Colorado State University Athletics
Offense Finds Footing During the Break
11/5/2025 2:00:00 PM | Football
Third change of the season taking hold
The waves have to stop crashing against the shore before the silt can begin to settle.
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Colorado State's offense has been hit by more than a few swells this season, and in one particular week, they felt like rogues of the emotional and formative variety. A head coach fired, a rival on tap and a third different play caller on the headset.
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The bye week allowed for some calm, for some pieces to fall into place. Not just for the players, but the coaches.
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"The bye week gave us a chance to really firm up our organization. We adjusted a number of things as far as how we function in practice, how we function on a rep-in, rep-out basis on offense," said Grant Chesnut, who called plays in the Wyoming game adding to his duties as the tight ends coach. "The bye week was incredibly helpful for our practices. The flow has improved all the things that we're trying to do."
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Defensive coordinator Tyson Summers made the change at the same time he was elevated to the interim head coach position, right in the midst of preparing to play for the Bronze Boot. The result was the only shutout sustained by the team this season, the only time Jackson Brousseau was intercepted this season, and that happened three times.
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Jay Norvell started the season calling plays. Then Matt Mumme, the passing game coordinator, did it for two weeks. As Summers looked back on the game, he felt Brousseau was trying to force some things, make plays which were not there after going 113 attempts without an interception. Life came at the Rams fast, the changes even faster.
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Now, they all believe there is a sense of calm waters, and along with it, a serenity.
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"It's kinda good to just get some time and spend time with him and understand what he's thinking when he calls plays and where he wants us to go," Brousseau said. "The bye week helps for sure, and it helps us get some time off and rest and reset, so it was good.
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"It really affects the way we think and the way we execute on the field. So just having an understanding of what he's thinking allows us to think as well on the field and understand what decisions he wants me to make because there's always different ways to solve problems, so just understand how he wants them solved."
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Back when Chesnut first started coaching, he said the norm was for the players to learn the plays and then execute them as drawn up. In the past 15 years he's seen that change, to where the players want to know the ins and outs of an offense, why one play leads to another, how it all works together in the grand scheme.
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It has led to players having a higher football IQ when it comes to game-day operations, and he enjoys explaining the situations. In short, coaching them.
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Also understanding the situation. This wasn't their first rodeo; it was the third. That's a lot to take in during the first seven weeks of a season. Now more on the same page, Brousseau feels this week of preparation has gone better.
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"It's a lot, but we're grateful to have him," Brousseau said. "He cares a lot about us and he's putting everything he can into us, so we're gonna put everything we can into him."
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The entire offense is trying to find a pathway to the scoreboard. The Rams rank 11th in the Mountain West in scoring at 19.1 points per game. Only Nevada has fewer touchdowns, and the Rams are last in the league in field goals with just three.
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The offense has just two games where it has rushed for better than 150 yards, and just three games where it has thrown for more than 200 yards – while no single quarterback has thrown for 200 yards in a game. An inability to covert on third down has meant few sustained drives and trailing in time of possession, putting additional strain on the defense.
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There's a lot to cover in a short time. Keeping it simple has been Chesnut's approach as he seeks ways to create explosives and find pathways to success. What has encouraged him is the response he's seen leading into Saturday's game with UNLV and a defense which has allowed 34.3 points an outing.
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"Their energy is fantastic. I mean, you've noticed it being out here practice," Chesnut said. "They're moving around with a sense of urgency. From a coaching perspective I'm noticing greater attention to detail which gives them a chance to go execute better and more consistently. The mindset, that's in a good place, so they come out every day trying to work hard to be better, and that's all we can ask."
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Colorado State's offense has been hit by more than a few swells this season, and in one particular week, they felt like rogues of the emotional and formative variety. A head coach fired, a rival on tap and a third different play caller on the headset.
Â
The bye week allowed for some calm, for some pieces to fall into place. Not just for the players, but the coaches.
Â
"The bye week gave us a chance to really firm up our organization. We adjusted a number of things as far as how we function in practice, how we function on a rep-in, rep-out basis on offense," said Grant Chesnut, who called plays in the Wyoming game adding to his duties as the tight ends coach. "The bye week was incredibly helpful for our practices. The flow has improved all the things that we're trying to do."
Â
Defensive coordinator Tyson Summers made the change at the same time he was elevated to the interim head coach position, right in the midst of preparing to play for the Bronze Boot. The result was the only shutout sustained by the team this season, the only time Jackson Brousseau was intercepted this season, and that happened three times.
Â
Jay Norvell started the season calling plays. Then Matt Mumme, the passing game coordinator, did it for two weeks. As Summers looked back on the game, he felt Brousseau was trying to force some things, make plays which were not there after going 113 attempts without an interception. Life came at the Rams fast, the changes even faster.
Â
Now, they all believe there is a sense of calm waters, and along with it, a serenity.
Â
"It's kinda good to just get some time and spend time with him and understand what he's thinking when he calls plays and where he wants us to go," Brousseau said. "The bye week helps for sure, and it helps us get some time off and rest and reset, so it was good.
Â
"It really affects the way we think and the way we execute on the field. So just having an understanding of what he's thinking allows us to think as well on the field and understand what decisions he wants me to make because there's always different ways to solve problems, so just understand how he wants them solved."
Â
Back when Chesnut first started coaching, he said the norm was for the players to learn the plays and then execute them as drawn up. In the past 15 years he's seen that change, to where the players want to know the ins and outs of an offense, why one play leads to another, how it all works together in the grand scheme.
Â
It has led to players having a higher football IQ when it comes to game-day operations, and he enjoys explaining the situations. In short, coaching them.
Â
Also understanding the situation. This wasn't their first rodeo; it was the third. That's a lot to take in during the first seven weeks of a season. Now more on the same page, Brousseau feels this week of preparation has gone better.
Â
"It's a lot, but we're grateful to have him," Brousseau said. "He cares a lot about us and he's putting everything he can into us, so we're gonna put everything we can into him."
Â
The entire offense is trying to find a pathway to the scoreboard. The Rams rank 11th in the Mountain West in scoring at 19.1 points per game. Only Nevada has fewer touchdowns, and the Rams are last in the league in field goals with just three.
Â
The offense has just two games where it has rushed for better than 150 yards, and just three games where it has thrown for more than 200 yards – while no single quarterback has thrown for 200 yards in a game. An inability to covert on third down has meant few sustained drives and trailing in time of possession, putting additional strain on the defense.
Â
There's a lot to cover in a short time. Keeping it simple has been Chesnut's approach as he seeks ways to create explosives and find pathways to success. What has encouraged him is the response he's seen leading into Saturday's game with UNLV and a defense which has allowed 34.3 points an outing.
Â
"Their energy is fantastic. I mean, you've noticed it being out here practice," Chesnut said. "They're moving around with a sense of urgency. From a coaching perspective I'm noticing greater attention to detail which gives them a chance to go execute better and more consistently. The mindset, that's in a good place, so they come out every day trying to work hard to be better, and that's all we can ask."
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Players Mentioned
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