Monday Presser: Building Toward Consistency is Key

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Steve Addazio liked what he saw the first 30 minutes of the game Saturday night. It wasn't perfect, but he'd take that every day of the week and twice on Saturdays.

Which, naturally, is what Colorado State's football team needs. Two really solid halves of football.

"What's important for me and us is to look at the film: Where did we improve?" he said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "We improved vastly as a football team. Now, I didn't say we were consistent. I said you saw the best version of us. Now, how do we have that version of us stay for four quarters? That's the next step we've got to take right now."

He can see what ails them in a few different places. It shows at times in mental fatigue, maybe even physical, especially when it came to the amount and types of penalties. They have to play smarter, and he believes his team is pretty sharp. That's why there was improved play on the field.

After the opening week loss, they all watched film together and pointed out the necessary changes to address. Then they went after them.

The Rams ran the ball better. They stopped the run better. They produced more explosive plays and yielded fewer of them. But they also gave away 115 yards to penalties and didn't fight through the offensive lull of the third quarter.

"The mentality of our team yesterday was outstanding," Addazio said. "When I saw that, they got it. I can tell you they got it. Like, they got it. Like, they watched the film and they got it. Talking to some of the older players, the feedback they give you, there was more of a different look after game one, per se. Players are really smart. Like, after game one, we had to explain and show them and educate them on where the deficiencies were and what we had to get better at. To their credit, they went to work. They had a hell of a week.

"So they're smart. They watched the practice team, they watched their preparation, the attention to detail and then they saw it come to fruition on the film."

For him, it's all part of the process of building a football program. While he wants it to be sustainable for the long haul, he's also seeking immediate results. So his message is the road isn't getting any easier. Trips to Toledo and No. 5 Iowa on successive weekends will not be easy.

Then comes a bye, followed by a string of eight Mountain West games.

"We are in a footrace right now, in my opinion, to improve our team week by week," Addazio said. "One week at a time, put all of your focus and attention, try to get your team better, get your wins, get your bye week, look at where you ream was and where it is. Then boom, start the second part of your season.

"That's is the big picture of development. I think our kids are excited about what we can be. Not five years from now, but now."

Road Trips

Inevitably, a team has to travel, and after spending the first two weeks at home, they now it the road two weekends in a row.

"When you start playing night games like we played late night games like that, and then you're travelling, it puts a little stress on you," Addazio said. "We've got to deal with that. That'll be our first road game. Half of our team is very inexperienced, so half of that team now gets out of the comforts of at least their own surroundings and has to go on the road and now make sure you play focused football on the road. These are all the challenges that come up that we have to deal with, so this will be a big week for us."

The good news, neither trip is a night game. The Rams kickoff at 4 p.m. in Toledo (2 p.m. Mountain), and it was announced the game with Iowa the following week is set for 2:30 p.m. Central (1:30 Mountain).

Like most coaches, in a perfect world, every game would kick off around midday on Saturday. But in a perfect world, not all of those games could find a television station. Addazio knows television is important for the sport, but he's not always sure it's in the best interest of the players, a topic he'll save for another day.

"If I had a choice, I like Thursday night and Friday night games. I hate Saturday night games," Addazio said. "I'd rather play Saturday in the middle of the day, preferably earlier. If I had my druthers, I'd play at noon or 1 o'clock. I think you get a chance to recoup mentally, even after the game. It's very wearing when you come home at 1, 2 in the morning, and I'm sure it's the same for the kids, and you've got turn right back around the next morning and you feel like, 'what just happened?'"

Challenging the Depth

After Saturday's loss, the coach said there were some injury concerns. As of Monday, they are still concerns for which he yet didn't have a clear outlook for, noting at least a few players would still not be out on the field Tuesday. As the week plays out, he'll know more.

What he does know is starting linebacker Tavian Brown and safety Logan Stewart will both have to sit out the first half after receiving targeting infractions the week before.

"We're going to be missing a couple of guys, then were banged up with another couple of guys," he said. "That could turn ugly. It is what it is. Hopefully we get a couple of guys back that will help bolster our defense in the second half. We're going to be vulnerable in the first half.

"Younger guys are going to take reps. Younger guys are going to have to step up. Along the process of building to win as many games as you can, you're also trying to grow that program like that and get some of the younger guys. You might see some guys this week in that game, and you might be like, wow. That's fine. There will be a price to pay for that, but let's get them in a game, let's get them started, let's get them playing."

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