Stevens, Rams don’t look back

FORT COLLINS» As much as they thought — or maybe hoped — they were ready, the Rams just weren’t for the 2016 Rocky Mountain Showdown.

Most questions surrounding the Rams centered on a defensive unit starting eight new players. Offensively, that wasn’t the case, and the feelings were bolstered by having a returning starter at quarterback in Nick Stevens.

He took a lot of heat that day, not only from the Buffs, but afterward as the Rams generated just 225 yards of total offense, only 63 through the air. Stevens was intercepted twice, half of the four turnovers CSU gave away in a 44-7 loss.

As Saturday approaches with Oregon State coming to town to help open Colorado State Stadium, Stevens once again returns as the starter, but there are no lingering effects from that performance.

“I don’t think he’s looking back. There’s always things you can learn from, your mistakes, but I think we’re pressing on, moving forward, trying to get better day by day so he can put his best foot forward,” CSU coach Mike Bobo said. “We’re a different football team than we were last year; he’s a different player. There’s a level of confidence. There’s a level of him believing in himself. … I think he’s going to play fine.”

The quarterback always shoulders most of the blame for a bad performance, and Stevens did, including losing his starting spot. It wasn’t until the second half the Rams posted their initial first down.

CSU’s talented wide receivers were just young receivers to open 2016. Bisi Johnson puts a microscope on the passing game that day, and what he sees is a quarterback who had experience, but Johnson was making his first start, Michael Gallup was playing in his first game and Detrich Clark was a running back out of the slot. It wasn’t exactly primed for success.

Flash forward, and Stevens had a stellar end to the season, Gallup became a first-team wideout, Johnson broke the single-game receiving yardage mark and Clark can now run routes.

“We have experience all around the board,” Stevens said. “The one position where we lack a little bit of experience would be the tight ends, but at the same time, those are some really good athletes who can definitely contribute.”