Rams need to find quick fix before Showdown
FORT COLLINS » There is no time to pout, and nobody can get defensive.
Well, Colorado State would like to be a lot more defensive when it takes the field Friday night in the Rocky Mountain Showdown with Colorado (7 p.m.; CBSSN), at Broncos Stadium in Denver.
But they have a showdown of their own to face — internally — as the Rams have fixes to make and a short time to do so after a 43-34 loss to Hawaii to open the season.
If it is true a team shows the most improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 the Rams will take it.
“We just played a late game, a late kickoff. It’s almost 10 o’clock and we’ve got to get up and we’ve got to practice tomorrow, we’ve got to prepare for CU on a short week, a rivalry game,” CSU coach Mike Bobo said. “We can sit here and point fingers and say what’s wrong and listen to everybody else, or we can come in tomorrow and we can take criticism.
“That’s what you do. It’s a long season. I still think we have a chance to be a very good football team, but we’ve got a lot work to do. We have a tough road this week.”
Maybe that will do the Rams some good. They have yet to beat the Buffaloes in Bobo’s tenure, and they’ve struggled with their other rivals, Wyoming and Air Force, as well.
Saturday, CSU’s offense scored points, but mostly in the second half and after Hawaii, a 17-point underdog, led by 30. It looks like window dressing, but the Rams have to use it as a point of confidence to build from, nonetheless.
The defense struggled all night long to stop the spread attack of the Rainbow Warriors. Quarterback Cole McDonald was brilliant in his first start, throwing for more than 400 yards, nearly rushing for 100 and accounting for five touchdowns.
No doubt, the Buffs will take a little bit from that, possibly the quarterback counter, even the shovel pass Hawaii had success with. Whatever it is, the Rams have to be prepared to see it again.
Linebacker Josh Watson knows the Rams have much to prove, and they’ll have to put forth a better effort in six days.
“I mean, having a loss is going to fuel more fire for you to get a win,” he said. “Then having CU next week is going to allow us to do that. It is a rivalry game. We have to take this seriously, we’ve got to bow our necks, put our heads down and go back to work.”