Rams Roundup: The Sacramento State Game

IT'S GAME WEEK!
It's Ag Day on campus, and we've got everything you need to know for game day in the Rams Roundup!

GAME DAY DETAILS

Colorado State (0-3) vs. Sacramento State (2-0)
Saturday, Sept. 24 - 2 p.m.
Canvas Stadium - Fort Collins, Colo.
Tickets » Buy Now
Presented by: Canvas Credit Union and Colorado Army National Guard

How to Track the Game:
📺 Television » Evoca TV/Local3
(Brian Roth, Mark Driscoll)
📺 Video Stream » Mountain West Network
📻 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. 21 - 6 p.m.
📍 C.B. & Potts Collindale

GAME PROMOTIONS AND GUESTS

What to Wear: Wear Orange!
Game Promotions:
    » CSU Ag Day Celebration
    » Nutrien Ag Day BBQ
    » Spirit Day
    » All-Sports Reunion
Old Main Bell Ringers: Randy and Karen Blach
Guest Cannoneer: Nutrien
Postgame on the Porch: Following the game, the New Belgium Porch will remain open for an additional hour and head coach Jay Norvell's post-game press conference will air on RamVision.

ESSENTIAL READING

MILLEN'S TOUGHNESS NO LONGER A QUESTION MARK
» CSU's starting quarterback has displayed toughness thus far.

DEFENSIVE FIXES BEGIN WITH BEING ASSIGNMENT SOUND
» A defense is going to give up some yards somewhere along the way.

CRESPO-JAQUEZ PLANS TO LEAD HIS FAMILY FARM
» A first-generation college student, Crespo-Jaquez has big plans. (CSU Source)

CSU AG DAY PARTNERS BRING MORE THAN JUST FOOD TO THE TABLE
» The Ag Day BBQ annually feeds 3,000 fans.

GAME DAY GUIDES
GAME DAY AT CANVAS STADIUM All your information for parking, tailgating, stadium entry, and more!
CANVAS STADIUM A TO Z Everything You Need to Know About Canvas Stadium

GAME DAY TIMELINE

10:00 a.m. - Parking/Tailgating Opens
10:00 a.m. - The New Ram Town Opens!
    » Corner of Meridian and Hughes
    » Rams Kids Zone Inflatables
    » Coors Light Ram Walk Tailgate
    » Food vendors
11:30 a.m. - Meet the Team for the Ram Walk!
    » Corner of Meridian and Hughes
    » Read More about the New Design for 2022
12:30 p.m. - Gates Open
1:17 p.m. - Comatose Fires!
        » Tailgating Closes
1:45 p.m. - Golden Poms/Band Take the Field
2:00 p.m. - Kick Off!

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...

Colorado State hosts Sacramento State for the annual Orange Out/Ag Day game, the school's annual celebration of Colorado State's rich agricultural tradition. The celebration began in 1981 to recognize Colorado State's roots as Colorado A&M when the sports teams were the Aggies.
Since the tradition of celebrating Ag Day at athletic events began with football in 2010, the Rams are 8-3. However, the celebration has not yielded a victory since 2017 and began 8-0.
Over the past five seasons, Colorado State has hosted four FCS opponents and posted just a 2-2 record against them. In 2017 and 2019, the Rams beat Abilene Christian and Western Illinois, respectively. But, in 2018 and 2021, the Rams were soundly defeated by Illinois State (35-19) and South Dakota State (42-23).
Dating back to the 2021 season, as a program, the Rams are on an nine-game slide over two different coaching staffs since defeating New Mexico on Oct. 16, 2021. The Rams have not started 0-4 since 2007, the final season for coach Sonny Lubick.

NEXT UP

Colorado State at Nevada
Friday, Oct. 7 - 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
Mackay Stadium - Reno, Nev.

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Cam'Ron Carter

Brian Crespo-Jaquez

Dequan Jackson

Clay Millen

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