FORT COLLINS — Since Jim McElwain took over as Colorado State’s football coach for the 2012 season, the Rams have been shut out once. That came in the next-to-last regular- season game a year ago, when they fell 13-0 at Utah State.
The Rams’ expected offensive starters for the rematch with Utah State at Hughes Stadium on Saturday include five who also started in the windy conditions at Logan — quarterback Garrett Grayson, tackle Ty Sambrailo and receivers Rashard Higgins, Charles Lovett and Joe Hansley. In that game, CSU had only 38 yards rushing and 185 total yards.
“Last year, as an offense, we didn’t play very well, I obviously didn’t play well, we didn’t run the ball very well, and as a unit it was probably one of our worst games of the year,” Grayson said.
The weather almost certainly will be better for the Rams’ homecoming game Saturday, when their hopes of winning the Mountain Division of the Mountain West will be on the line. The Rams, 5-1 overall, are 1-1 in the conference. They probably have to win out to have any chance of succeeding the Aggies as division champs.
“For the guys that played last year, knowing that they basically completely shut us down, you want to go back and prove that you can play with those guys and beat them,” Grayson said.
Grayson, whose early practice work has been rationed in recent weeks because of a bruised shoulder, likely will become CSU’s all-time passing leader Saturday. He ranks third now — behind Kelly Stouffer (7,142 yards) and Terry Nugent (7,103) — and needs only 136 yards passing to pull to the top.
“Early on in my career, I obviously didn’t see myself being there, especially with the way I played last year, early on,” said Grayson, a senior. “I’m humbled and honored to be mentioned with those guys, and to break their records makes me happy because I know I’ve worked my butt off. So it’s not like it’s been handed to me. At the same time, I have to give credit to the players who have been around me.”
One of them is Sambrailo, the only returning starter from the 2013 offensive line.
“We learn from our mistakes is the biggest thing we try to focus on, on the things that kept us out of the end zone,” Sambrailo said. “Obviously, you don’t dwell on it because we’re a different team and a different unit, but you can look back at the mistakes that were made and go forward from there.
“It’s a whole new squad, and we’re doing big things we weren’t doing last year. The dynamics have changed.”
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or
