Setting the Stage: The Showdown

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Colorado State vs. Colorado
Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver
Friday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m.

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Colorado State and Colorado play the Rocky Mountain Showdown for the final time in Denver.

* Note: The television broadcast will begin on ESPN News, then move to ESPN at the conclusion of the Wisconsin-USF contest.

Here and Now
The Rocky Mountain Showdown has been played in Denver 19 times, with this season's game ending a run of 10 successive years at the NFL stadium. In 2020, the rivalry returns to campus with the game being played at Canvas Stadium.

The Rams' have not had a ton of success in Denver, winning six of the meetings, and while CSU head coach Mike Bobo will not ignore the history, he said it has nothing to do with this game.

Friday night is about the here and now and the Rams as currently constructed.

"We're going to focus on the moment and focus on ourselves," Bobo said.

"There's going to be a lot of adrenaline, and there's some guys that are hungry and got a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, but at the same time, I want to play with that fire, but we've got to play within ourselves in the moment of each play."

The Rams have dropped the past four Showdowns, and when looking at their trio of rivals (Wyoming and Air Force included), CSU has lost the past 10 meetings. While Bobo said the team has talked about it, that isn't close to an emphasis.

Every team is different, every season starts with a clean slate.

With the changes the program has instituted, sophomore cornerback Rashad Ajayi has not let him mind wander in the slightest.

"I feel like it's very important just to lock in on Week 1, just the first game, and not think about anything else," he said. "That's what we've been doing. I haven't discussed any other team, I haven't thought about any other team. I don't even know who we play next. Everybody is in the mindset we have one game, we'll take it as one night, one quarter, one play at a time and just handle it."

Time for a Change
Since January, the team has worked toward more accountability and letting the players drive the motivation and dedication through accountability teams. Bobo has noted positive change in the classroom, the locker room and in practices; strength and conditioning coach Joey Guarascio has documented improvements in his realm.

Now comes the real test – a game.

"I think the guys have done a great job of working and preparing and doing everything we've asked them to do," Bobo said. "That's why I'm so excited to see this team play. It's going to be a long season. I feel like we're built to handle a season right now, the ups and downs that will happen within a season or within a game. I'm excited to go see the team play.

"You're always excited that first game because you're different from the year before. The true test is really game time when the band's playing and the coaches are on the sidelines and they're out there by themselves."

If the depth chart holds this week, only four Rams on offense will have previous starting experience at CSU, seven on defense. Transfers Jalen Bates and Tron Folsom have worked their way into the starting lineup, as has former walk-on Logan Stewart at safety. The offensive line could feature a true freshman – Nouredin Nouili – as a starter for the first time since 1996 (Blaine Saipaia), as well as transfer T.J. Storment. None of the running backs have started a game, and Collin Hill will start an opener at quarterback for the first time.

On the Record
The Rocky Mountain Showdown kicks off the season for Colorado State for just the second time in five seasons after a run of three consecutive campaigns opening in Denver (2012-14). It's a rivalry game, and while in-state products who grew up with the game understand the importance, so too do those from out of town.

"I don't like the feeling of losing," Manny Jones said. "So, it doesn't matter who it is, who we're playing against, I want to beat them. It's even better because they're in state, but since we aren't in state, we don't know the history of it, but once we chose the school, we were already a part of it. It was something we were imbedded into."

Added Cameron Butler: "We've played them twice, and we haven't had the outcome that we wanted, we're just as deep as somebody from Colorado. We're ready to play them as much as a Max McDonald or anybody from here, so, we're ready."

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Rashad Ajayi

Jalen Bates

Cam Butler

Tron Folsom

Collin Hill

Manny Jones

Max McDonald

Nouredin Nouili

Logan Stewart

T.J. Storment

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