Setting the Stage: Utah State

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Colorado State (3-3, 2-0) at Utah State (4-2, 2-1)
Maverik Stadium | Logan, Utah
Friday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.

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Rams Keep Things Simple During the Short Week

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The numbers have come with a lean toward the air.

Utah State's offense ranks second in the Mountain West at 482.5 yards per game, the majority of it stemming from the fact the Aggies rank third in passing offense at 315.2 per outing, one of only three teams in the conference to exceed 300 per contest.

Logan Bonner has been the main triggerman (Andrew Peasley also played in the first five games), averaging 255.5 yards per game in the air with 11 touchdowns. The knock, he's been intercepted seven times, throwing at least one each game for the 4-2 Aggies, who are 2-1 in Mountain West play.

Deven Thompkins has been his main target, with his 50 catches generating 136.5 receiving yards per game, 16.4 per catch, with six touchdowns. Colorado State's secondary knows this is the best challenge they'll have faced to date.

"This is the perfect opportunity for us to show what we can do, to show we can take everything," cornerback Marshaun Cameron said. "We've got to take out their best concepts, their best players and play a clean game. They like to do a lot of 10 and 11 (personnel), try to get the D-line out of it, but we've got guys out there who are going to do their job. We're going to keep doing our thing."

Colorado State's pass defense has steadily improved through injuries, and in part due to injuries. It meant true freshmen Jack Howell (safety) and Robert Floyd (corner) had to play early, and as it turns out, often. In the meantime, Cameron and Logan Stewart, both of whom missed camp, have had the time to fully recover and get their game legs back.

Now, the unit ranks third in the conference in passing yards allowed at 187.7 and has intercepted a pass in three consecutive games.

"I'm happy how everybody is playing," Cameron said. "Everybody is trimming down their missed assignments, playing well, playing fast and running to the ball. It's all the things we need. We've had low missed tackles in last few games, and it's showing in practice on how we're finishing. We're just looking forward to the game."

Getting to the Point

With a short week, Colorado State head coach Steve Addazio pulled back the reigns on a lot of things, the primary reason being not to overload the team and improve execution with a Friday kickoff.

He didn't like the team's execution so much on Monday, but it was better the next day.

"We cut back. We took off about 15 minutes (Monday), we took off a good 15 minutes (Tuesday)," Addazio said. "We cut periods shorter than we've ever been. You're trying to keep it simplistic this week for us. It's not a lot of game planning stuff, not a lot of checks on offense, just keep it simple, as simple as we can keep it and execute at a higher level."

The Rams enter the week the only team in the Mountain Division with an unblemished conference mark. Atop the standings is the place they most definitely want to be, but they are also entering the back half of the schedule.

Creating momentum is important, but keeping it moving forward is sometimes not as easy. Keeping the energy up as the weeks continue to roll off the schedule is a learned behavior in Addazio's book.

"I think that's what we're working on. It's learning how to handle the grind," he said. "I just think we're working on that. Monday and Tuesday we spent a lot of time making them understand you're going into the second half of the season, and yeah, you're banged up and all of that, but you've got to go. This is not a time to decelerate. I feel like they're learning that right now."

Here and There

This is the team's second Friday kickoff of the season; the first was the opener. They had three Thursday games last year, and three Friday games in 2019. ... This will be Addazio's first trip to Logan, Utah in his coaching career. … Dante Wright will be available for the game, but to what extent is still unknown. He has not played substantial snaps since getting injured in the Vanderbilt game. … The Rams have had 12 players start every game this year: Todd Centeio, Trey McBride, Cam Butler, Cam Reddy, Adam Korutz on offense; Devin Phillips, Manny Jones, Scott Patchan, Dequan Jackson, Cam'ron Carter, Marshaun Cameron and Rashard Ajayi on defense.

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Cam Butler

Marshaun Cameron

Todd Centeio

Robert Floyd

Jack Howell

Dequan Jackson

Manny Jones

Adam Korutz

Trey McBride

Scott Patchan

Devin Phillips

Cam Reddy

Logan Stewart

Dante Wright

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