After a much-hyped home opener against TCU last Thursday, the Gophers head to Ft Collins, Colorado for the first road game of the season against Colorado State. Coming off a big season, Colorado State welcomes a new coach, a new QB and a very talented WR in Rashard Higgins. GopherHole caught up with Joel Cantalamessa who runs the popular CSU site RamNation.com. Joel provides great detail on Colorado State, what Gopher fans should expect from the game day experience and some tips for visiting fans on what to do in beautiful Ft Collins.
GH: CSU opened the season with a dominating win over Savannah State. What did you learn about the team in a game like this?
RN: It’s tough to discern whether CSU was really good, or Savannah State was really bad. It’s likely that it was a combination of the two. The Rams looked very good on offense, and save for one broken play, they were solid on defense the entire day as well. The special teams, however, were cause for concern. It left Ram fans deeply missing former kicker Jared Roberts who has provided great consistency at placekicker for the past three seasons.
Only one of the nine CSU kickoffs in the game made it to the end zone. The Rams trotted out redshirt freshman kicker Wyatt Bryan, whose first kick made it to the 7-yard-line, and second kick sailed out of bounds. His kickoff duties ended there, as the coaching staff tried their luck with true freshman Braxton Davis who kicked one attempt to the 4-yard line, before the team turned to another true freshman Kyle Jacobs. He fared ok, with kicks to the 3-, 8-, and 1-yard lines, and registered the lone touchback of the game. He then proceeded to kick his final two attempts out of bounds and was benched in favor of Davis again, who failed to make the most of his opportunity with a flubber to the 25.
Adding to Bryan’s rough day, he missed a PAT and a 42-yard field goal as the only placekicker to attempt a PAT or field goal. He did connect on a 31-yard attempt in the first quarter.
CSU also got called for a roughing the kicker on a Savannah State punt in the first quarter that was negated by an offsetting penalty.
The one potential bright spot for the CSU special teams was a would-be 99-yard kickoff return by Jordan Vaden late in the fourth quarter that went for naught because he dropped the ball shy of the goal line in celebration.
CSU’s special teams needs to be vastly improved this week vs. Minnesota.
There’s been much intrigue with new head coach Mike Bobo’s declaration that the offense would “play fast” in this new no-huddle scheme. And the offense lived up to the hype. The Rams moved at a very fast pace, particularly in the opening drive when they went off a script. Sophomore quarterback Nick Stevens was sharp in his first career start, completing 20 of 28 passes for 289 yards and 5 touchdowns. Bobo said he’d give backup quarterback Coleman Key plenty of time in the game, and while he looked decent at times, he also accounted for three turnovers.
Most surprising was that CSU attempted 36 passes in the game, compared to 33 rushes. That ratio will likely move towards a more run-heavy offense this week, as Bobo has said they will be a run-first team. Senior Jasen Oden received the most carries with 11 for 74 yards, while freshman Izzy Matthews had six each for a combined 104 yards, and Purdue transfer Dalyn Dawkins had 5 for 37 yards.
Perhaps most disturbing for Ram fans was the team’s five fumbles. They lost four of them.
GH: How has the transition to Mike Bobo going? Overall, is the program picking up right where Jim McElwain left off?
RN: Bobo has a long way to go to show that he is picking up where McElwain left off. But he’s already putting his own imprint on this team with the no-huddle-style offense and shift back to a 4-3 base on defense. One of his objectives has been to make the team play faster and more physical than they did a year ago. They practice at a faster pace and have not shied away from going full contact in various practice drills – even later in the week when most teams dial back contact. By all accounts, the team will run through a wall for Bobo and seems to have quickly maintained and cultivated a stronger “family” atmosphere surrounding the team. CSU had a relatively strong recruiting class, particularly for a transition year with the new staff coming in, and has made in-roads with players in the southeast part of the country thanks to the coaching staff’s previous relationship ties. McElwain started building some sorely needed depth in the program, and Bobo and staff appear to be bolstering that.
