Setting the Stage: Rams Prep for All UNLV Presents

For safety Jake Jarmolowich, the approach should remain the same, week to week, offense to offense. The basics, he feels, cover all the bases. He also knows UNLV will throw a lot at Colorado State this Saturday.

"I think it's like any other week, to be honest. I've said it a lot, it's going back to our 1/11s -- if everyone does their jobs and we contain this quarterback and we do what we're supposed to do, we're gonna be just fine," he said. "I think any game, any opponent, you have to be as disciplined as possible. If you're not, you're gonna overset a gap, you're gonna go over the top and you're supposed to be the inside or wherever it might be. I think with the quarterback, it's just a little thing in the back of your head you've got to keep in mind."

The Rebels are the top scoring offense in the Mountain West, posting 36.9 points per game. The worst showing they've had all season is 30 points in a win over UCLA back in early September. They hit a high of 51 in a shootout win over Air Force, 51-48.

Their rushing offense is second to Air Force at 193.4 yards per game, leading the conference at 5.39 yards per carry. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea is a big part of that, rushing for 450 yards with four scores. He's also thrown for 2,000 yards in his primary duties, completing 69 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

That makes him a concern. The primary one, with running back Jai'Den Thomas a side quest which can't be ignored (656 yards, seven scores and the team's second leading receiver). Coach Tyson Summers agrees the defense has to be disciplined and assignment sound.

"You do because of what the quarterback makes you do. I think the quarterback's ability to be kind of an elite runner and passer, and he does that with design QB runs, and he does that with breaking the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield," Summers said. "I think those are the challenges because of what he creates, so we certainly do."

With UNLV there is a lot to consider with how it attacks defenses, and the chunk plays it will produce – 23 covering 30 yards or more. The Rams will face it coming off a bye week, an extra week of practice where it gained some extra time to dissect film.

That helped, and Jarmolowich said the defense is in a good place to take on the final four challenges.

"I do. We've got a lot of new stuff in, we're trying some things out, we've got a lot of guys healthy, which is big," he said. "We feel really good, especially with that bye week, refreshed, legs feel good, minds are even better, so yeah."

A New Day to Day

Start with a team meeting and do it in the locker room. Break into meeting groups, each with a daily focus. Carry the idea of getting better in every regard – playing, life, academically – throughout the 24 hours. And when the Rams are on the field, the practice time is shorter.

Practices are about 45 minutes shorter, but with a higher expected tempo from the start, one which is expected to carry through. After the first 10 minutes Wednesday, Summers huddled up the group and told them the effort wasn't good enough, and the Rams responded, the energy picking up.

"A huge part of the first week was trying to make sure that we tried to talk about resetting their hearts, and their hearts resetting their minds, and their minds resetting their bodies," Summers said. "So much of feeling better and their bodies being in a better place controls where their mind is at, and so much of their mind being in the right place will control where their body is at. And so, we've gotten a lot of positive feedback just from the players and how they feel as they go through each week, and I think it's been really important.

"I think the other part of it is while we're on the field and practicing a shorter amount of time, we've got four additional periods that are built in to be competitive and good on good, and I think that keeps the spirits and the competitive levels raised throughout practice."

He wants his team to hit a rhythm and do it immediately, then repeat the process on game days. Fresno State and Hawaii are the only games in league play where the Rams scored a touchdown in the opening quarter. Fresno State was the only game where CSU exited the locker room at halftime looking at a lead, not a deficit, and the Hawaii game was the only deficit which wasn't double digits.

The last time the Rams led in time of possession was the UTSA game in September, a stat which accounts for all three phases of the game. Summers knows they need all of them in concert to beat the Rebels.

"It's going to be really challenging to do versus a good offense like UNLV has, so we've got to play complementary football a little bit differently, and we've got to do that by playing in all three phases and working together," Summers said. "We've got a good plan for how we want to win the game and how we feel like we're going to win the game. It gives us the best chance, and that includes all three phases."

Here and There

Owen Long still leads the country in tackles per game with 12.88. He is second in total tackles to Red Murdock of Buffalo (105-103), having played one fewer games. … Lemondre Joe is tied for the national lead in passes broken up with 11, tied for third in passes defended. … Punter Bryan Hansen ranks fifth in the country in average at 47.7 per attempt. He currently sits third in a single season for average by behind Ryan Stonehouse twice (50.9 in 2021, 48.3 in 2018). … The Rams have only attempted six field goals this season, sitting 133^rd in the country with Louisiana-Monroe. Only two schools – Wisconsin (five) and Kent State (four) have attempted fewer.

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