FORT COLLINS — Jim McElwain spent part of Wednesday morning speaking to two classes on the Colorado State campus — Fashion Merchandising and Music Appreciation. He even managed to work in his beloved two-hit wonder rock group, Cyrkle, into his appearance at the latter.
“They had no idea on that,” the CSU football coach said of the students. “But the teacher was impressed.”
Speaking after the Rams’ afternoon practice, McElwain added that his classroom visits drove home the point that a big-game week atmosphere was building on campus, in advance of the key Mountain West Conference meeting with Utah State Saturday at Hughes Stadium.
“In both of the classes I lectured in today, there seemed to be a little bit of energy on campus and I thought that was pretty cool,” he said. He also confessed of his appearance in the fashion class: “I knew absolutely nothing about (it) and of course, they laughed at what I was wearing, which obviously meant my fashion was not very good.”
McElwain said quarterback Garrett Grayson, who suffered a bruised shoulder at Boston College Sept. 27, still was under a “pitch count” at practice this week.
“He threw 37, I think it was,” McElwain said. “It was probably because on three of them, he scrambled. He was scheduled to throw 40.”
It’s clear, though, that by now it’s little more than precautionary.
“Let’s see, what did he throw for last week?” McElwain asked. “Three (hundred) something, and probably if his arm was good, he would have thrown for 500.”
On the injury front, McElwain said that running back Jasen Oden Jr. (back) is probable to play against Utah State, and that three others — defensive tackle Terry Jackson (head), running back Treyous Jarrells (knee) and safety Jake Schlager (knee) — were questionable.
Terry Frei: , tfrei@denverpost.com or
