Hauss Hejny delivers exactly what CSU football fans needed

One by one, Hauss Hejny stopped for a picture. Selfie after selfie, Hejny smiled and posed. "Welcome to Fort Collins, thank you brother," one fan said to the Colorado State quarterback. It's a sentiment you could feel. Colorado State football fans have been desperate for hope. For something to believe in. For play to believe in. Ram fans found it Sept. 5 in an impressive 35-13 win for CSU over rival Wyoming in the Border War. It was the perfect start to the Jim Mora era. It's one game, with mistakes to clean up and a final scoreline that hides the jeopardy that was very real early in the fourth quarter. But there was a lot for fans to find hope in. Mora has preached for months about creating chaos in preseason to have players ready for it in games. And the team responded to setbacks. The Tyson Summers defense was dynamic in creating four turnovers and holding Wyoming to 0-9 on third- and fourth-downs combined. CSU, so often the team that wilted late in games, won the fourth quarter of a rivalry game 14-0. But, as cliché as it is to turn to the quarterback, it's the play of Hejny that will send sparks of excitement through a fan base. CSU's last decade has been filled mostly with bad offense and bad QB play. The promised Fort Air Raid of the Jay Norvell era rarely took off as Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi plateaued early and then left fans frustrated. The QB who followed Fowler-Nicolosi at Aledo High School in Texas was Hejny and he follows him now at CSU. And Hejny gave fans reason to hope. He's a dynamic athlete, but only ran in occasional moments against Wyoming. Passing? He was controlled and excellent. He made his reads, worked through progressions and found open receivers. Five touchdown passes. "I don't think I've ever done that before, so that's cool," Hejny said. He finished a cool 23-33 (70%) for 214 yards. But he understated his performance, challenging a question suggesting it was a top-tier game. "Shoot, I wouldn't say it was a great one. I had five TDs, Coach (Pryce) Tracy put me in good position to capitalize on red zone touchdown passes. I really just did my job on those play calls," Hejny said. "I definitely had a lot of missed throws tonight I wish I had back." That demeanor will be music to the ears of CSU fans who hope this isn't a false dawn of a performance. Heck, Hejny even made the best catch of the day. Yes, really. On an early trick play, receiver Terrence Smith lobbed a pass up for Hejny in tight coverage and he knew it was danger, so he fought to earn a pass interference call (he did) but ended up coming down with a wild reception. "That was just a lucky catch," he said with a laugh. What's most notable? This was Hejny's first full game as a college QB. He redshirted in 2024 at TCU, only coming in for occasional rushing attempts. He started Game 1 in 2025 at Oklahoma State and led two TD drives before breaking his foot and missing the rest of the season. His first play against Wyoming was just his 23rd play in college. He led two TD drives before being injured last season, so seven of the 13 drives he's led in college have ended in touchdowns. "I'll tell you what the most impressive thing about Hauss was, was his composure, his poise and his command of the game," Mora said. "His command of the situations in the game, in terms of clock management, down the stretch. His ball security, the way that his players, his teammates responded to him in the huddle." Hejny and the Rams put on a show. It gives Rams fans a reason to believe. Sports reporter Kevin Lytle can be found on social media on X, Instagram and Threads @Kevin_Lytle and on Bluesky.