Rams expecting surprise looks from Utah State

FORT COLLINS» Next game, next set of variables.

As Colorado State found in planning for Utah State on Saturday, they are numerous, and they come in the form of individuals and concepts.

The other side of the equation is what the Rams can control, and in that regard, coach Mike Bobo is rather pleased.

“I feel like we’re in a good place as a football team,” Bobo said, his team 3-2 overall, 1-0 in Mountain West play. “I like the focus. There’s been some missed assignments and things, and that has a little bit to do with preparing for this football team and the difficulty they present. Defensively, they do a lot of stuff. Special teams, they do a ton of stuff, so there’s a lot of coaching going on, a lot of new things we’re trying to correct, but guys are locked in and focused.”

That’s important, because Colorado State was a well-traveled team before ever boarding the plane Friday for this game. The Rams have been to Alabama and held their own against the nation’s No. 1 team. After a week off, it was off to Hawaii, where they played great on offense, solid on defense and took a positive first step into conference play.

Now it’s back on the road to face a team that had an extra day to prepare.

“I mean, until that championship game comes and we can say we are the best team in the Mountain West, we’re just going to keep chasing perfection, keep chasing excellence and keep trying to dominate week in and week out,” running back Izzy Matthews said.

The prep has been good, according to Bobo. He has been impressed this week, which is important getting back to his main point. The Aggies’ variables. Each team technically controls its own destiny in the Mountain Division, with both owning a conference win, and with this week’s match-ups, the winner will come out in the lead.

Utah State quarterback Kent Myers has rushed for 191 yards in one game against the Rams and thrown for more than 250 the following year. He’s versatile and has the offense producing heading into the contest. And if it seems like he’s been under center for them forever, well, it feels that way to the Rams, too.

Defensively, the Aggies have been an irritant in the past. Last year saw somewhat of a breakout performance for CSU, scoring 31 points, but it still made for a close victory.

Not much has changed, as USU will adjust its looks front and back, giving an offense much to consider in the pre-snap reads.

Bobo wants to rep everything his team might possibly see in practice, but this week, he knows he can’t. They will not be completely prepared for everything.

“As a coach, you want to be sound. You want to give your guys sound answers to what somebody does,” he said. “That’s why it’s frustrating for us this week because of what they do and there are so many different things on tape.”

At that point, he calls it a “rules game,” and that takes him back to his team. His Rams are more experienced, and their practice habits have been strong.

Occasionally, teams are surprised, and one can even prepare for that, too.

“You hear guys saying the same things, you hear guys calling up and breaking down and talking about what we’ve got to do before practice and what we have got to do after,” Bobo said. “It’s always a good sign. You just want to make sure you prepared the best you can and leave no stone unturned and put your best foot forward this Saturday, week in and week out.”