Fort Collins – Nnamdi Ohaeri, the UCLA transfer who quickly worked his way to become Colorado State’s starting running back, will be out indefinitely with an ankle sprain. He will have X-rays today.
Ohaeri was injured Saturday in the first half of the Rams’ 31-28 loss to Colorado.
“I don’t know when he’ll be back,” CSU coach Sonny Lubick said. “We went in thinking maybe he’d be the individual to carry 50 to 60 percent (of the running plays).”
Lubick said the biggest question is who can pass block as well as Ohaeri.
“That’s what’s going to affect our rotation,” he said. “We thought Nnamdi was just going to be a runner, but he was very proficient at pass blocking.”
Lubick said he liked senior Jimmy Green in short yardage.
Overall, Lubick is confident in his team’s mood going into Saturday’s game at Minnesota.
“I think they’ll be fine,” he said. “If you have setback after setback, it starts taking its toll. I don’t think one game should change your whole outlook, no matter how big a game it is.
“From an effort, from composure, going into a hornet’s nest the players did a very, very good job. Too bad we couldn’t have held on a little longer or made another play here or there.”
Squib kick
If he could do it over, Lubick said CSU wouldn’t have squib- kicked after the tying touchdown with 36 seconds left.
Kevin Mark’s previous four kickoffs went for touchbacks. However, unless Mark kicked it out of the end zone, Lubick expected CU to attempt a return. After Stephone Robinson briefly bobbled the ball at the 10, he returned it to the 40 for CU’s only kickoff return.
“Nine out of 10 times you make that tackle inside the 20,” Lubick said. “You still have to go play defense. We would have been a lot better off on the 20 than the 40, I grant you that.”
CU needed only another 30 yards to set up Mason Crosby’s winning 47-yard field goal.
Overall, Lubick said he would give CSU’s special teams a “C.” Because of a penalty for hitting the CU punt returner before the ball got to him, Lubick said a new player had been inserted on the coverage team.
“We’ve got to get better (at special teams),” he said.
Continuing saga Part I
CSU athletic director Mark Driscoll said he did not get a chance to talk to his CU counterpart, Mike Bohn, during the game, and he doesn’t know when they will discuss next year’s game. There is a letter of intent, not a signed contract, to play the game in Denver.
Continuing saga Part II
Lubick said he didn’t see former quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt’s sideline antics with a profanity on his T-shirt and obscene gestures to the crowd. As much as he likes former players coming back, Lubick is growing concerned with too much of a crowd on the sideline during games.
Footnotes
Lubick said he hopes sophomore cornerback Darryl Williams, who left the game with a concussion, will return by Wednesday. Williams overtook last year’s starter, Brandon Cathy, for the job. Cathy played, but did not record a tackle. Lubick said Cathy could play more this week.
Natalie Meisler can be reached at 303-820-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com.
