Facing Jim Mora’s undefeated Rams in a hostile environment, the Cougars must avoid a historic upset to keep their playoff hopes alive during their first road test.
The 11th-ranked BYU Cougars get their first taste of the road this weekend in Fort Collins against the Colorado State Rams. This former conference rivalry feels like a trap game for a few reasons.
In reality, we'll get to see how Kalani Sitake's team responds to playing away from LaVell Edwards Stadium. This is a different CSU football team from years ago. Like BYU, the Rams moved away from the Mountain West Conference for a better shot at postseason glory and a bigger payout. They also hired former NFL coach Jim Mora Jr., who has CSU 2-0, to start the season.
For anyone who got the sense this year has already seemed to be off in college football, there are no lies detected. Oregon struggled to beat Boise State and then losing to Oklahoma State was unexpected.
Ohio State blowing a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter to Texas seemed like something only a scriptwriter would draft up for a heroic Disney movie.
Nevertheless, BYU can't keep the door open for Colorado State.
For a team who already had fans saying they should've pounded the ball into the end zone in the final minute against Arizona last week, there's no need to keep this game close. Expect a tough, hard-fought game from both sides. But the Cougars' depth and experience should be the difference.
Colorado State hasn't hosted a team this highly ranked ever at the fairly-new Canvas Stadium. You can expect Mora's team to come out swinging because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Being able to knock-off BYU on their home turf would bring quite a celebration to Fort Collins. Rams fans would be partying from Old Town all the way out to Interstate 25 if that happened.
Colorado State is riding a 27-game losing streak against AP Top 25 opponents. The last upset came in the 2002 Rocky Mountain Showdown battle with then No. 7 Colorado at Mile High Stadium in Denver. This isn't the time for BYU to be part of a bad statistic.
Mora has a great deal of respect for BYU and Sitake. “I have a ton of regard for Kalani. I’ve known him for a long time, and you know his team is going to be tough. They’re going to play on the edge,” said Mora.
“They’re going to play with discipline. They’re not going to do things to hurt themselves. They’re going to be sound defensively. They’re going to be physical and run the ball offensively. I’ve watched their film. They’re about as complete a team as you’ll find in the country.
“They’re as good as anyone in the country. You know, they’re a College Football Playoff contender. They’re ranked No. 11 for a reason and they’ve earned it. Like I said, it’s going to be a great challenge, and it’s going to be one that we look forward to. Like I said, we will fight like crazy.”
BYU enters the game on a two-game win streak, trying to close out non-conference play on a positive note. For the first time this season, the Cougars will face a hostile crowd. While many BYU fans will be coming across state lines, this won't be a friendly environment.
One of the biggest takeaways from the Arizona game was that BYU didn't play down to the Wildcats level in the second half. They corrected mistakes and put themselves in a position to win. The Cougars need to do that in all four quarters. Colorado State will look for any advantage that's handed to them.
Don't allow mistakes to become a factor and play up to the standard. That's how BYU walks away from Fort Collins at 3-0 going into Big 12 play.
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