Setting the Stage: San Diego State

Nothing fancy. Nothing out of the ordinary.

It's just a straight-up, balanced attack from San Diego State on Saturday, which suits Colorado State's defense just fine.

"We just have to stay true to what we know and play base techniques; just get off, train wreck," defensive end Tony Pierce, Jr. said. "I think it's easier. It keeps us honest, and we can just play our base technique. We're not out there guessing what play it is and they can surprise us. We have to trust what we know, and don't get out of that."

The Aztecs have not been potent this year, not even in the running game, which is out of the norm. They're averaging just 144.1 yards per game on the ground, and it's quarterback Jalen Mayden who leads them in rushing with 395 yards. When SDSU throws, they're averaging 180.8 yards per contest.

The Aztecs still like to establish a run game, as only Air Force and Wyoming have attempted fewer passes. Colorado State coach Jay Norvell knows the key for his defense is staying true to their assignments, keeping eye discipline and trusting their reads.

To him, it's just an old-fashioned game.

"This is a team that traditionally is built on defense and the running game. It just helps you anticipate what you're going to see," he said. "They prefer to run the ball, and their quarterback is their leading rusher. His strength is the run game. I think it just helps the defense anticipate what they're going to see and get ready for what they're going to see."

November Finish

In trying to reverse a nasty trend, the idea for Norvell is to build a character trait for the program – one which closes out games and a season well. It as a problem he inherited.

Since Sonny Lubick was hired as the head coach back in 1993, the Rams have had 13 winning Novembers. Nine of those came in Lubick's 15-year tenure.

"I don't know if it's accurate, but somebody told me our record in rivalry games since 2016 is 1-18. I know the record the second half of the season hasn't been good either," he said. "We're trying to change the character of our program to where we work our tails off the second half of the season, we continue to get better as a football team and everybody is dialed in on improvement. That has to show the last half of the season, and I think it shows how committed your team is, the players and the coaches, and how badly they want to finish as winners."

Norvell called it competitive stamina, keeping it throughout a week, then emptying the tank on game day, only to refill and do it all over again, each and every week. He said it's hard for a young team to learn those traits and make them habits.

He'd like to see it develop now, as time is of the essence. And again, he and his team are battling history in an attempt to change its course.

The last time Colorado State won its final three games of the regular season was 2015, when the Rams won their final four. The time before that came in 1999, when the team won the final five. To do so, habits and attitude must come first.

"That's what we want to do. We've really emphasized the preparation. Emotions come and go, but your preparation has to stay consistent," Norvell said. "That's the biggest thing as a young football team we're learning is how hard it is to win and how hard you have to prepare for those critical moments in the game."

Honoring Areas of Service

On Saturday, the Colorado State Athletic Department will be recognizing two significant areas of service to campus and community. Saturday is Veteran's Day -- the 22nd such time the Rams have played on Veteran's Day -- and the pre-game ceremonies will feature a C-130 Hercules flyover, a color guard comprised of representatives for six branches of the armed services, and the unfurling of one of the world's largest American flags held by campus volunteers and those from military families.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence will also be recognized for its work supporting Colorado State University students and staff. Staff members from OIE will be represented as part of the pre-game tunnel, and the office's various Cultural and Resource Centers will be included during in-game mentions on the video board. Those mentions include: Asian Pacific American Cultural Center, Black/African American Cultural Center, El Centro, Pride Resource Center, Native American Cultural Center, and the Women and Gender Advocacy Center.

Videos recognizing the work of the various centers on campus can be found on the main social channels of X, Instagram and Facebook.

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