Colorado State University Athletics
Loaded Rams Don't Have to Load Up on Defense
10/27/2021 2:00:00 PM | Football
Versatility of front seven gives Heater flexibility in his calls
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The answer was easy. Just a simple "sure," from defensive coordinator Chuck Heater.
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Sure, the play of Colorado State's front seven makes calling a defensive game easier. Sure, they can be more multiple because of the versatility of the defensive line. Sure, being able to stop the run without stacking the box gives him flexibility.
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"I've been a lot of good places, we've had good defensive linemen and we've had good defenses. They're those guys," Heater said. "That's what they are, they're a good defensive line, in this league, maybe the best defensive line. I don't know that, and I'm sure maybe Nevada would challenge that, but look at the numbers. The numbers would reflect a lot of good things are happening."
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They most certainly would.
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The Rams rank third in sacks per game with 4.0, but they are also a top-20 defense in stopping the run, sitting 17th at 100.6 per contest heading into Friday's game with Boise State. Overall, the Rams are eighth in total defense by allowing 292.4 yards per game, ninth in third-down defense by allowing a 29.4 percent conversion rate and rank 19th in tackles for loss per game at 6.4.
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First-and-10 or third-and-long, they don't have to change up personnel up front to get the job done, and they defensive line in particular wears that like a badge of honor.
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"Sometimes when we're out there, we go from our base to pass-rush front and we know what to do. Our inside guys know where to line up," Toby McBride said. "It's like, we were playing run, now it's third-and-long and it's the same guys on the field and we get off the ball and rush the passer with the same personnel. Being well developed is what we work on every day at practice. We should be able to stop the run, rush the passer, get to the quarterback and disrupt him and do whatever we can do to get the TFLs. Everybody has got to be able to do that, and we take pride in that and the work we put in to get to where we are right now."
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With those four pushing the line of scrimmage, the Colorado State linebacker have clear lines to gaps and making plays, particularly in the run game. Dequan Jackson is still playing at a high level, averaging 9.4 tackles per game, leading the team with 66 total. Cam'ron Carter has taken a leap forward in his play with 50 stops, but he's also become an increased presence in the pass rush with five sacks, third on the team.
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Every defensive lineman has at least 2.5 sacks this year, with Patchan leading the way with 7.0 to top the CSU chart. He described their play as "core smart guys hunting together," and it was a group he wanted to play with once again, because they feed with and off each other. They have a bond, and they play for each other.
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He also knows their versatility allows Heater to do certain things when the situation is called for at a key moment of the game.
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"I think when we have players like ours, it makes it easier to play to the play calls in general," said Patchan, who also leads the team with 10.0 tackles for loss. "It gives him more options to what he wants to do, because we're very multiple as a defense. When you're multiple, you can start throwing different looks at them, make it more complicated. I think we have a smart group, too, which is what helps us in both areas, pass rush vs. run. Coach has been good about handling the details and getting us prepared for games.
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"It goes into understanding the game plan, understanding what they want to throw at you, understanding all the crappy situations they want to get you in and understanding how you fit based off that versus your assignment in the defense as a whole."
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Colorado State's front seven has allowed the defense to take a simple approach up front, because even if a team wants to throw in a running situation, the guys on the field have proven to be adept at doing that, too. It keeps the Rams from getting "caught" in certain formations, and the trust allows Heater to better disguise what the true intention is defensively.
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It's all because the Rams can stop the run, having held teams to less than 113 yards in five games this season, less than 65 in three of those games.
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"It all starts up front. If you can't stop the run, it's going to be a long, hard day for you," head coach Steve Addazio said. "So you've got be able to do that, but when you can do that, it allows you in the back end to do some different things. If you can't stop the run, we all understand you have to load the box and put people in all the time in man coverage. Then that starts to put stresses on you. In a perfect world, you want to mix and match, in and out a little bit and disguise what you're doing. At points you have to be able to stop the run without loading the box."