GH: Is Rashard Higgins able to live up to all of the national hype he’s received heading into the season?
RN: Higgins is the real deal, no question. He led all receivers with 7 catches for 84 and a touchdown Saturday, despite not playing most of the second half due to a minor ankle sprain. (He said he could have played if necessary, and is expected to be fine vs. Minnesota.) He sat out Tuesday’s practice, but practiced Wednesday.
Higgins will draw a lot of attention this year, so his success may be somewhat predicated on CSU finding threats on the other side of the field. And the Rams do have a talented, deep receiving corps. Some publications consider CSU’s receiving corps to be among the best in the nation. They have speed opposite of Higgins with sophomore wideout Deionte Gaines and true freshman Bisi Johnson who the staff identified as a “homerun hitter” that needed to be on the field. Gaines caught just one pass for 25 yards, but scored on an 18-yard reverse vs. Savannah State. Johnson also caught just one pass Saturday – a 13-yard touchdown. Senior Joe Hansley typically lines up in the slot and is a solid possession receiver. All three are under 6-feet tall. Sophomores Xavier Williams (6-4, 215 lb), Jordan Vaden (6-3, 195 lb), Sammie Long (6-3, 195), and Elroy Masters (6-2, 180 lb) provide bigger targets. Tight end Kivon Cartwright is also a formidable threat. Question is, can he stay healthy? He received a sixth-year medical redshirt this year, and hobbled off the field midway through Saturday’s game. He’s expected to be fine for Saturday’s game.
GH: When teams come to Fort Collins that aren’t used to playing there, how much of a factor is the altitude?
RN: The players will notice it. Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill and staff will likely try to keep players as fresh as possible by rotating personnel frequently. It could especially affect Minnesota’s defense if unable to slow down the Rams’ hurry-up style of play, which will minimize the Gophers’ ability to sub in and out often on defense at will. Weather is expected to be beautiful, with temperatures in the low-80s, which on the turf feels hotter. But heat exhaustion/fatigue shouldn’t be too much of an issue in this game.
GH: What is the perception of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football program with Colorado State fans?
RN: Fans are excited to host a Big Ten team, which has only happened one other time in school history – when Minnesota visited in 2005. It’s the first Power-5 opponent to visit Hughes Stadium since 2007 (Cal). So, for fans, it’s exciting to be playing a Power-5 team of any conference, much less the Big Ten. It’s the type of opponent that fans feel Colorado State should be trying to schedule more often – a solid team, but not a perennial powerhouse that would serve as nothing more than a paycheck game. Fans have noticed Minnesota’s rise in the past few years under Jerry Kill. And, in fact, Kill was a coaching candidate that some Ram fans thought would end up at CSU in 2008 when former CSU athletic director Paul Kowalczyk fired Sonny Lubick and began a national search (ultimately hiring Steve Fairchild who only lasted four seasons). Kowalczyk was athletic director at Southern Illinois when Kill was the head football coach there.
Ram fans kept a close eye on Minnesota’s performance in the season opener vs. TCU, a team familiar around here as a former member of the Mountain West Conference, and were well aware of the Gophers playing tough against the No. 2 team in the country.
GH: A lot of Gopher fans are expecting to make the trip to Fort Collins. What are 2-3 “must do” activities and places to eat/grab a few beers in the area?
RN: Hughes Stadium is set right at the foothills and on the other side of the mountain is Horsetooth Reservoir, which is worth taking a drive through to see. Lory State Park is northwest of town and offers great hiking.
Fort Collins is also home to more than two dozen microbreweries, including New Belgium Brewery (which is the fourth largest micro-brewery in the nation and maker of Fat Tire and Sunshine Wheat). It is definitely worth taking the time to tour if you’re a beer drinker. Here’s a list of other breweries to see in the area:
http://fortcollinsbreweryguide.com/breweries.aspx
Old Town Fort Collins (northeast of campus) has great bars, breweries, and restaurants (including Sonny Lubick’s Steakhouse). On the west side of campus, CB & Potts is probably the most popular spot for out-of-town fans coming into games due to its CSU feel and memorabilia. But there are a lot of great restaurants and bars to choose from.
