Colorado State University Athletics
Setting the Stage: Utah Tech
9/29/2023 2:00:00 PM | Football
Rams aim for consistent performance
FORT COLLINS – Heading into the fourth game of the season Saturday against Utah Tech, Colorado State is in search of a first – a consistent outing.
As a team, the Rams have been up and down. There weren't many ups in the first game, they didn't stay up long enough in the second and it took a second-half surge to get into the win column on the road at Middle Tennessee State.
"It's the challenge everybody is working toward. It's hard," CSU head coach Jay Norvell said as his team approaches the Ag Day game. "It's hard to play at a high level all the time. It takes a lot of focus and energy, and that's what we've been pushing (on) our kids.
"We used Georgia as an example last year. They went undefeated and they kept answering every challenge every week. We have to have that mindset that every week we're going to practice at a high level and we're going to push ourselves to play at a high level."
To Norvell, it's one of the more elusive goals for a team to achieve, especially a program with a current run of losing seasons. The Rams haven't had a winning season since 2017, when they went 7-6, the last time the program reached a bowl game.
To snap the string, Novell said they need to become more consistent in their day-to-day effort, but it takes time and particularly mental training.
"We have to get over the hump. We have to get over the hump as a team, and we have to understand and realize it's really about us," Norvell said. "There are no other factors outside our program that affect us from being good. It's not the teams we play, it's us. We have to make our minds up that we're going to prepare our very best and we're going to go play our very best. That's a mindset.
"We've hit it at times. It's just that consistency of making that a habit is what we're working for.'
Lining Up
The one section of the defense the Rams had to reconstruct was at linebacker, where both Chase Wilson and Justin Sanchez slid in as starters replacing two longstanding performers.
So far, not to shabby. Wilson leads the team with 31 stops and has a pair of double-digit tackle games, while Sanchez sits fourth (24) and is coming off his first 10-plus tackle outing.
"I think they're showing a lot of promise, both Chase and Justin," Norvell said. "Justin's played his best the last couple of weeks, and he's starting to show up more. I'm just really excited about his progress, and we haven't even gotten to conference play yet.
"I think as you work through the nonconference you find things out about players and then guys start to settle in and play in a rhythm. I think we're getting closer to doing that on defense, and our linebackers are a big key to that."
Here and There
Colorado State has dropped the past two meetings with FCS schools and the past four Ag Day games. … Mohamed Kamara watch: He needs half a sack to stand fifth all alone on the career list, 1.5 to tie for fourth; he needs 3.5 TFLs to move into a tie for sixth. Currently, his 1.67 sacks per game leads the nation. He has 5.0 total. … The Rams are one of three teams in the Mountain West (Air Force, Boise State) which have not allowed a play of 60 yards or longer this season. … Leading rusher Avery Morrow is likely out two weeks with an MCL injury sustained in the MTSU contest.
As a team, the Rams have been up and down. There weren't many ups in the first game, they didn't stay up long enough in the second and it took a second-half surge to get into the win column on the road at Middle Tennessee State.
"It's the challenge everybody is working toward. It's hard," CSU head coach Jay Norvell said as his team approaches the Ag Day game. "It's hard to play at a high level all the time. It takes a lot of focus and energy, and that's what we've been pushing (on) our kids.
"We used Georgia as an example last year. They went undefeated and they kept answering every challenge every week. We have to have that mindset that every week we're going to practice at a high level and we're going to push ourselves to play at a high level."
To Norvell, it's one of the more elusive goals for a team to achieve, especially a program with a current run of losing seasons. The Rams haven't had a winning season since 2017, when they went 7-6, the last time the program reached a bowl game.
To snap the string, Novell said they need to become more consistent in their day-to-day effort, but it takes time and particularly mental training.
"We have to get over the hump. We have to get over the hump as a team, and we have to understand and realize it's really about us," Norvell said. "There are no other factors outside our program that affect us from being good. It's not the teams we play, it's us. We have to make our minds up that we're going to prepare our very best and we're going to go play our very best. That's a mindset.
"We've hit it at times. It's just that consistency of making that a habit is what we're working for.'
Lining Up
The one section of the defense the Rams had to reconstruct was at linebacker, where both Chase Wilson and Justin Sanchez slid in as starters replacing two longstanding performers.
So far, not to shabby. Wilson leads the team with 31 stops and has a pair of double-digit tackle games, while Sanchez sits fourth (24) and is coming off his first 10-plus tackle outing.
"I think they're showing a lot of promise, both Chase and Justin," Norvell said. "Justin's played his best the last couple of weeks, and he's starting to show up more. I'm just really excited about his progress, and we haven't even gotten to conference play yet.
"I think as you work through the nonconference you find things out about players and then guys start to settle in and play in a rhythm. I think we're getting closer to doing that on defense, and our linebackers are a big key to that."
Here and There
Colorado State has dropped the past two meetings with FCS schools and the past four Ag Day games. … Mohamed Kamara watch: He needs half a sack to stand fifth all alone on the career list, 1.5 to tie for fourth; he needs 3.5 TFLs to move into a tie for sixth. Currently, his 1.67 sacks per game leads the nation. He has 5.0 total. … The Rams are one of three teams in the Mountain West (Air Force, Boise State) which have not allowed a play of 60 yards or longer this season. … Leading rusher Avery Morrow is likely out two weeks with an MCL injury sustained in the MTSU contest.
Players Mentioned
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