Â
To which Heater will tell you, quite simply, sure, the Rams can do that. They have been doing it all year.
Â
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Sure, the play of Colorado State's front seven makes calling a defensive game easier. Sure, they can be more multiple because of the versatility of the defensive line. Sure, being able to stop the run without stacking the box gives him flexibility.
Â
"I've been a lot of good places, we've had good defensive linemen and we've had good defenses. They're those guys," Heater said. "That's what they are, they're a good defensive line, in this league, maybe the best defensive line. I don't know that, and I'm sure maybe Nevada would challenge that, but look at the numbers. The numbers would reflect a lot of good things are happening."
Â
They most certainly would.
Â
The Rams rank third in sacks per game with 4.0, but they are also a top-20 defense in stopping the run, sitting 17th at 100.6 per contest heading into Friday's game with Boise State. Overall, the Rams are eighth in total defense by allowing 292.4 yards per game, ninth in third-down defense by allowing a 29.4 percent conversion rate and rank 19th in tackles for loss per game at 6.4.
Â
First-and-10 or third-and-long, they don't have to change up personnel up front to get the job done, and they defensive line in particular wears that like a badge of honor.
Â
"Sometimes when we're out there, we go from our base to pass-rush front and we know what to do. Our inside guys know where to line up," Toby McBride said. "It's like, we were playing run, now it's third-and-long and it's the same guys on the field and we get off the ball and rush the passer with the same personnel. Being well developed is what we work on every day at practice. We should be able to stop the run, rush the passer, get to the quarterback and disrupt him and do whatever we can do to get the TFLs. Everybody has got to be able to do that, and we take pride in that and the work we put in to get to where we are right now."
Â
With those four pushing the line of scrimmage, the Colorado State linebacker have clear lines to gaps and making plays, particularly in the run game. Dequan Jackson is still playing at a high level, averaging 9.4 tackles per game, leading the team with 66 total. Cam'ron Carter has taken a leap forward in his play with 50 stops, but he's also become an increased presence in the pass rush with five sacks, third on the team.
Â
Every defensive lineman has at least 2.5 sacks this year, with Patchan leading the way with 7.0 to top the CSU chart. He described their play as "core smart guys hunting together," and it was a group he wanted to play with once again, because they feed with and off each other. They have a bond, and they play for each other.
Â
He also knows their versatility allows Heater to do certain things when the situation is called for at a key moment of the game.
Â
"I think when we have players like ours, it makes it easier to play to the play calls in general," said Patchan, who also leads the team with 10.0 tackles for loss. "It gives him more options to what he wants to do, because we're very multiple as a defense. When you're multiple, you can start throwing different looks at them, make it more complicated. I think we have a smart group, too, which is what helps us in both areas, pass rush vs. run. Coach has been good about handling the details and getting us prepared for games.
Â
"It goes into understanding the game plan, understanding what they want to throw at you, understanding all the crappy situations they want to get you in and understanding how you fit based off that versus your assignment in the defense as a whole."
Â
Colorado State's front seven has allowed the defense to take a simple approach up front, because even if a team wants to throw in a running situation, the guys on the field have proven to be adept at doing that, too. It keeps the Rams from getting "caught" in certain formations, and the trust allows Heater to better disguise what the true intention is defensively.
Â
It's all because the Rams can stop the run, having held teams to less than 113 yards in five games this season, less than 65 in three of those games.
Â
"It all starts up front. If you can't stop the run, it's going to be a long, hard day for you," head coach Steve Addazio said. "So you've got be able to do that, but when you can do that, it allows you in the back end to do some different things. If you can't stop the run, we all understand you have to load the box and put people in all the time in man coverage. Then that starts to put stresses on you. In a perfect world, you want to mix and match, in and out a little bit and disguise what you're doing. At points you have to be able to stop the run without loading the box."
Â
To which Heater will tell you, quite simply, sure, the Rams can do that. They have been doing it all year.
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