You might as well also drive through campus and take a peek at the freshly graded earth where the new on-campus football stadium will be built and open for play by 2017. There is an official ceremony taking place the morning of the game. The site is on the southwest side of campus, on the northwest corner of Pitkin Drive and Whitcomb Street.
GH: What can Gopher fans expect of the CSU game day experience? Any special traditions that Gopher fans should pay special attention to?
RN: Hughes Stadium is three miles west of campus against the foothills and not near much of anything else. So, there’s wide-open parking (will cost you $10). Most alumni park and tailgate on the south side of the stadium while most students and recent grads park and tailgate on the east side of the stadium. So, park wherever you please depending on what kind of vibe you’re looking for. If bringing kids, take them to “Ram Town” on the southeast corner of the stadium. There’s food, games, inflatables, and more.
CSU football isn’t known for having a lot of great game day traditions. One to be aware of is the very loud cannon (named “Comatose”), which fires during the National Anthem and after every CSU score. If walking on the south concourse during the game make sure to cover your ears if the Rams score!
The large “A” painted on the side of the mountain stands for “Aggies”, which was the university’s mascot up until 1959 when the school changed from Colorado A&M to Colorado State University. (Colorado A&M is also how CSU’s mascot “CAM” got his name.) The “A” on the mountainside made its first appearance in 1923 as a form of school pride, and a group of freshmen were charged with painting it each year. Today it is still painted each fall, not just for tradition but because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires it to be seen from the air as a land marker for planes.
Inside the stadium, there’s not a lot of interesting things to see. But, if you walk through the west concourse, you’ll see a collage of various key moments and wins in CSU football history adorning the walls and columns. Oh, and like TCF Bank Stadium, CSU’s Hughes Stadium is one of a handful of college stadiums that serves beer.
Lastly, the stadium is made up of three parts. The general population and alumni typically sit in the reserved seats on the west side, as well as the north end zone. (Visiting fans typically sit in Section H, I, and the north end zone seats.) The east stands is general admission, designated for students.
GH: Who wins and why?
RN: Beating Minnesota is going to be a challenge for this Ram team. The size and speed differential that CSU will see between last week’s opponent and this week’s will be vast. But CSU has its own size and speed to match, and it will be interesting to see how the two teams match up. The Rams are more talented across the board than they’ve been in more than a decade, but they’re also a little green in certain areas, including the all-important quarterback position. Nick Stevens looked very good vs. Savannah State. We’ll see how he fares against a good Minnesota defense. He looked comfortable against a relatively non-existent pass rush, and was able to find open receivers with ease. Minnesota’s talented secondary will require him to be on-time and on target with his passes. CSU’s young, but heralded wide receiving corps will be tested. The offense as a whole will have to secure the ball, something they didn’t do well last week.
CSU’s defense has been a weak spot of the team in recent years, but the secondary is experienced and is going on its third season of playing together. The front seven will have to contain the run and the secondary will have to minimize Minnesota’s big plays. Having a veteran QB in Mitch Leidner gives Minnesota an advantage. CSU’s odds of winning would be boosted if the defense could force a couple of takeaways.
CSU’s special teams performance last week is very concerning and has the potential to be a deciding factor in the game.
That being said, if CSU can take care of the ball and play with the same offensive pace as last week, bend but not break often on defense, and avoid the special teams miscues, the Rams can win. They’ve won nine straight games at home and 14 of its last 16 home games dating back to 2012.
GH: What is your score prediction?
RN: We’re betting on a strong, focused performance by the Rams with minimal turnovers and special teams blunders. Combined with home-field advantage and a team determined to prove it can stand toe-to-toe with a Big Ten team, we see the Rams squeaking out an exciting, hard-fought win…partially avenging the 34-16 home loss to the Gophers in 2005 and 56-24 blowout road loss in Minneapolis in 2006.
CSU 31, Minnesota 28