FORT COLLINS — Colorado State senior running back Jasen Oden Jr. was sick and tired of empty words and unfulfilled expectations.

“You don’t want to have to continue to give great speeches and try to motivate the players,” he said. “At some point, it’s up to the players to win. Today, we took it upon ourselves.”

Saturday, on a perfect autumn afternoon, in front of a sellout, homecoming crowd Hughes Stadium, Oden’s Rams shut up. Then they put up a dominating performance in a 38-23 victory over longtime rival Air Force.

“I can’t describe how I feel right now,” junior wide receiver Rashard Higgins said. “We have had some close games, so it’s good to see what we (can do) on offense and defense. We showed what we can happen when we come together, and how dominating we can be.”

Behind a composed, precise game from sophomore quarterback Nick Stevens, a blue-collar rushing performance between the tackles by Oden and a disciplined defense that hemmed in the Falcons’ vaunted option attack, CSU (3-4, 1-2 Mountain West) took control late in the second quarter and never faltered. Touchdowns on three consecutive possessions salted the game away.

Last season, Air Force beat CSU 27-24, taking down a team that cruised into the game with a 10-1 record. So why did the Falcons struggle Saturday?

“They’re a good team,” testy Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said of the Rams. “They played well. They played better than we did today.”

Stevens threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns, completing 23-of-30 passes. Oden rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns, bouncing off would-be tacklers en route to the end zone.

Air Force (3-3, 2-1) has owned this series of late, winning seven of the last eight games, but CSU was the better team Saturday. Air Force entered the game averaging 320.8 yards per game on the ground, fifth-best in the nation. Saturday, the Falcons gained 269 yards on the ground.

Too often this season, CSU has made crucial mistakes at crucial times, but that was not the case Saturday.

Stevens, secure in the knowledge that the starting quarterback job belonged to him — not redshirt freshman Coleman Key, who split time with him last weekend in a loss to Boise State — set the tone by playing an excellent first half. Stevens threw for 194 yards and three touchdown as the Rams passed their way to a 21-13 lead.

“I thought Nick practiced well all week and that solidified his position going into this week,” coach Mike Bobo said. “No. 1, I told him, ‘You have to go out there and believe in yourself. You have to believe you are the man, and it’s almost a borderline cockiness you need to have to play quarterback.’ I thought he carried himself in that manner all week.”

Stevens’ one mistake was attempting to force a pass to Joe Hansley at the Air Force 24 with 4:41 left in the second quarter. The pass was picked off by safety Weston Steelhammer.

That led to Jacobi Owens’ 12-yard touchdown romp for the Falcons around the right side, cutting CSU’s lead to 14-13.

The Rams came back with one of their best drives of the season — a nine-play, 90-yard march, culminating with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Hansley. It was Hansley’s second TD catch of the day, the other coming on a 16-yard pass late in the first quarter.

“That drive was huge — 90 yards,” Stephens said. “We knew we were backed up near the goal line, but we came through. That was an awesome job by the offense.”

Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or @psaundersdp

Game Balls

Nick Stevens, CSU, QB:

Made big plays at big times, throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns.

Tyree Simmons, CSU, DB: Was the game’s biggest defensive playmaker, getting a sack, forced fumble and an interception.

Jasen Oden, CSU, RB: Churned for 91 yards rushing on 11 carries (8.1 yards per carry) and scored two touchdowns.