2011-2012 Football Previews – Mountain West Conference – Colorado St. Rams
Two seasons removed from their 40-35 victory over Fresno State in the 2008 New Mexico Bowl, the Colorado State Rams will try to recapture the success of previous years in 2011 that has been nonexistent in recent seasons.
2011 MWC | Colorado State Rams Football Preview
Coach: Steve Fairchild
2010-11 Record: 3-9 (2-6)
MWC Championship Odds: 26-1
Colorado State Rams Gambling Odds from Bodog.com to win BCS: 50-1
CSU Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
Colorado State finished their 2010 season in as embarrassing fashion as humanly possible, loosing 44-0 to rival Wyoming in the final game of the season.
But there is one thing different between Wyoming and this team. Colorado State actually has a young player for the team to rally around in quarterback Pete Thomas.
The team has a good chance to reclaim its pride in 2010 as long as coach Steve Fairchild can keep his team motivated through what is sure to be a rough start. But if he can keep his players together through the first five games of the season, the team might be able to shock the nation by having a fighting chance against conference favorite Boise State.
So let’s take a look at the kind of team the Rams will field in 2011, a season that is so crucial in the programs future, because if the team fails, and Fairchild is fired mid-season, then their young quarterback could be ruined forever.
Offense:
Thomas may be the only bright spot on the offensive side of the ball, but shine bright he does.
During his freshman year as the starting quarterback, he never missed a snap, passing for over 2,600 yards and 11 touchdowns. He will surly improve during his sophomore year, if the team around him does the same. The young quarterback needs the players around him, a lot being juniors and seniors, to step up in a big way for them to succeed.
One area of concern is in the backfield.
The rushing game is all over the place, with the leading rusher, Leonard Mason graduating, leaving five running backs that all scored just one touchdown in 2010.
Of those five running backs, the most promising is Thomas’ fellow class mate Chris Nwoke, who, in his freshman year, ran for over 350 yards on 74 carries.
The most surprising aspect of the offense’s promising 2010 campaign, is the atrocious season their defensive counterpart had.
Defense:
In 2010, the Rams’ defense gave up nearly 35 points per game, and allowed teams to get first downs on third-down conversions over 50 percent of the time. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Not only did Colorado State look down right ugly on defense last year, but they lost their only defensive player who can be considered a star after the 2010 season. Senior Ricky Brewer had a magnificent year in 2010, and was the heart and soul of a really bad defense.
This doesn’t look to help the team; they have an already bad defense, then loose their best defensive player. Can it get any worse?
The biggest reason the Rams were so unsuccessful on defense in 2010 was their inability to put pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. The team finished the season with just 21 sacks, or just under two per game.
2011 Colorado State Prediction: 5th in MWC
The Rams’ young and talented quarterback puts them this high, but the sophomore slump looks like a huge possibility in this situation. The team’s defense got worse, and they lost their top running back. At least they aren’t in fellow MWC opponent Wyoming’s position.
2011 CSU Rams Schedule
9/3/11 6:00 PM ET @NMEX
9/10/11 2:00 PM ET NCOL
9/17/11 1:30 PM ET @COL
9/24/11 8:00 PM ET @UTAST
10/1/11 4:00 PM ET SJST
10/15/11 6:00 PM ET BOIST
10/22/11 8:00 PM ET @UTEP
10/29/11 6:00 PM ET @UNLV
11/12/11 6:00 PM ET SDST
11/19/11 3:30 PM ET @TCU
11/26/11 6:00 PM ET AIRFC
12/3/11 2:00 PM ET WYOM
