Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Javon Harris
2017 CSU Football Training Camp Report: Day 6
8/3/2017 7:02:00 PM | Football
Young running backs making strong impressions in practice
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Following a day off on Wednesday, the Colorado State Rams were back at practice Thursday for the sixth full day of training camp.
CSU Head Coach Mike Bobo noted the situational development of his defense, especially in third down and red zone scenarios, during the practice on Thursday. He stressed that excelling in those key areas will be critical for the Rams this season.
"Today I thought I saw some maturity in our guys," Bobo said. "It was not really a great practice for the defense. There were a lot of big plays offensively. But in key situations like third downs, we were able to get some stops defensively. When we got in the red zone area, we got some stops on third down. When we went goal line on fourth down, we got stops. That's been the message; not everything is going to be perfect. We have to continue to play. When a third-down situation comes, we have to try to get off the field. One or two more stops in a game, one or two more stops in the red zone where we hold them to a field goal, can be the difference between winning and losing."
Bobo acknowledged that the Rams will be facing some very good offenses this season, and that it will be vital for the Rams to keep playing hard (in all phases of the game) from the beginning to the end of every contest.
"You never want to settle and say that people are going to score on you, but you have to realize that (other teams) have players too," Bobo said. "They have good coaches too; they have good schemes. Sometimes you're not going be successful, and you just have to keep playing. That's really both sides. Every time we step on the field we want to score on offense. Every time we step on the field on defense we'd like to get a three-and-out or get the ball back without them scoring points, but that's not going to happen. You have to keep playing for 60 minutes and do your job."
Offensively, Bobo complimented a pair of running backs – true freshman Marcus McElroy and redshirt-freshman Rashaad Boddie – for standing out among the depth behind the top three of Dalyn Dawkins, Izzy Matthews and Marvin Kinsey, Jr.
"The guy that's impressed me the most is Marcus McElroy," Bobo said. "I'm really impressed with this kid. He has good vision, he has power when he runs, he has good speed. The other day when we did some live work with the 3's, there wasn't any blocking and he was getting yards every time. He got some reps with the 1's today.
"Rashaad Boddie has always been a big kid, but he's still changed his body. He's not running as choppy; he's running more fluid. He's more comfortable and has confidence, and Coach (Bryan) Applewhite has done a good job with him. Every time someone tries to tackle him, he's hard to tackle."
Bobo also mentioned that he expects the first team scrimmage on Saturday to consist of between 100-110 plays, split across the first, second and third units.
Aug. 5 Community Open House and scrimmage
August 5, 2017, will be a day of celebration for Colorado State University and the Fort Collins community. Several major events will come together around the much-anticipated first public look inside the new, on-campus multipurpose stadium, highlighted by CSU's annual Community Open House.
Events are scheduled throughout the day in the vicinity of the stadium. Inside, the Colorado State football team will hold an open practice, presented by Scheels, to allow fans to get their first look at Mike Bobo's 2017 team and also experience the stadium for the first time. Tickets are free, but must be claimed at the stadium ticket office on Aug. 5 to allow entry into the venue. The clear bag policy will be in effect for all fans entering the stadium, and Scheels will distribute 5,000 clear bags at stadium gates. For more information on the clear bag policy, please click here.
Fans looking for more information regarding the Community Open House event can visit csurams.com/footballgameday.
CSU Head Coach Mike Bobo noted the situational development of his defense, especially in third down and red zone scenarios, during the practice on Thursday. He stressed that excelling in those key areas will be critical for the Rams this season.
"Today I thought I saw some maturity in our guys," Bobo said. "It was not really a great practice for the defense. There were a lot of big plays offensively. But in key situations like third downs, we were able to get some stops defensively. When we got in the red zone area, we got some stops on third down. When we went goal line on fourth down, we got stops. That's been the message; not everything is going to be perfect. We have to continue to play. When a third-down situation comes, we have to try to get off the field. One or two more stops in a game, one or two more stops in the red zone where we hold them to a field goal, can be the difference between winning and losing."
Bobo acknowledged that the Rams will be facing some very good offenses this season, and that it will be vital for the Rams to keep playing hard (in all phases of the game) from the beginning to the end of every contest.
"You never want to settle and say that people are going to score on you, but you have to realize that (other teams) have players too," Bobo said. "They have good coaches too; they have good schemes. Sometimes you're not going be successful, and you just have to keep playing. That's really both sides. Every time we step on the field we want to score on offense. Every time we step on the field on defense we'd like to get a three-and-out or get the ball back without them scoring points, but that's not going to happen. You have to keep playing for 60 minutes and do your job."
Offensively, Bobo complimented a pair of running backs – true freshman Marcus McElroy and redshirt-freshman Rashaad Boddie – for standing out among the depth behind the top three of Dalyn Dawkins, Izzy Matthews and Marvin Kinsey, Jr.
"The guy that's impressed me the most is Marcus McElroy," Bobo said. "I'm really impressed with this kid. He has good vision, he has power when he runs, he has good speed. The other day when we did some live work with the 3's, there wasn't any blocking and he was getting yards every time. He got some reps with the 1's today.
"Rashaad Boddie has always been a big kid, but he's still changed his body. He's not running as choppy; he's running more fluid. He's more comfortable and has confidence, and Coach (Bryan) Applewhite has done a good job with him. Every time someone tries to tackle him, he's hard to tackle."
Bobo also mentioned that he expects the first team scrimmage on Saturday to consist of between 100-110 plays, split across the first, second and third units.
Aug. 5 Community Open House and scrimmage
August 5, 2017, will be a day of celebration for Colorado State University and the Fort Collins community. Several major events will come together around the much-anticipated first public look inside the new, on-campus multipurpose stadium, highlighted by CSU's annual Community Open House.
Events are scheduled throughout the day in the vicinity of the stadium. Inside, the Colorado State football team will hold an open practice, presented by Scheels, to allow fans to get their first look at Mike Bobo's 2017 team and also experience the stadium for the first time. Tickets are free, but must be claimed at the stadium ticket office on Aug. 5 to allow entry into the venue. The clear bag policy will be in effect for all fans entering the stadium, and Scheels will distribute 5,000 clear bags at stadium gates. For more information on the clear bag policy, please click here.
Fans looking for more information regarding the Community Open House event can visit csurams.com/footballgameday.
Players Mentioned
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Monday, May 11
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 28