Rams Roundup: The Washington State Game

IT'S GAME WEEK!
The Rams are on the road for their final non-conference road trip of the season and headed to Pullman, Wash., to take on (RV) Washington State.

GAME DAY DETAILS

Colorado State (0-2) at (RV) Washington State (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 17 - 3 p.m. MT
Martin Stadium - Pullman, Wash.

How to Track the Game:
📺 Television » Pac-12 Network
(Roxy Bertstein, Lincoln Kennedy)
📻 Radio Tuning » CSU Sports Network
📻 Radio Stream » The Varsity Network App
📊 Live Stats » Sidearm Stats Feed

GAME DAY PRIMER

Jay Norvell Weekly Press Conference
    » Watch | Read
Weekly Game Notes
    » Read
CSU Insider Podcast
    » Listen
Jay Norvell Coach's Radio Show
    » Listen | The Varsity Network App
⏰ Wednesday, Sept. 14 - 6 p.m.
📍 C.B. & Potts Collindale

ESSENTIAL READING

SETTING THE STAGE: WASHINGTON STATE
» RamWire Insider Mike Brohard breaks down the things to watch for.

HORTON PREPARED WELL TO TAKE LEAD ROLE
» He had to bide his time. Pay his dues. Work his way up the ladder.

#NEXTLEVELRAMS: STONEHOUSE MAKES BOOMING DEBUT
» The first week of the NFL season has six #NextLevelRams active on opening rosters, with an additional two on injured reserve and two on practice squads for their respective teams.

RAMS HOPE TURNOVERS SPARK BIGGER THINGS
» The hope is they've started a trend. At the very least, Colorado State's defense has the itch to create some turnovers.

WHAT WE SAW: MIDDLE TENNESSEE
» Heading into the game, Jay Norvell and his staff attempted to simplify the game for his team, break it down to the basics.

GAME NOTES

The Rams begin year one under head coach Jay Norvell who was named the program's 24th head coach on Dec. 6, 2021. Norvell led his Wolf Pack team onto Sonny Lubick Field in the season finale on Nov. 27 and was the final head coach to walk off the turf. He returned to Fort Collins nine days later as the Rams new head coach.
Over his five years in Reno, (2017-21) he compiled four-straight seven-plus win seasons and led the Wolf Pack to four bowl games. Colorado State last won seven games in a season in 2017.
Norvell is the fourth Colorado State head coach in the last nine seasons, dating back to Jim McElwain's final season in 2014.
Norvell brought over a number of FBS transfers to bolster the Colorado State roster and even more newcomers. All totaled, there are 15 scholarship transfers from FBS programs on the roster and 54 newcomers overall.
Colorado State's redshirt freshman quarterback Clay Millen became the first freshman quarterback to start a season opener for the Rams since true freshman Pete Thomas in 2010 when he took the first snap at Michigan in Week 1. That season, Thomas set the freshman passing record with 2,662 yards in 12 starts.
The five starters among the offensive line combined for 92 starts entering the season - zero coming from the Rams' starter at left tackle Brian Crespo-Jaquez who had never even appeared in a game prior to Week 1 at Michigan. That total would rank as the 14th-most combined starts by an offensive line unit in the nation, however, none of those starts came together as a unit. Crespo-Jaquez was injured in practice following the Michigan game, however, and will not be back this season.
While Colorado State's roster features 15 players with 10 or more starts at the FBS level, the team effectively returns just six offensive and defensive starters overall. Offensively, only Ty McCullouch and David Bailey started more than eight games last season. On defense, only Devin Phillips, Dequan Jackson, Cam'Ron Carter, and Tywan Francis eclipsed eight starts in 2021.

On the Game...

The Rams travel to Pullman this weekend for the second and final Power 5 non-conference foe of the 2022 schedule. Colorado State and Washington State haven't met since a memorable 2013 New Mexico Bowl.
Since that win, the Rams are 4-13 vs. Power 5 opponents with the last victory coming in 2018 over Arkansas at home. The Rams have not defeated a Power 5 opponent in a true road game since a 24-21 win over Boston College in 2014.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for five Rams including starting quarterback Clay Millen (Snoqualmie). However, four of the Rams (Michael Boyle, Camas, the exception) are from the Seattle area.
Staff Connections: Washington State defensive coordinator Brian Ward was Jay Norvell's defensive coordinator at Nevada in 2020 and 2021.
Dating back to the 2021 season, as a program, the Rams are on a seven-game slide over two different coaching staffs since defeating New Mexico on Oct. 16, 2021. The Rams have not started 0-3 since 2010.

NEXT UP

Colorado State vs. Sacramento State
    » Promotions: Ag Day
    » Saturday, Sept. 24 - 2 p.m. (Evoca/Mountain West)
    » Canvas Stadium
    » Tickets - Buy Now / Nutrien Ag Day BBQ Tickets

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Players Mentioned

Michael Boyle

Cam'Ron Carter

Brian Crespo-Jaquez

Dequan Jackson

Clay Millen

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