Colorado State University Athletics
Rams Stick to Plan During Bye Week
9/11/2025 2:00:00 PM | Football
Coaches use early break to hit the road
Bye weeks, regardless of when they fall, most usually fall a general plan. They are designed spaces to recall the basics for a team, tailored a bit to the areas where coaching staffs feel a bit more emphasis is needed.
Even with an early bye – after just two games – nothing had changed for Colorado State.
It's fairly common to most bye weeks, but we look back at some things we want to really emphasize and focus on. You know, really ball security on offense, taking care of the football, and then just cleaning up our passing game, our understanding, communication, CSU leader Jay Norvell said after Wednesday's session. Defensively we want to continue to work really hard on doing a great job on first down and base runs. We're gonna play a really good rush team this coming week, so that's gonna be important next week.
The Rams know what's coming with UTSA visiting Canvas Stadium on Sept. 20. Roadrunners back Robert Henry Jr., leads the nation with his 336 yards on the ground, averaging 10.2 per rush on his was to a per-game average of 168 yards. They also aren't getting ahead of themselves.
The specifics of what they'll need to work on for that game will come next week. This week, it's all about them, their foundation. Take what it does well as a team and make it better. Look at there areas where they want to improve and do the same – make them better.
It's a pretty simple formula, Norvell said.
As players, they knew the message which was coming, and from the perspective of Tanner Morley, game or not on the horizon, the work is getting done and the way they've gone about it has come with the required level of intensity.
I think dudes are just bringing more juice because we didn't like what happened last weekend, the guard said. We're going to do whatever it takes to let that not happen again. So, intensity has been up. Playmaking has been up. We're throwing dudes at different places, seeing what's working and what's not. The main thing is execution. So, we've really been intense about that.
Norvell like the way the Rams ran the ball in the most recent win, and it's a part of the offense which has shown bright spots in both contests. It has been the execution in the passing attack which needs to develop more consistency, saying they were looking at every option. Wednesday, Jackson Brousseau took reps with the first-team offense, as did Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Those looks are happening across the board, and as is typical, bye weeks provide ample time to do so without the pressure of preparing for an opponent.
Every group on the team has taken a look in the mirror, and each entered the week with a plan.
It's been a big emphasis of how we carry ourselves, how we handle ourselves every day in practice because, I mean, we didn't do what we needed to get done last weekend and that starts with practice and that starts with how we prepare for the game, Morley said. So, it's been a huge emphasis of running the ball, make sure we know our assignment and alignment and we execute it. Especially in the O-line room; just keep running the ball, keep pounding it and give the quarterback lots of time on pass pro.
Since the win over Northern Colorado, Norvell has been pretty clear to his team it was not just simply a victory, but one from which they can learn much more about themselves knowing the end goal was reached.
Each time out, a lesson is learned whether or not the outcome was positive, the level of play met the implied expectation. The reaction from his message has been positive based on the quality of practice.
I've seen the guys respond to what we're asking them to do, and I thought we've had two good practices so far, and we'll get another one tomorrow, and it's important to build on that, Norvell said.
Wednesday was also a day when some of the coaches hit the road to recruit, with more coaches – 10 in total – flying out of town on Thursday. He said coaches will meet with prospects who have previously verbally committed, as well as others for whom they hold interest. This is the second consecutive season the program will have two bye weeks where they can hit the road recruiting.
