Colorado State University Athletics
10/26/2026 2:00:00 PM | Football
Explosive plays working both ways in CSU games
When a team has to play two quarterbacks, it's noticeable by nature of the position. Not everyone will recognize Colorado State has used three different combinations for the starting offensive line. Or that there have been five varied cornerback combinations and five different nickels starting a game.
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With 36 Rams having started on offense and defense this season, the depth has been tested. Coach Jim Mora knew it would be, too. It always is in the sport.
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"We're still working to develop depth. More and more young players are starting to contribute," Mora said Monday at his weekly press conference. "That's football. In football, you're not going to get through a year without having to call on some guys to step up and replace some players that, for a reason, are the starters. So it's just a mindset, and it's a standard that everybody has to live up to.
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"You don't just hold your starters to a particular standard. You hold everyone to that standard. Preparation and mindset and doing the work in practice and understanding their role in the scheme, offensively, defensively, on special teams, and then when they're called upon, they should have the confidence to go out there and perform to the best of their abilities."
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The offense has moved best with Hauss Hejny under center – he was named the Pac-12's offensive player of the week for a second time -- but the unit has not stalled when K'saan Farrar has taken snaps. Four wide receivers have multiple touchdown catches this season. Antarron Turner, who has started just one game, sits third on the team in tackles. D'Angelo Hagans Jr., is also in the top 10 for stops with three starts.
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Depth has mattered for the Rams, and for the most part, has stood up to the challenge. The process of building it never stops, not even in season. Mora noted freshman Jaden Hernandez continues to push for a bigger role through his work on special teams.
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Both Sides of the Coin
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Defensively, few teams have allowed more plays of 50 yards or longer than Colorado State. Offensively, only one team – Louisville – has generated as many as the 11 the Rams have.
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Tommy Maher's 54-yard scoring catch was the biggest play for an offense which generated seven plays of 20 yards or more, three of them scoring plays. The flip side was SDSU had seven such plays, three producing touchdowns. Where CSU gained some traction was on the ground. After four explosive runs in the first half, the Aztecs had none in the second.
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"Consistency of assignment. Executing assignment, energy, better tackling, better effort to the ball, a better understanding of leverage," Mora explained as the key. "We looked faster, and the reason that we looked faster is because, as I've said many times, we were more certain of what we were supposed to do, and when you're certain you can play fast; when you play fast, you have a tendency to make more plays. So that was really it.
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"There's no magic formula. There really isn't to playing good defense. It's knowing what to do. It's trusting the guy next to you to know what he does and do it consistently, and then it's just cut and loose, fly to the football, and entering play with great leverage and tackling."
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Rare Company
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Colorado State's most common opponent through the years has been Wyoming, the only team the Rams have played at least 100 times. In state, it's Colorado, with 93 games between the two.
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Utah State is set to join Utah at No. 3 on the common foe list as Saturday's game will mark the 80th meeting between the Aggies of now and the Aggies of old. The two Beehive State schools are also among the oldest foes, with Colorado State having played both for the first time back in 1902, both on the road.
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The only opponents (still playing) which date back earlier are Colorado, Northern Colorado, Colorado School of Mines and Wyoming
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With 36 Rams having started on offense and defense this season, the depth has been tested. Coach Jim Mora knew it would be, too. It always is in the sport.
Â
"We're still working to develop depth. More and more young players are starting to contribute," Mora said Monday at his weekly press conference. "That's football. In football, you're not going to get through a year without having to call on some guys to step up and replace some players that, for a reason, are the starters. So it's just a mindset, and it's a standard that everybody has to live up to.
Â
"You don't just hold your starters to a particular standard. You hold everyone to that standard. Preparation and mindset and doing the work in practice and understanding their role in the scheme, offensively, defensively, on special teams, and then when they're called upon, they should have the confidence to go out there and perform to the best of their abilities."
Â
The offense has moved best with Hauss Hejny under center – he was named the Pac-12's offensive player of the week for a second time -- but the unit has not stalled when K'saan Farrar has taken snaps. Four wide receivers have multiple touchdown catches this season. Antarron Turner, who has started just one game, sits third on the team in tackles. D'Angelo Hagans Jr., is also in the top 10 for stops with three starts.
Â
Depth has mattered for the Rams, and for the most part, has stood up to the challenge. The process of building it never stops, not even in season. Mora noted freshman Jaden Hernandez continues to push for a bigger role through his work on special teams.
Â
Both Sides of the Coin
Â
Defensively, few teams have allowed more plays of 50 yards or longer than Colorado State. Offensively, only one team – Louisville – has generated as many as the 11 the Rams have.
Â
Tommy Maher's 54-yard scoring catch was the biggest play for an offense which generated seven plays of 20 yards or more, three of them scoring plays. The flip side was SDSU had seven such plays, three producing touchdowns. Where CSU gained some traction was on the ground. After four explosive runs in the first half, the Aztecs had none in the second.
Â
"Consistency of assignment. Executing assignment, energy, better tackling, better effort to the ball, a better understanding of leverage," Mora explained as the key. "We looked faster, and the reason that we looked faster is because, as I've said many times, we were more certain of what we were supposed to do, and when you're certain you can play fast; when you play fast, you have a tendency to make more plays. So that was really it.
Â
"There's no magic formula. There really isn't to playing good defense. It's knowing what to do. It's trusting the guy next to you to know what he does and do it consistently, and then it's just cut and loose, fly to the football, and entering play with great leverage and tackling."
Â
Rare Company
Â
Colorado State's most common opponent through the years has been Wyoming, the only team the Rams have played at least 100 times. In state, it's Colorado, with 93 games between the two.
Â
Utah State is set to join Utah at No. 3 on the common foe list as Saturday's game will mark the 80th meeting between the Aggies of now and the Aggies of old. The two Beehive State schools are also among the oldest foes, with Colorado State having played both for the first time back in 1902, both on the road.
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The only opponents (still playing) which date back earlier are Colorado, Northern Colorado, Colorado School of Mines and Wyoming
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Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
NK
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ FootballMonday, October 26
Saturday, October 24
Saturday, October 24
Saturday, October 24