From his time at both the professional and collegiate levels, first-year Colorado State head coach Jim Mora knows all about rivalries.
His CSU debut Saturday just happens to be against the Rams’ biggest one, when they host Wyoming to kick off a new era of college football in Fort Collins. Not only is it Mora’s first game, but it is also the Rams’ debut as a member of the Pac-12 Conference.
However, first and foremost, Mora doesn’t want Saturday evening’s Border War matchup to have anything to do with him.
“I don’t think about me,” Mora said. “I think about our coaches and particularly our players. That’s where my focus is. I’ve been doing this for a long, long time and I’ve had many first games. That experience is real.
“It’s more important to me that our coaches and our players walk onto the field Saturday with confidence. So, my job is to put them in the best position to have success on Saturday.”
For the first time since 1964, the season will begin with the battle for the Bronze Boot between the two schools separated by one border and roughly 65 miles.
While emotions will be high on both sidelines, Mora doesn’t want the players to get too wrapped up in the atmosphere and instead focus on what happens on the field of play.
“The best thing we can do in any game, so that you avoid ups and downs during a season that you see with teams, is to keep it about us and not the things that we can’t control, the noise outside,” he said. “I’ve been involved with some pretty significant rivalries, and I’ve always felt like the best thing we can do is just be the best that we can be on that day.
“And in order to be the best we can be on that day, it’s about focusing on the process each day leading up to that day, taking care of what we can control, not worrying about the things we can’t control and just going out and playing good, sound, fundamental, disciplined, tough, hard-nosed, smart football.”
Saturday’s game will be the 188th meeting between the two schools. The Border War rivalry dates to 1899 with the Rams holding a 59-52-5 lead in the series. CSU does not count the inaugural game in the series, a Wyoming forfeit.
Wyoming has won four of the past five meetings and eight of the past 10. CSU’s last win in the series came in 2024, when the at Canvas Stadium.
Even before his hiring was announced, Mora began hearing and learning about the rivalry.
“I’ve heard a lot about it since I got here,” Mora said. “Certainly, it was one of the very first things I heard. It’s exciting because it’s the border war and we’re so close to each other. I think for the communities and for CSU, there’s some type of bragging rights or a sense of pride you can take as a fan and your team winning that game.”
It is a rivalry that brings out the best in the players, coaches and fans of both schools.
Still, Mora said the fact that the season starts with a rivalry doesn’t change anything for him or his approach to the contest.
“You’ll find throughout this year, my message will be consistent each week,” Mora said. “I’m going to come in here every week and said it’s about us this week. We’re going to prepare for our opponent all week and say it’s about us this week.
“We’re going to prepare for our opponent all week, but the most important thing we can do is play to our standard. We’re as close to our standard as we can get. And that, to me, is how you go consistently through a season.”
Mora has much respect for the Cowboys, who went 4-8 last season and 2-6 in the Mountain West Conference.
He has seen in them what he wants his own team to be, not only Saturday but over the course of the entire 12-game regular season.
“They’re tough,” Mora said. “They’re physical. They’re disciplined. They play smart football. They run to the ball on defense and tackle well. They’re a tough-minded team. I respect the way they play football. I think they play football the way it was meant to be played and that’s tough, hard-nosed, disciplined, smart football.”
And while Mora wants his players to block out the outside noise and focus on what they can control between the white lines, the players know the importance of opening the season with a win and making it a victory over their biggest rival.
They are also grateful to get to be a part of the Border War.
“We’re so excited,” CSU offensive lineman Phillip Ocon said. “It’s such an historic game and I’m just really excited to get to be a part of it. It’s a big-time rivalry. People are very, very excited about this, especially in Fort Collins and Laramie. There’s a lot of history in it and I’m just really, really fortunate to play in it.”
