FORT COLLINS – The game was over. The Falcons were getting hammered, and quarterback Karson Roberts had little reason to rampage out of the backfield to deliver an enthusiastic and violent block on Colorado State cornerback Tyree Simmons.

Roberts didn’t care about the situation. He had a job to do, and he did it. He leveled Simmons with a textbook, shoulder-first block on Ben Washington’s 5-yard gain on the Falcons next-to-last offensive play.

In a way, the block barely mattered. Only a few seconds remained in Air Force’s 38-23 loss. The score, like the score of Air Force’s visit to Michigan State, was deceptive. This was a rout.

And yet .

In another way, the block carried immense impact. Roberts is struggling as the Falcons starting quarterback. His pitches to running backs lack accuracy and his passes to wide receivers sometimes resemble wounded vultures.

But the desire is there. So are the experience and speed Roberts bring to his job of directing Air Force’s intricate offense.

He should remain the Falcons starter.

Yes, I recognize the temptation to jump start Air Force’s sagging season by turning to junior Pate Davis or acclaimed freshman Ryan Brand.

But neither of the backup QBs has dazzled in practice. And neither of the backup QBs has rushed for 161 yards in a Mountain West game. In 2013, Roberts led Air Force’s offense to 42 points against Nevada, busting a run for 60 yards on his way to 161 yards.

Halfback Jacobi Owens believes in Roberts. So do his teammates.

“He’s the man. He’s our guy,” Owens said. “That’s who we put our faith in. That’s who we put our trust in. Karson is a tough worker. He wants to get the job done. All we got to do is put him in the position to do it.”

Owens is correct. The rest of the Falcons offense could do a better job of supporting their faltering quarterback.

But the man primarily responsible for placing Roberts in a position to succeed is coach Troy Calhoun.

With 43 seconds left in the first half, Calhoun made an announcement about his view of the Air Force offense.

He had two timeouts. He had Jalen Robinette, one of the most dangerous receivers in Air Force history. He still had a slim chance of defeating Colorado State for the second straight year.

Calhoun ordered Roberts to kneel down and tossed those 43 seconds in the football trash can. This ultra-conservative offensive strategy will fail, time after time.

A jolt was required. This trip to Fort Collins was not about staying within sight of the Rams. Calhoun declined to take the required risks to give the Falcons a chance at victory.

Yes, it will be a risk for Calhoun to believe in Roberts’ right arm. At his best, he’s an imaginative, swift, powerful runner, but he’s never going to be described as a strong passer.

But Air Force’s attempt to win with a lopsided, run-obsessed offense has failed spectacularly at Michigan State, Navy and, now, CSU. If the Falcons want to lose, and lose big, in upcoming games against Boise State and Utah State, there’s already a proven strategy. Don’t let Roberts pass in the first half. Allow the opposing defense to key on the run. And watch the deficit pile up.

Calhoun faces a tough decision. He can go with Roberts, the senior, or he can turn to an unproven understudy.

He saw the last-minute block by Roberts. He saw a struggling quarterback offer everything he had.

“You can say all you want, but we’re a little more interested in action,” Calhoun said, recognizing Roberts’ effort.

Roberts, the man of action, is struggling. There’s no way to escape this truth.

But it’s not time for a new quarterback. Roberts remains Air Force’s best hope for a march to a winning season.

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Twitter: @davidlukeramsey