way.

The road to the Mountain West championship game still runs through Fort Collins, and its destiny is still controlled by CSU, but if the Rams hope to wear the conference crown for the first time in 15 years, their defense will need to make sure Saturday remains the season’s low point.