FORT COLLINS — The two best defenses in the Mountain West effectively shut down Colorado State’s offense.
Holes were hard to come by for the Rams’ running backs, with the run game producing fewer than 110 yards each week against Utah State and Boise State. The Rams at least found some pathways via the pass against the Aggies, throwing for 252 yards, much of that in a flurry in trying to come back. The Broncos didn’t even really allow that, holding the passing game in check at 151 yards.
CSU coach Mike Bobo is confident there are playmakers on his team, and he joked earlier in the week he may have to get more basic in getting them the ball.
“We’ve got a bunch of receivers in my opinion that are explosive players, and we’ve got to find ways to get it to them,” he said. “We gave it to (Deionte) Gaines twice; we gave it to (Jordon) Vaden once. We might become a jet sweep team and hand it to them. We’re going to figure out something.
“We might start Rashard (Higgins) at quarterback this week and run the double slot. I don’t know. We’ll pull out the wildcat. Do something.”
It has been awhile since the Rams have approached dynamic, let alone explosive, which is really what the team expected to be this year, even with the loss of Garrett Grayson at quarterback. The Rams looked at the players who returned and liked the makeup of the offensive line and the depth at running back, and the receivers were a proven group of playmakers led by the All-American Higgins.
As the season hits the second half, the Rams have just 28 plays covering 20 or more yards, just three plays of 40 or more yards and none longer than a 49-yard pass from Coleman Key to Joe Hansley against Minnesota in the second game of the campaign.
Last year, Higgins had eight games with at least one catch of 40 yards or longer, finishing with a pair of 73-yard touchdown receptions that season to go with 17 scores that averaged better than 30 yards. This season, his longest catch is 38 yards, and after last week’s loss, he was clearly frustrated.
Bobo is calling plays, and the fact the Rams’ offense has nothing to anchor to at this point makes it hard to sustain a drive, let alone hit quick.
“An explosive play does not have to be a pass that is schemed up. It can be fitting up on the right guys on the run against the right look,” he said. “It can be a guy reads for us and has a good block like Rashard did against Utah State, and (Dalyn) Dawkins spit it out for a 25-yard run. It’s doing the little things that get you explosive plays. When you don’t have those, it’s hard for any offense, not necessarily the play-caller, to keep converting.”
