Monday Presser: Norvell Seeing the Right Makings

What Jay Norvell saw on film reiterated to the coach what he watched live on Saturday night. His team needed a little more gas in the tank in the fourth quarter. His offense and defense needed to play more complimentary for most of the second half.

He also believes he saw this: His team has the right stuff.

"And just a conclusion on Saturday night is that I think we have championship DNA in our locker room. I really do," Norvell said at his Monday press conference. "We have high character. We have courage. We have physicality. And we need to build on that.

"And I think the question now is can we prepare at that level? Can we respond at that level? And do the things we need to do day-to-day, week-to-week over the course of this season to have the kind of outputs that we want as a program."

Tied at 21-all in the third, Colorado State surrendered 17 consecutive points to the Washington Huskies to drop the opener. His contention is Washington wore them down a bit. The Huskies ran a bit too well in the latter stages, and his offense didn't click.

All of it can be corrected, Norvell said. They just have to take the right approach. That's the task ahead of his team as it prepares to face Northern Colorado on Saturday (5 p.m.), the first of three consecutive home games at Canvas Stadium.

"I just think the way that we fought back every time we got behind in that environment, it really showed that we're built to the right stuff. And, you know, and the thing about that is that it's a long season," he said. "You have to prepare every day. You have to follow the process of putting yourself in position to play well. Week in and week out, you're really not playing the opponent. You're playing yourself.

"And so we have to go back to work and prepare and really do things properly. You know, I've talked a lot about that. There's a certain way that you have to prepare, and you have to have respect for your opponent. It's like Northern Colorado. We watch them on film and all that. We're going to see their best effort this Saturday."

Legends Return

The game is also Ag Day, one of the biggest of the season for the team, which will honor it's Colorado A&M history by wearing pumpkin and alfalfa uniforms this week, with the scent of amazing barbeque wafting through the tailgate area.

The game also marks the unveiling of the Ring of Honor, created by Director of Athletics John Weber. It will cover all sports, but this weekend, four football inductees will be honored on the field – coach Sonny Lubick and players Al "Bubba" Baker, Joey Porter and Bradlee Van Pelt.

"I smile because I've had a chance to get to know all of them. And I'm so excited that we can honor Coach Lubick and the great legacy that he has here," Norvell said. "Joey Porter, Bradlee Van Pelt, you know, those guys have all spoken to our team. And Al Bubba Baker, I got to know Bubba last year on the phone. He called me a couple of times and came to our bowl game. And just those guys are such proud Rams.

"They've done so much for this university. And it's really going to be special to be able to honor them this weekend."

All four of them will have their names added the facing at the club level of the stadium on the west side.

Norvell appreciates the traditions and history of a program he took over four years ago. He believes having the past be part of the present is vital, as growth should recognize the accomplishments of the past while moving forward. The night before every game, the program takes part in Ram Walk, where the current roster walks the entirety of the field arm and arm with alumni, the only people who can take part are players who have worn the uniform.

At the end, select speakers will tell their stories of the past, bonding them all together.

"The fact that our administration, John, wants to recognize them, I think is really special. It's what makes a school's tradition important," Norvell said. "Those guys have laid a foundation and set a standard that we want to emulate. You know, obviously Coach Lubick and all those players. I mean, you know, I think Brayden (Fowler-Nicolosi) has looked at Bradlee Van Pelt a lot, and his career; he wants to do things that Bradlee did. He's gotten a chance to meet Bradlee. He's heard stories from Bradlee. Bradlee talked to the team before our Colorado game two years ago. And his message was fantastic. It really was. And, you know, we still carry a lot of things he said today.

"Al "Bubba" Baker, he couldn't have been prouder of our guys last year. And he called and told me that several times. And Joey's always been great. You know, Joey was one of the first guys I met when I first got here as a head coach. And so that pride that they wear for CSU is something that we really take seriously. And we want to make them proud when we play."

Here and There

Northern Colorado enters the game with a 17-3 win over Chadron State. The Bears led 14-0 after one, with quarterback Peter Costelli throwing and rushing for a touchdown. … The Rams are 21-1-1 in the series, the lone loss a forfeit back in 1900. … The series dates back to 1893, a game the Rams won. … Redshirt freshman running back Jalen Dupree was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week after rushing for 92 yards and a score against Washington. … CSU will play seven homes games this season for the second year in a row.

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