Opponent Preview: Colorado State

The Colorado State University (CSU) Rams finished the 2020 fall season just 1-3 as their schedule was marred with four COVID cancellations.  Their offense struggled to score points week in and week out, scoring over 21 points just once; their 34-24 win over Wyoming.  Steve Addazio is in his second season at Colorado State after successful stints at Temple and Boston College.  He is hoping that having more of a normal offseason and fall camp will help his players be better adjusted to his system and expectations.  COVID was a challenge for all football teams let alone a new head coach.  

Offense

At Boston College, Addazio was known for a powerful, hard nosed rushing attack.  His 2019 Boston College squad ranked #6 nationally at 267.8 yards per game.  Last year in Fort Collins though, the Rams finished with just 124 rushing yards per game and had a 199.5 yards per game through the air.  I'm guessing this has been a point of emphasis going into the season.  The Rams only held the ball for 25:46 per game and were just 22.03% on third down which is absolutely abysmal.  The Rams are brining in a new offensive cordinator this season in Jon Budmayer who was the QB Coach at Wisconsin.    

CSU will be quarterbacked by #7 Todd Centeio (6-1, 225) who saw action in 3 games last fall with one start.  Prior to CSU he appeared in 24 games for the Temple Owls where he rushed 71 times for 235 yards and completed 48 of 71 passes for 613 yards and 7 TDs.  Todd completed just 39% of his passes in 2020 which was good for 207 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT.  Todd is also a threat to carry the ball on the ground where he finished with 92 yards on 25 carries with a long of 35 yards.  Everything that I have read so far sounds like the Rams are counting on Centeio to take a major step forward in 2021.  Addazio had brought in quarterback Matt Valecce from Boston College to compete with Centeio for the starting job but he was injured a few weeks ago and will miss the season.  The backup to Centeio will be true freshman #17 Evan Olaes (6-0, 200).

The running back room could probably be considered a strength of the Rams.  The team returns its two leading rushers in #1 A'Jon Vivens (5-11, 200) and #32 Marcus McElroy Jr. (6-0, 230) and they are joined by #5 David Bailey (6-0, 240) who is another transfer from Boston College.  Vivens held a 4.3 ypc average which was good for 210 yards and 1 TD.  McElroy Jr. had 41 attempts for 110 yards and 3 TD including a long of 37 yards.  Each had just one catch on the season.    Bailey had a solid career at BC where he appeared in 28 games which resulted in 332 carries for 1,600 yards and 16 TDs along with 18 receptions for 158 yards and 1 TD.  Based on past production, Bailey sounds like the front runner to be the lead back.  I imagine Vivens and McElroy Jr. will still get plenty of opportunities as well.

The wide receiver group for CSU has an established starter in #22 Dante Wright (5-9, 180), a pair or returning contributors in #3 E.J. Scott (6-2, 195) and #6 Ty McCullouch (6-1, 180), and an intriguing New Mexico grad transfer in #10 Jordan Kress (6-0, 200).  Wright led the group in 2020  with 22 receptions for 330 yards and 4 TD.  Scott had 8 receptions for 64 yards but in 2019 had 15 receptions for 255 yards, good for 17 yards per catch.  McCullouch on the other hand has had a harder time getting established finishing with just 1 catch in 2020 but the former 3-star recruit did hold offers form Cal and Boise State.  In two season at New Mexico, Kres had 40 receptions for 757 yards and 8 TDs.  

If the wide receiver group is a bit of an unknown opposite Wright, the Tight End position is pretty cut and dry.  #85 Trey McBride (6-4, 260) is an NFL hopeful who led the team last fall with 22 receptions and 330 yards along with 4 TD.  He is on the pre-season Mackey Award watchlist and as well as the Reeses Senior Bowl watchlist.  Behind McBride is senior #16 Cameron Butler (6-2, 250) who has had a nice career but missed all of 2020 due to injury.  Prior to that he had registered 49 receptions for 555 yards.       

From left to right the Ram offensive line will likely go #69 Barry Wesley (6-7, 310) , #53 Elijah Johnson (6-6, 305),  #55 Cam Reddy (6-2, 310), #52 Adam Korutz (6-2, 305), #77 Keith Williams (6-7, 310).  Reddy, Johnson and Wesley were All-Mountain West honorable mention in 2020.   #76 Vincent Picozzi (6-4, 310)  is a transfer from Temple where he started 34 games who could challenge for any spot along the offensive line.  This is a group of experienced men featuring 3 graduates, 2 Redshirt Seniors, and a Redshirt Junior.  

Defense

The Colorado State defense struggled in 2020.  They are experienced and have decent size but they just couldn't put it all together under the new head coach.  They were great against the run but struggled stopping the high flying passing attacks of the Mountain West.  I'd expect them to be improved now that they are comfortable in the scheme.  In four games, opponents scored 35.75 ppg while allowing 108.5 yards per game on the ground and 250.25 through the air.  CSU only forced one interception but had 16 sacks and opponents converted 40.3% of the time on 3rd down.  One other note, the CSU redzone defense was terrible allowing scores on 16 of 16 visits including 12 TDs.  

