Colorado State University Athletics
Monday Presser: Team used bye for internal focus
11/3/2025 2:41:00 PM | Football
Rams take the time to get ahead of the game
Changes came at the team fast, and to a lesser degree, are still coming. The bye week gave interim coach Tyson Summers and his staff a chance to set more of a routine for a team moving forward and do so while not working on game prep.
Â
"I think it was the ability for us to get back to the organizational flow that we wanted to have with our offense and our defense and our special teams. I think it gave us a chance to also look and evaluate the things we were doing well, the things we weren't doing well," Summers said at Monday's weekly press conference. "We had an opportunity to change a handful of those things on each side of the ball in all three phases, really, and I think it gave us a chance to kind of move on from some things. You know, at the end of the day, you know, trying to build up confidence in our guys is a huge piece of it. Trying to build up trust as we make some of these adjustments.
Â
"And I think it gave us a chance to do that. We spent a lot of time the last two weeks talking about reset. And I think it gave us a chance to do that as well."
Â
As he said, it wasn't just for the players, but the coaches. There were four good days of practice, as well as the opportunity to home in on academics. Even still, Summers said more changes are coming this week as the Rams aim to play well in the final four games of the season, starting with Saturday's home date against UNLV.
Â
"You know, we keep trying to change and adjust and adapt with the things that we feel like give us the best chance to win and prepare the best to be able to do that. But I think it was really critical," he said. "The first week was obviously very different from the practice structure of what we were trying to get done, and I thought the guys did a great job adapting to that and buying into that. We really tried to take a lot of time to be smart with their bodies at this point in the season. You kind of hit the last quarter of the year in the last four weeks.
Â
"I think all those things kind of carried over for us. And I thought they did a great job last week in doing what we asked them to do, and they've got a great attitude. We've got to find a way to take some of that and translate it onto the field and on Saturdays."
Â
Advance Work
Â
A bye week not only gives a team a chance to get a head start on the next opponent, but as is the case in the Mountain West, an opportunity to explore options – namely the one run by Air Force. The Rams spent time on themselves, the Rebels and the Falcons.
Â
"There's certainly an emphasis on UNLV, and trying to get ready for the game, and the additional part of getting out ahead of Air Force. You know, first year defensive staff, going against these guys," Summers said. "It'll be my third time playing them with the offensive staff that they have in place, so I've got some familiarity, and I spent my summer working on those guys as well. So, I think all three phases really help us."
Â
The Falcons may not be having a good year overall (2-6, 1-4 Mountain West), but they are productive on offense, averaging better than 33 points and 455 yards per outing. As one would anticipate historically, Air Force is one of the top rushing offenses, but it has had success passing the ball, averaging 185 yards per game – or two less than Colorado State.
Â
Here and There
Â
Colorado State leads the overall series with UNLV 17-7-1. The teams first met in 1978. … After getting out to a 6-0 start, the Rebels have dropped two straight. They've played in five one-score games, going 4-1. … Summers has ties with a few members of UNLV's staff. He worked with coach Dan Mullen at Florida in 2021, adding he's known offensive coordinator Corey Dennis since "before he was born." Offensive line coach Mike Sollenne was on the same Florida staff, and defensive line coach Ricky Logo hired Summers as a graduate assistant and later worked as the CSU defensive line coach under Summers in 2015.
Â
Â
"I think it was the ability for us to get back to the organizational flow that we wanted to have with our offense and our defense and our special teams. I think it gave us a chance to also look and evaluate the things we were doing well, the things we weren't doing well," Summers said at Monday's weekly press conference. "We had an opportunity to change a handful of those things on each side of the ball in all three phases, really, and I think it gave us a chance to kind of move on from some things. You know, at the end of the day, you know, trying to build up confidence in our guys is a huge piece of it. Trying to build up trust as we make some of these adjustments.
Â
"And I think it gave us a chance to do that. We spent a lot of time the last two weeks talking about reset. And I think it gave us a chance to do that as well."
Â
As he said, it wasn't just for the players, but the coaches. There were four good days of practice, as well as the opportunity to home in on academics. Even still, Summers said more changes are coming this week as the Rams aim to play well in the final four games of the season, starting with Saturday's home date against UNLV.
Â
"You know, we keep trying to change and adjust and adapt with the things that we feel like give us the best chance to win and prepare the best to be able to do that. But I think it was really critical," he said. "The first week was obviously very different from the practice structure of what we were trying to get done, and I thought the guys did a great job adapting to that and buying into that. We really tried to take a lot of time to be smart with their bodies at this point in the season. You kind of hit the last quarter of the year in the last four weeks.
Â
"I think all those things kind of carried over for us. And I thought they did a great job last week in doing what we asked them to do, and they've got a great attitude. We've got to find a way to take some of that and translate it onto the field and on Saturdays."
Â
Advance Work
Â
A bye week not only gives a team a chance to get a head start on the next opponent, but as is the case in the Mountain West, an opportunity to explore options – namely the one run by Air Force. The Rams spent time on themselves, the Rebels and the Falcons.
Â
"There's certainly an emphasis on UNLV, and trying to get ready for the game, and the additional part of getting out ahead of Air Force. You know, first year defensive staff, going against these guys," Summers said. "It'll be my third time playing them with the offensive staff that they have in place, so I've got some familiarity, and I spent my summer working on those guys as well. So, I think all three phases really help us."
Â
The Falcons may not be having a good year overall (2-6, 1-4 Mountain West), but they are productive on offense, averaging better than 33 points and 455 yards per outing. As one would anticipate historically, Air Force is one of the top rushing offenses, but it has had success passing the ball, averaging 185 yards per game – or two less than Colorado State.
Â
Here and There
Â
Colorado State leads the overall series with UNLV 17-7-1. The teams first met in 1978. … After getting out to a 6-0 start, the Rebels have dropped two straight. They've played in five one-score games, going 4-1. … Summers has ties with a few members of UNLV's staff. He worked with coach Dan Mullen at Florida in 2021, adding he's known offensive coordinator Corey Dennis since "before he was born." Offensive line coach Mike Sollenne was on the same Florida staff, and defensive line coach Ricky Logo hired Summers as a graduate assistant and later worked as the CSU defensive line coach under Summers in 2015.
Â
Colorado State Football: Tyson Summers Weekly Press Conference - Week 9 (2025)
Monday, November 03
Colorado State Football: Lanier (L) and Mitchell (R) Post-Game (Wyoming, 2025)
Monday, October 27
Colorado State Football: Tyson Summers Post-Game (Wyoming, 2025)
Monday, October 27
Colorado State Football: Owen Long - Outstanding By Any Measure
Wednesday, October 22