Setting the Stage: New Mexico

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Colorado State (1-5, 0-2 MW) at New Mexico (2-3, 0-1)
Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, N.M.
Friday, Oct. 11, 6 p.m.

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Colorado State travels to New Mexico for a Friday night showdown.

Searching for Offense

The Rams are in search of an identity on offense after struggling the past two games. To do so, having the quarterback in line and playing consistently is paramount.

"I think you've got to have consistent play at the quarterback position to be a good football team, especially a good offense," CSU head coach Mike Bobo said. "They've got to be able to run the show out on the field. We've got some young guys playing in some positions, some receivers and young backs in games, and sometimes they need a little reminder, and if you don't know what's going on yourself, it's hard to help some other guys. That's the quarterback's job."

It was why, halfway through the season with starter Collin Hill sidelined with an ACL tear, Bobo opened up competition at the position heading into Friday's game at New Mexico (6 p.m.; CBS Sports Network). A short week may not have been ideal, but the effects for the big picture are too important. The Rams have posted less than 300 yards of total offense in the past two losses.

To Bobo, the quarterback has to play well on the road. Even when Hill was starting and the offense was clicking, there were limitations on what the Rams were doing based on the youth and inexperience overall on the offensive line.

Whoever starts this week, be it Patrick O'Brien for the fourth game or Justice McCoy for the first time, they'll likely have the starting receivers they've been waiting to employ – Warren Jackson, Nate Craig-Myers and Dante Wright.

Running back Marvin Kinsey Jr., gained some ball-security trust back last game, and tight ends Cameron Butler and Trey McBride are formidable in the run and passing game.

Butler is confident the Rams will get back to being a potent offense.

"I feel like we still have all the right pieces. Anytime you have a long season, you have some times where everything isn't going right, but I definitely feel we can get this back on track," he said. "It's just trusting the play, trusting each other. It's what you have to do as an offensive team. We've done a good job of that, it's just been a couple of weeks where things haven't gone right. We'll definitely get back on track."

The Other Quarterback

New Mexico has already started three different quarterbacks this season, and the Rams expect to see Sheriron Jones under center this week after he sparked the Lobos' offense off the bench a week ago. While he hasn't thrown the ball particularly well (40.5 percent completion percentage, two touchdowns and six interceptions), he did rush for 104 yards and a score in the loss to San Jose State.

The Rams have already given up 100 yards rushing in a game to a quarterback, Toledo's Mitchell Guadagni (119, one touchdown) out of a spread attack. CSU knows it has to apply the lessons learned from the game to Jones and the Lobos.

"We're going to have to contain the quarterback," linebacker Tron Folsom said. "The Toledo game, their quarterback rushed for 100 yards just off scrambles, so we learned from our mistakes not to let the quarterback get out of the pocket, and the defensive line learned to force, so that will help us against the quarterback this week.

"The first goal each week is always to stop the run, no matter who we play. We want to make a team pass the ball. If we do that, then we've got them where we want them. That can help us out a lot then."

New Mexico quarterbacks have thrown 10 interceptions, with only New Mexico State having thrown more (11).

For the Record

Colorado State has beaten New Mexico nine consecutive games, the last win over the Lobos the last time the Rams have beaten another FBS team. It's impressive, but the Rams aren't relying on history to get them out of their current slide.

While New Mexico has been mistake-prone, they too have hit explosive plays with five different rushers with runs of at least 30 yards and five receivers who have catches good for 40 yards or longer.

"New Mexico to me is a very talented and dangerous team," Bobo said. "They're playing with a lot of junior college transfers. You can see that they're talented, you can see that they can run and have speed."

The positives the Rams see are Jackson back to practice as a full participant, the same with Kinsey Jr. Defensively, Manny Jones is still doubtful.

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Players Mentioned

Cam Butler

Nate Craig-Myers

Tron Folsom

Collin Hill

Warren Jackson

Manny Jones

Marvin Kinsey Jr.

Trey McBride

Justice McCoy

Patrick O'Brien

Dante Wright

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