The defensive line for CSU is the strong suit for this defensive unit so it will be strength on strength as the #605Hogs go up against a top not G5 defensive line.  This group led the country in tackles for loss with 10.5 per game.  They return all four starters who are all listed on the roster as grad students.  The ends are #1 Scott Patchan (6-6, 270) and #0 Toby McBride (6-3, 270) and the interior are #98 Ellison Hubbard (6-2, 290) and #33 Manny Jones (6-4, 290). Patchan transferred in from Miami before the 2020 season and went on to become a first-team All-Mountain west player after making 22 tackles, 7.5 for loss, along with 5.5 sacks.  McBride had 12 tackles and 3.5 TFL of his own.  Jones and Hubbard bring a workman like mentality to the interior where Jones had 13 tackles, 5.5 TFL, and 2 sacks and Hubbard registered 7 tackles.  #94 Devin Phillips (6-2, 305) played in 2 games last season and made 6 stops with 1 sack.  Besides these 5 there is very little in game experience.  This could play a factor as the #605Hogs have been known to grind opponents down in the second half.  Another player that could contribute is another Boston College transfer, #54 Mike Ciaffoni (6-3,290).  

The linebacking corp of CSU returns it's three starters plus adds another experienced grad transfer to the mix.  #5 Dequan Jackson (6-2, 230) led the team in tackles from his middle linebacker position with 40 total tackles along with 5.5 TFL and 2 sacks.  He is flanked by #12 Cam'Ron Carter (6-2, 230) who made 32 tackles, 5.5 TFL, and 1 sack. Opposite Carter is #42 Mohamed Kamara (6-3, 235) who had 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks.  In reserve rolls, #15 Brandon Hickerson-Rooks (6-0, 225)  had 9 stops and 1.5 sacks, #13 Bam Amina (6-0, 220) made 11 tackles and #35 Aaron Moore (6-1, 215) made 7.  This group is joined by Murray State transfer #47 Anothony Koclanakis (6-1, 230) who had a nice career for the Racers including 124 tackles in 2019. 

The secondary is where CSU saw a majority of their struggles in 2020 and the group has been hindered by transfers and injury since the season ended. #7 Lindenwood Crump was a transfer from Temple who was expected to help stabilize the secondary but he was injured recently and is lost for the season.  The returning starting corners are #4 Rasad Ajayi (5-11, 190) and #26 Marshaun Cameron (5-9, 190).  It sounds like Cameron has also been dealing with some nagging injuries and did not participate in a scrimmage the Rams held to end camp.  Cameron led the secondary with 29 tackles and had 1 sack.  He also had the defenses lone interception on the year.  The depth at the corner back position from 2020 transferred out so beyond Ajayi and Cameron and with the injury to Crump there are a lot of unknowns.   #9 Logan Stewart (6-1, 210) and #11 Henry Blackburn (6-0, 205) were productive in 2020 with Steward having 26 tackles and Blackburn 23.  Neither had an interception and combined they had just 2 PBUs.  

Special Teams

The Colorado State special teams are highlighted by punter #41 Ryan Stonehouse who booted 26 attempts last year for an averaged of 45.31, including a long of 58.  He had just 1 touchback and forced 5 to be fair caught while landing 8 inside the 20.  #93 Jonathan Terry is the kickoff specialist and he had 18 attempts for a 60 yard average with just 4 touchbacks.  The field goal kicking battle was a tight one for the Rams featuring the 2019 starter #95 Cayden Camper going against the 2020 starter Robert Liss.  Camper apparently won the job because Liss announced that he was transferring a week ago.  In 2019 Camper, then a freshman, went 7 for 13 including a long of 50 yards.  He was successful on all 18 of his PATs.  

#22 Dante Wright had 5 returns for 34 as the punt returner while #18 Thomas Pannuzio had 2 returns for 32 yards with a long of 23.  Pannuzio also handles the kick return duties where he had 18 returns for 411 yards and a long of 48.  

Initial Prediction

The Jackrabbits matchup well size wise with the Rams.  The Jacks are just as big if not bigger.  Speed may be the key factor.  The Mountain West is filled with teams that want to spread you out and make you run.  However, this CSU team appears to be built more in Addazio's ground-and-pound style.  The CSU game tape really can't tell much because it is a completely different style of QB at the helm with a totally new offensive coordinator.  The Ram defense on the other hand is maybe a bit more predictable, the play an agressive front seven that want to stop the run on their way to the quarterback.  Again, the Mountain West offenses typically favor the pass over the run.  How will they hold up against a team like the Jackrabbits that is committed to running the ball?  Has their secondary improved since 2020?  Those are questions that I just don't know.

Jacks win 27-21

Go Jacks!

Matt