Monday Presser: Whole Team Remains on Campus for Final Game

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8:30 PM

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FORT COLLINS, Colo. – For this final week of the season, every player is still on campus.

That hasn't always been the case under past regimes. Most of the time, walk-ons and non-participating players who lived far away went home for the final week, leaving behind a skeleton crew to practice. This week, the Rams have everybody on hand.

"Everybody is here. Thanksgiving and Christmas are great holidays, but they happen to follow during football season," CSU coach Jay Norvell said Monday at his weekly press conference. "The rest of the student body is off this week, there's no classes, but our guys are all here working. Guys that are walk-ons, guys that wouldn't normally travel and all the freshmen. I think that just shows what these athletes do. They work through the holidays, they practice through the holidays, they sacrifice that family time, but everybody is here."

The players have commented about the bond being built on the team throughout the roster transformation, feeling a connection is being made by like-minded people all with one goal. With every player on campus, the scout team is still full and able to give better looks for Friday's game against New Mexico (2 p.m.), a matchup of a pair of 2-9 teams. The difference is Colorado State is 2-5 in Mountain West play, the Lobos are 0-7 and have dropped eight straight.

Being the holidays, being with family is important, extended or otherwise.

"We have some special things planned for them," Norvell said. "They're bowling today I think they have a bowling tournament today and tomorrow. Coach Jordon Simmons is taking all the guys bowling and we're feeding them … Just some good team-morale building. We'll have Thanksgiving lunch on Wednesday and dinner Thursday at the hotel. We'll try to spend some time together this week and really get closer as a team."

Senior linebacker Dequan Jackson said he is not a good bowler. Guard Gray Davis qualified his skill as extremist.

"It's either a strike or in the gutter," he said. "There is no in between."

Moving Parts

Colorado State has used 42 different starters this year on offense and defense alone. That's a lot, but it's not the largest total in Mountain West this season. That distinction belongs to Friday's foe, New Mexico, which has had 50.

The defense has solidified in the past few weeks, using the same starting 11 four games in a row, a streak interrupted by changes necessary for the Air Force option attack. Even still, 10 out of 11 was pretty good. Offensively, the Rams have not started the same 11 in consecutive weeks once this season.

Through it all, the one constant has been Gray Davis at guard, who has not only started every game, but has played the most snaps of any Ram this season. As they passed each other as Norvell left the stage Monday and Davis entered, Norvell asked Gray if he was aware of that.

Gray was, noting he has not missed an offensive snap this season.

Here and There

Tory Horton reached 1,000 yards this season by making big plays. He currently is tied for fourth nationally with 19 catches of 20 yards or more, third with receptions of 30 or more yards and his eight receptions of 40 or more yards ranks second … Brad Roberts' 37 carries against CSU last week was the most by any MW back in a single game this season … Jack Howell is now second in the league in tackles per game (10.2), while Dequan Jackson is sixth (8.1) … Mohamed Kamara is third in the MW in tackles for loss per game (1.36) at 15 total, while his 8.5 sacks have him fourth in the league per game (.77) … Colorado State owns the overall series with the Lobos at 43-25 and have won the past 11 meetings.

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