Rams’ secondary boasts of ability
fort collins» The physical gifts are there. The skills, too.
Yet for the most part, it is untested when it comes to the Colorado State secondary, so mark it down as another group of the Rams football team that has something to prove in 2016.
“I love their athleticism, I just worry about experience,” coach Mike Bobo said. “There’s nothing that can replace experience. Do I think they have athletic ability? Yes. Do I think they’re going to make some mistakes? Yes.
“The big thing is we’ve got to forget that mistake, we’ve got to line up and play the next play and don’t let it set us back the whole game.”
In the past four seasons, Colorado State depended a lot on the safety duo of Trent Matthews and Kevin Pierre-Louis. They could communicate without words, with the nod of a head or a certain look.
It’s a commodity that can’t be overlooked, and the defensive backs in the rotation are keenly aware.
The task of passing along the information has fallen on junior strong safety Jake Schlager.
“I’m just trying to be a leader in the secondary and just communicate everything and make sure everybody is on the same page,” Schlager said. “That’s the most important thing, making sure everyone is on the same page, everyone is getting the calls and making the correct calls. If we’re all wrong, we’re all wrong, if we’re all right, we’re all right.”
With the switch to the 3-4, history dictates the Rams will more often than not be running a nickel package based off the offenses they’ll face.
Two years ago, the Rams started 11-of-13 games with a nickel, and in camp, all of the safeties have had their run there, with Braylin Scott currently leading the crop of contenders.
So whoever Schlager is teamed with, be it Scott, Justin Sweet, Jamal Hicks or Demontrie Taylor, the pairing will be untested. While one cornerback is set with Tyree Simmons and his 16 career starts, the other cornerback will be new.
Especially if it’s Jordon Vaden, who currently tops the depth chart over Kevin Nutt. Like Schlager, both have played a lot, just not at the position they are going to be asked to man. The same goes for Shun Johnson (a junior who had one start as a true freshman) and true freshman Robert Awunganyi.
Simmons, however, isn’t worried in the least.
“That’s really all that they lack,” he said of the experience level. “They haven’t had a chance to prove what they can really do. That’s why I’m excited for this year, because I have faith in them.”
As a team, Colorado State only had eight interceptions in 2015. Simmons is the lone returning defensive back with one. But in practice, they are coming with regularity.
Making big plays would help, as the Rams only produced 15 turnovers a year ago, leading to a ranking of 117th in turnover margin when coupled with CSU’s high rate of gifts.
Stopping big plays is also a plus. The opposition hit the Rams for 15 scoring plays of 30 yards or longer. Six of those were passes. Nine were on runs, six covering 50 yards or better.
It’s a task Bobo has thrust on the group this year, and a reason Scott moved to safety, to have someone in the back who can cover sideline to sideline.
Players will get burned. It’s the law of the land in the secondary. And with young players, mistakes will happen. Bobo is counting on it, but he expects to see them happen less often as the schedule plays out.