FORT COLLINS—Colorado State is still playing for the postseason.
While they may not look like the ripest fruit on the vine right now, the Rams feel as if they are starting to age and mature at the right time.
To steer his team in that direction, coach Mike Bobo has spoken about playing with urgency, of taking on a championship approach to every practice. The win over UNLV before the bye week — especially the first half — is being seen as Exhibit A in what the team can become each game.
“We feel like we’re hitting our stride now at this point of the season,” tight end Nolan Peralta said. “We know the teams in November that are successful are the ones that play the hardest and are the toughest, and we try to pride ourselves at practice, and we feel thatap going to transfer over to the games for us.”
Saturday, the Rams (4-4, 2-2 Mountain West) host Fresno State (1-8, 0-5), which will be looking for a new coach as Tim DeRuyter was fired after the loss to Utah State two weeks ago. He was replaced in the interim by offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau.
They have lost seven straight to tie a program record.
“Sometimes when there is a change, as the coach on the other side, you have to expect the unexpected,” Bobo said. “You’ve gotta be ready for any and everything, and sometimes as a player too. You lost your coach who you came to play for, now we’re just going to go out there and let it all play out. Play together and play for each other.”
Fresno State ranks last in the Mountain West in scoring offense at 20.6 points per game, but the team has thrown for the second-most yards. Freshman quarterback Chason Virgil has 2,013 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he has also completed 51.4 percent of his passes and tossed 10 interceptions.
With maturity starting to develop, Peralta thinks this can be the Rams’ time to really shine.
“As a young team, itap disappointing that it took this long,” he said. “Thatap part of football and part of guys maturing and getting through the year. We’re confident now in what we’re able to do, and we feel we’re going to have a good run here as the season goes on. We’re ready for it.”