FORT COLLINS — Colorado State has reached the halfway point, but nobody in the locker room is suggesting it’s a breaking point.
The Rams reached the second half of the season at 2-4, 0-2 in Mountain West. It’s not where they expected to be, and first-year coach Mike Bobo has lost all interest in where expectations were and where reality now sits.
There are issues that must be ironed out in short order, and ifs and buts aren’t helping as much as getting in the way.
“We’re 2-4, and that’s what we are, and we need to realize that,” Bobo said after Saturday night’s 41-10 loss to Boise State. “We just keep saying we shoulda, coulda, woulda. We didn’t. We’re 2-4, we’ve got to go back to work and worry about this week and try to get this win instead of talking about what we coulda done, or shoulda done or we shoulda won these games, because we didn’t. That’s what we need to do.”
Part of the reality is the first half of CSU’s schedule was the toughest half, with the six foes it has played combining for a 17-17 mark. The two teams the Rams beat are just 2-9, meaning they have played well enough to beat bad teams, not precise enough to knock off a good one. From here forward, the Rams face teams that are a combined 12-23, with Air Force the only squad with a winning mark at 3-2. The Falcons come to Hughes Stadium this Saturday.
Once again, Colorado State’s defense gave up big plays in the loss to Boise State. Three in the first half produced touchdowns as the Broncos put the game out of reach by halftime. Offensively, the Rams lacked rhythm and have yet to iron out the question at quarterback. Bobo said film will be watched and a direction decided about who the starter is. Nick Stevens had the better numbers; Coleman Key had a touchdown pass but also two turnovers.
The offense was so out of synch that receiver Joe Hansley threw the longest pass in the game (35 yards) and receiver Jordon Vaden had the longest run (16). The second longest belonged to Key on a scramble, good for 14 yards.
After Saturday’s loss, Bobo hinted that the Rams would readdress the entire offense, not just quarterback. Fewer turnovers are a must, as are more explosive plays. How to get playmakers the ball and be effective in doing so must be mapped out.
To some of the players, the early part of this season has the feel of the first one under former coach Jim McElwain, when the team went 4-8. However, that team was coming off a trio of 3-9 seasons, so it was almost viewed as progress.
The Rams went 10-3 last year, so they still see promise in the cloudiness of learning the new systems.
“It’s a lot like my freshman year, when we were 4-8,” linebacker Kevin Davis said. “We’re still a very good team. We’ve just got to show up for four quarters. We’ve got to start making plays and stop the big plays from other teams.”
While Boise State didn’t need a running quarterback to get going offensively, running quarterbacks hurt the Rams the two weeks prior, and naturally, running the option, the Falcons have one. The same goes is true with speed. Stopping the option requires discipline, and this will be the first test to new defensive coordinator Tyson Summer’s theories on how to stop it.
Though Air Force won’t be confused with Boise State, the Falcons bring a similarity to Saturday’s game (1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network) that should be cause for concern for Colorado State.
Discipline. The Falcons are bred on it, and the Rams are lacking in the area at this point.
“We’re going to have to match them as far as being disciplined,” Hansley said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes, kind of like Boise. They’re sound in what they do, and they’re solid. They stick to their game plan and make you play to that. We’re going to match how disciplined they are.”
The Rams can only hope the second half represents a fresh start.
