FORT COLLINS — The only postseason practices the previous two seasons at Colorado State have been in the spring. So Saturday’s practice in anticipation of a bowl game sparked the energy and enthusiasm reserved for early August.
The Rams will officially get their invitation to the New Mexico Bowl, to be played Dec. 20, at the team banquet tonight. Former Western Athletic Conference rival Fresno State has already accepted a bid.
Saturday’s practice was the second of three straight “get the rust off” practices. This one benefited 14 recruits in attendance on a perfect Colorado Christmas card day.
“Definitely (practice is more exciting than spring ball) because there’s something at the end of the tunnel,” said junior offensive guard Shelley Smith, named second-team all-Mountain West last week. “It’s a little more motivational because you know something is down the road. In spring ball you just have the whole summer afterwards.”
CSU coach Steve Fairchild said the team won’t start working on plans for playing the Bulldogs until next weekend at the earliest.
Fairchild said there’s hope original starting safeties Klint Kubiak (knee) and Mike Pagnotta (shoulder surgery) will be recovered in time for the game.
Footnotes.
Of the 14 prospects visiting, at least three are already graded with three stars on . Adam Froman is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College. Louisville, Marshall and Washington State are CSU’s competition. Running back Arthur Burns, 5-10, 206, from Corona (Calif.) Centennial High School is also getting recruited by several MWC schools, Fresno State and Washington State. Also, Lou Greenwood, a 6-1, 174 running back from Conroe, Texas, has drawn looks from Georgia Tech, Baylor and Iowa State. . . . CSU linebacker Jeff Horinek heads to New York on Monday for Tuesday’s black tie National Football Foundation awards dinner. He’s a finalist for the Draddy Award, given to the nation’s top scholar-football player. Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post
