CSU looking forward to Ag Day matchup versus Abilene Christian

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Colorado State enters its second home game of 2017 with a 1-1 record, looking to rebound after a setback to rival Colorado last Friday in the 89^th edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

As was the case between game No. 1 and 2, the CSU squad has quickly moved on from last week and is fully focused on its next opponent – Abilene Christian. The Rams host the Southland Conference member on Saturday for a kickoff slated for 1:30 p.m. MT.

The Wildcats opened their season last week with a 38-14 defeat against another Mountain West foe, New Mexico. ACU got on the board first with a 36-yard pass play from junior quarterback Dallas Sealey to senior wide receiver Carl Whitley at the 3:54 mark of the first quarter. The score was tied 7-7 at the end of the opening frame and the Lobos held a narrow 14-7 edge going into halftime. The Lobos opened things up after the break, however, with the next four scores in the contest belonging to New Mexico.

The Wildcats are led by first-year head coach Adam Dorrel. Dorrel took over after an incredible stretch of success at the Division II level with Northwest Missouri State, where he led the Bearcats to three national titles, including each of the last two years. His .905 winning percentage as a head coach is the highest in NCAA football, at any level.

CSU Head Coach Mike Bobo was impressed by what he saw on film from the ACU-New Mexico matchup, particularly from the Wildcats' offense.

"They looked athletic," Bobo said. "They're a spread offensive football team that likes to throw the ball around a lot, [they] had a lot of success with that."

For CSU's offense, the scouting will be a bit trickier, due to the significant differences in the offensive scheme that New Mexico showed ACU last week compared to what the Rams plan to run.

"Offensively, for us, it's going to be a little difficult because they were playing the option in New Mexico and kind of played an eight-man front for New Mexico," Bobo said. "Their defensive coordinator is from Sioux Falls, so we'll be looking at a little Sioux Falls film, a little bit of what they did against New Mexico and a little bit of what Adam [Dorrel] – even though he is an offensive coach, what they did at Northwest Missouri State."

CSU fell to CU on Friday, despite leading the Buffaloes in several statistical categories, including total offense, first downs and time of possession. Senior quarterback Nick Stevens threw for more than 300 yards for the third consecutive game, and spread the ball around effectively, with three receivers (Detrich Clark, Michael Gallup, Olabisi Johnson) hauling in at least five passes.

The Rams' defense stepped up in the second half for second consecutive game, holding the Buffs to just 135 yards over the final two frames (49 in the fourth quarter). CSU shut out a highly-touted CU offense over the final three quarters of play, registering five sacks from five different players and a pair of interceptions, both courtesy of senior cornerback Kevin Nutt, Jr.

With Friday's result well in the rear-view mirror, the Rams are fully ready and excited for their Ag Day meeting against a new opponent.

"We have to get ready for this game," Bobo said. "We can't let what happened Friday night or us playing the No. 1 team in the nation [Alabama] in two weeks affect anything. Our preparation needs to be on Abilene Christian and that's what I expect and that's what I think our players are going to know what I expect.

"It's the next game, its Ag Day, it's a big event for our university, it's a home game and we're excited about it and we're looking forward to moving on from last week to this week."

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