FORT COLLINS — Oh, baby. The boss was expectant. And nervous. In a matter of minutes, the Mike Bobo era of Colorado State football would begin.
But, as the temperature hit 83 degrees in Hughes Stadium, it wasn’t Bobo who was sweating the season opener against lowly Savannah State, a tomato can scheduled to be kicked. Up in the press box, however, CSU president Tony Frank expressed anxiety, unable to shake a flashback of Appalachian State upsetting Michigan in 2007.
“I would just as soon schedule up. But I stay the heck out of the scheduling business,” said Frank, aware anything less than a rout might turn 24,571 fans wearing orange into unhappy pumpkins.
No need to worry, boss. Colorado State crushed Savannah State 65-13. “We came out with a bang,” star receiver Rashard Higgins said Saturday.
This was the first real chance for Rams Nation to check out Bobo, hired from the Southeastern Conference to stir up business for an on-campus stadium set to open in 2017. Like all first dates, there were jitters.
In fact, Bobo awoke at 3:15 a.m. No alarm needed. By 7:30, he was walking across the CSU grounds, where the early weekend morning solitude was almost spooky. The new coach strolled by a big expanse of dirt and allowed himself a little daydream. “Trying to picture what it would look like in two years, when we have a stadium on campus,” Bobo explained.
Shortly before noon, Bobo led his team off buses and marched right past my nose. Bobo and the players exchanged high-fives with spectators, as the CSU band herded the Rams to their locker room. On Ag Day, the stadium parking lot was filled with a smorgasbord of all-American, mouth-watering scents. Delicious pork ribs, lamb and beef were served from the grill. My tummy thanks the chef.
And, after kickoff, there was a big cupcake for everybody in Hughes Stadium to share.
Savannah State, which finished 0-12 in 2014 while surrendering 557 points, might be the softest cream puff CSU could have ordered. When the Rams took a 45-7 lead in the second quarter, I cranked up Twitter and offered a suggestion to Buffaloes coach Mike MacIntyre: “Next year, skip the trip to Hawaii, schedule Savannah State for the opener.”
Within minutes, I received a reply from one of my favorite tweeps.
“What r u trying to say, Kiz?” demanded Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who punctuated his question with the emoji of three clenched fists.
Sharpe is the most famous football alum in Savannah State history. At age 47, Sharpe would also have been the most dangerous player the Tigers could have suited up against Colorado State.
“The altitude got to us,” said Savannah State linebacker Leonardo Myers Jr. New CSU quarterback Nick Stevens, who threw for 289 yards and five touchdowns, passed the Tigers dizzy. Rams defensive end Martavius Foster recorded three sacks.
But there were also opening day boo-boos for Bobo to correct. CSU committed five turnovers, including a particularly embarrassing one that saw Jordon Vaden return a kickoff 100 yards, only to celebrate too early, tossing the football and a score away one stride before crossing the goal line.
“It will probably be on ‘SportsCenter: Not top 10,’ ” Bobo said. “He’ll learn.”
The 41-year-old Bobo was born, raised and lived nearly his entire football life in the red Georgia clay. He swears to bleed green and gold now, though. With season-ticket sales standing at a modest 8,632 only days before his coaching debut, Bobo pledged to donate $5 for every new package purchased.
Bobo told me the invoice has yet to hit his inbox, but he expects to cut a check for approximately $2,000 and will be happy to do it, as soon as the person who controls the finances at home reminds him how to do it.
“I have to get a check from my wife,” said Bobo, only half kidding. “I had to write a check for a babysitter in Athens before we left (for Colorado) and it was the first check I’d probably written in 10 years. I didn’t know how to write one.”
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or
