FORT COLLINS — Colorado State got a rude welcome to the Pac-12 Conference from Oregon State on Saturday, one that led to head coach Jim Mora making a staff change in the middle of the game.
Defensive woes continued for the Rams as the Beavers compiled 651 yards of offense in a 56-26 win at Canvas Stadium — a rematch of the 2017 opener of the on-campus CSU facility.
After the Beavers scored their second touchdown of the game in the first quarter, defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was nowhere on the sideline.
Cornerbacks coach Trent Matthews signaled plays into the defense in Summers’ place, while Kenny McClendon, the co-defensive coordinator, associate head coach and defensive line coach stayed by his side with a play sheet.
USA Sports sideline reporter Dalen Cuff confirmed on air that McClendon was calling the plays and Summers hadn’t been on the sideline since the first quarter.
After the game, CSU head coach Jim Mora explained the situation and verified Summers is no longer part of the program.
“Tyson was relieved of his play-calling duties,” Mora said. “He left the field and he is no longer with the program. That’s permanent.”
McClendon, who came with Mora from UConn, will take over as the team’s defensive coordinator, Mora also said.
Summers had been retained by Mora after he was the defensive coordinator under former CSU head coach Jay Norvell. Summers even filled in as the interim head coach when Norvell was fired in the middle of last season.
But the Rams have continued to show gigantic holes on defense. In two games prior to the OSU game, they allowed 100 points and more than 1,100 yards.
Mora now turns to a familiar person to try and get things under control.
“He’s got a ton of integrity,” Mora said of McClendon. “He’s got a lot of experience. We’ve been together now, this is our fifth year together. He and I have developed a good professional relationship. He knows what is important to me and he agrees with it.”
CSU (2-3) was burned early.
Oregon State (3-2) scored the game’s first two touchdowns, both in the first quarter. The first came on a 50-yard pass from Braden Atkinson to Jesse Legree. It was the first of three touchdowns the two would connect for.
The second came on a 2-yard run by Gabe Milbourn that gave the Beavers a 14-0 lead with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter.
The Rams were able to answer — in three plays by Mel Brown.
First, the running back returned the kickoff 36 yards. Then he broke off a 46-yard run on first down before finishing the drive with a 17-yard sprint to the end zone. His third rushing touchdown of the season cut the Beavers’ lead to 14-7.
However, Brown left the field with an injury not long after and Durell Robinson became the featured back for the rest of the game. Robinson finished with 117 yards and a touchdown. Before his injury, Brown rushed for 63 yards and a TD.
“I just love football,” Robinson said. “I’m a guy that cares so much about this sport, and I know how much of a blessing it is and a lot of other people can’t play this game today. I just keep that on my mind. I just keep that chip on my shoulder, being doubted and having this opportunity.”
On Oregon State’s ensuing possession, which was also the first with McClendon calling defensive plays, CSU’s Kenyon Agurs came up with a sack and a fumble recovery which led to a 1-yard touchdown run by K’saan Farrar that tied the game at 14-14 with 11:51 left in the second quarter.
However, those would be the last points the Rams would score until late in the third quarter.
Oregon State scored three more times in the second quarter and had already rolled up 385 yards of offense on the CSU defense in the first 30 minutes.
In the second half, the Beavers scored three more times and the Rams added a pair of touchdowns — one on a 7-yard pass from Farrar to Nader Chirchi, and the last on a 9-yard run by Robinson.
For CSU, Farrar ended up passing for 183 yards and a touchdown, while receiver RJ Vick caught five passes for 99 yards.
Atkinson completed 31 of 34 passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Beavers. AJ Newberry led the ground attack for Oregon State with 90 yards, and Legree caught five passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns.
The Rams head into their bye week with more questions than answers following three straight losses.
CSU will return to action Oct. 15 against Texas State in San Marcos, Texas.
