Setting the Stage: Arkansas

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Colorado State (1-1) at Arkansas (1-1)
Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Ark.
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2 p.m. (MT)

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Colorado State back in SEC Country for the third consecutive season

Steady Growth

Dante Wright may be a true freshman, but he hasn't exactly been eased into the offense.

Remember in the first seasons for Michael Gallup and Detrich Clark – junior college transfers – they were given packages early on until they caught up with the offensive scheme. Wright has been heavily involved from the start.

"Dante has been playing our flanker because Nikko Hall's been down and E.J. Scott was coming off a wrist injury and A'Jon Viven's been out," CSU head coach Mike Bobo said. "He's been our flanker in our 21 and 12 packages, and he's been our slot in our 11 package. He's played running back, so we've given him a lot right now and he's handled everything. He's done a really good job of it."

Wright has produced five explosive plays in the first two weeks, two via the run and pass, one on a punt return, and the four offensive plays have all resulted in touchdowns. His ability to be fully integrated says a lot about his ability to learn at an advanced pace. Using him in the run game from various spots – a non-traditional fashion, as Bobo puts it – has also helped take some pressure off a growing offensive line.

One plus for Wright has been the Rams have been huddling this year.

"His football IQ is really, really high," Bobo said. "You don't have to tell him but one time and he has it. Not that he doesn't make mistakes, but he might make it in practice, and he doesn't make it again. Another thing I think that helps, we're huddling. We haven't huddled in a while. When you huddle, a quarterback can really take control and might give a guy a reminder, which he cannot do in a no-huddle situation."

Road Trip

Two years ago when Colorado State played at Alabama, there was a bit of an awe factor. It lessened last year in visiting Florida, so the team doesn't expect it to be an issue when heading to Fayetteville, Ark. on Saturday.

"At the end of the day, what it means is we have to worry about ourselves," Bobo said. "We're going to a big stadium, it's going to be there, but we have to be prepared and ready to go when we show up. We've got a lot of young guys traveling and a lot of veterans who have went, and they'll look up at the stadium. We just played in an NFL stadium, there's 70,000, and I didn't see anybody flinch in that environment there."

Running back Marvin Kinsey Jr. won't count the seats anyway, and he doesn't care about the school, the conference or the crowd. When the Rams line up, he just wants the ball and to play, though he admits these trips are cool for the players, especially the one to Tuscaloosa.

"I don't care. I don't care who we play," he said. "Big stadium, small stadium, I love it. It's just football, You're just filling a big stadium."

Open Field

Colorado State heads into the third game still unsettled when it comes to placekicking. Maxwell Poduska earned the job coming out of the fall camp, and the local product (Rocky Mountain High School, via Kansas State), made his first attempt of the season against Colorado, good from 42 yards out. The following week, he missed a pair of attempts (49 and 43), opening the door for Braxton Davis. Davis missed one from 61 yards, but came back to connect from 41. Poduska has made all eight of his extra-point attempts, but Davis came out and made the final one of the win over Western Illinois.

This week, Bobo said, it remains an open competition heading into Saturday's contest.

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Players Mentioned

Detrich Clark

Braxton Davis

Michael Gallup

Nikko Hall

Marvin Kinsey Jr.

Maxwell Poduska

E.J. Scott

Dante Wright

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