Colorado State University Athletics
Mock Game Serves Key Purpose
8/22/2026 7:12:00 PM | Football
Teams gains rhythm for game-day routine
Over the years, Jim Mora has gained an appreciation for covering all the bases. The same way plays are practiced, so must the game-day routine get covered. That's what the past 48 focused on, getting his team ready to be in the right mindset for Saturdays.
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"They all know how to play football. We work on that every day, but we don't always work on the routine that gets you in the right frame of mind, mentally and emotionally, and how you get your body right to go out and play a game," Mora said. "So, these are really important, and we have a lot of adjustments we have to make, and we'll go back, like I said, and hit them again Friday (the third scrimmage of fall camp). So, by Sept. 5th, it just feels like normal to us. And we just go out and just cut it loose and play."
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It wasn't just the timing of when position groups head to the field for pre-game work, it was staying at the team hotel on Friday night. It wasn't walking out of the tunnel before a game, it was taking the buses through Old Town and then doing the Ram Walk to the stadium.
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It was halftime speeches and timing. It was seeing what Canvas Chaos is like at the end of the third quarter.
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The details may seem minor, but they are not.
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"I would say like just the details of just being in meetings and being focused, preparing, getting our minds focused for the game on Saturday, getting a good night's rest for us," linebacker Caleb Otlewski said. "Honestly I think just seeing the whole team just together as one just the night before the game, just showing how everyone is just locked in and getting prepared for the game and stuff like that."
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There were no fans in the stands for a closed scrimmage, one which again featured mostly young players who really need to stack game-style reps. To that end, Ram Walk was down an empty street, but it was good to see it all. Otlewski said the drive through the city had him pumped up as he could feel the energy from the fans who saw the four buses and pulled out their camera phones.
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What wasn't there they could picture.
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"It was kind of good we did it now," wideout Terrance Smith Jr. said. "I would say it's a sense, like we all know what it's been for real, and I feel like that was good for us."
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Maybe most importantly, Comatose firing off got all of them. Smith said it hit him every time.
He wasn't alone.
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"Comatose scared the heck out of me," Mora said. "I think at the 48-minute mark he goes off, and I wasn't ready for that one. I knew after scores and stuff that I wasn't ready for that first one. So now at least I'll be ready."
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Not Just the Players
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It was for the coaches too, who want to be on the same page communicating when the outcomes start to matter. Like they did in the first scrimmage, there were coaches in the booth and some on the field. Saturday, some of those roles changed. Offensive coordinator was in the press box the first time but went on the field this week. Mora said it will be up him where he wants to be on game day. As a defensive coordinator, Mora said he always liked to be on the field.
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They also took advantage of tablets on the sidelines and even the big drop-down screen in the locker room at halftime to go over plays.
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Class is in Session
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The team has gone through three weeks of camp where it was all they had to think about. Monday, classes start, which will be an adjustment, especially for the freshmen on the team.
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"Well, first of all, I think it's a real advantage for us that class starts a week before our first game," Mora said. "You know, it would be tough if classes started the week of your first game. Now you can manage it. But we get a week where we get used to going to school, practicing, meetings, managing kind of a new existence for a lot of these kids. So, I think it's a real positive."
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About the middle of next week, Mora said they will introduce some game prep for the season opener, another adjustment for the freshmen. Some will experience for the first time playing the role of key opposition players, reading plays off cards and giving the team a good look.
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"They all know how to play football. We work on that every day, but we don't always work on the routine that gets you in the right frame of mind, mentally and emotionally, and how you get your body right to go out and play a game," Mora said. "So, these are really important, and we have a lot of adjustments we have to make, and we'll go back, like I said, and hit them again Friday (the third scrimmage of fall camp). So, by Sept. 5th, it just feels like normal to us. And we just go out and just cut it loose and play."
Â
It wasn't just the timing of when position groups head to the field for pre-game work, it was staying at the team hotel on Friday night. It wasn't walking out of the tunnel before a game, it was taking the buses through Old Town and then doing the Ram Walk to the stadium.
Â
It was halftime speeches and timing. It was seeing what Canvas Chaos is like at the end of the third quarter.
Â
The details may seem minor, but they are not.
Â
"I would say like just the details of just being in meetings and being focused, preparing, getting our minds focused for the game on Saturday, getting a good night's rest for us," linebacker Caleb Otlewski said. "Honestly I think just seeing the whole team just together as one just the night before the game, just showing how everyone is just locked in and getting prepared for the game and stuff like that."
Â
There were no fans in the stands for a closed scrimmage, one which again featured mostly young players who really need to stack game-style reps. To that end, Ram Walk was down an empty street, but it was good to see it all. Otlewski said the drive through the city had him pumped up as he could feel the energy from the fans who saw the four buses and pulled out their camera phones.
Â
What wasn't there they could picture.
Â
"It was kind of good we did it now," wideout Terrance Smith Jr. said. "I would say it's a sense, like we all know what it's been for real, and I feel like that was good for us."
Â
Maybe most importantly, Comatose firing off got all of them. Smith said it hit him every time.
He wasn't alone.
Â
"Comatose scared the heck out of me," Mora said. "I think at the 48-minute mark he goes off, and I wasn't ready for that one. I knew after scores and stuff that I wasn't ready for that first one. So now at least I'll be ready."
Â
Not Just the Players
Â
It was for the coaches too, who want to be on the same page communicating when the outcomes start to matter. Like they did in the first scrimmage, there were coaches in the booth and some on the field. Saturday, some of those roles changed. Offensive coordinator was in the press box the first time but went on the field this week. Mora said it will be up him where he wants to be on game day. As a defensive coordinator, Mora said he always liked to be on the field.
Â
They also took advantage of tablets on the sidelines and even the big drop-down screen in the locker room at halftime to go over plays.
Â
Class is in Session
Â
The team has gone through three weeks of camp where it was all they had to think about. Monday, classes start, which will be an adjustment, especially for the freshmen on the team.
Â
"Well, first of all, I think it's a real advantage for us that class starts a week before our first game," Mora said. "You know, it would be tough if classes started the week of your first game. Now you can manage it. But we get a week where we get used to going to school, practicing, meetings, managing kind of a new existence for a lot of these kids. So, I think it's a real positive."
Â
About the middle of next week, Mora said they will introduce some game prep for the season opener, another adjustment for the freshmen. Some will experience for the first time playing the role of key opposition players, reading plays off cards and giving the team a good look.
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Players Mentioned
LB
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