Colorado State University Athletics

Trey McBride

What We Saw: Addaizo Prefers Normal View

10/31/2021 3:00:00 PM | Football

Red zone issues bite Rams again

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – For the majority of Saturday's game, the view was nice, but not what Colorado State head coach Steve Addazio was familiar with on a game day.
 
After sustaining a lower leg injury late in the week, Addazio was informed by doctors it would be in his best interest to stay off the leg the majority of the night, putting him the coach's box of Canvas Stadium for the first three quarters.
 
It was the first time in his career as a head coach he has been in the box for a game.
 
"I had a little leg issue, and the doctor felt I needed to stay off my leg," he said after the game. "The plan was to try to come down in the fourth quarter to limit the amount of standing and pressure I would put on that leg, so I stuck to what that plan was. I have to evaluate (Sunday) where that's at. It's not a big deal, just a big enough deal I couldn't be on my leg for that length of time. I did exactly what they said I should do."
 
For the first three quarters, associate head coach and running backs coach Brian White took over Addazio's roles on the sidelines. The head coach had nothing but praise for the way the game was run in his on-field absence, but he's definitely not in a rush to do it again.
 
The view was nice, but if the doctors will allow it, he'd prefer to be on the field for the Wyoming game.
 
"It was just different. I think everything operated really well," he said. "I'm proud of the way the coaches and everybody operated. I had a great vision of everything that was going on up there; that would not be my ideal way of doing things, but there was nothing I could do. That's just the way it is, so I had to do that."
 
Red Zone Issues Return
 
Colorado State scored five times in the game. The four trips the Rams had into the red zone all resulted in Cayden Camper field goals. The one touchdown came on a 30-yard pass play to tight end Cam Butler.
 
The team's red-zone struggles have led to an amazing year for Camper, the junior out of Pueblo. He set a school record with six field goals in the win over San Jose State, made all five attempts in a win over Toledo and was 5-of-6 in the win over New Mexico. He's made 22-of-27 attempts, with the 22 successes the second most in a single season for the Rams. The record is 24, and they have four games remaining.
 
That's not the way the team wants to operate, however.
 
"It's always frustrating when you get in the red zone, you get so close and you come up with three points," running back David Bailey said. "I mean, three points is good too, but you want touchdowns.  You see games like this, so, you've got to get touchdowns instead of three points because they add up, but touchdowns add up more."
 
Refocus
 
After two tough losses have put the Rams at 3-5 overall, 2-2 in Mountain West play, they have a game this week which should grab their attention in short order.
 
The Bronze Boot currently resides in .Fort Collins due to a 34-24 victory at Canvas Stadium a year ago. The win snapped a four-game skid to the most heated rival the program has. Saturday's meeting in Laramie will be the 112th in the series.
 
"We've got to come in (Sunday) and figure out what we messed up on and clean up the mistakes," Thomas Pannunzio said. "Right when tomorrow is over, we have to focus on Wyoming, because it's one of the biggest games of the year. We've got to win the Boot and keep it over here on the right side of the border."
 
Thursday, May 14
Monday, May 11
Friday, May 08
Tuesday, April 28