5 things we learned from Steve Addazio as CSU prepares for South Dakota State

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — When Colorado State hosts South Dakota State at Canvas Stadium on Friday night it will be the first time that the Rams will be playing in front of their home fans in 645 days. 

Led by Steve Addazio, the Rams were 1-0 in their lone home game in 2020, a 34-24 victory over Wyoming. As exciting as the Bronze Boot returning to the Green & Gold was, though, the night was missing a ruckus crowd. 

Comatose firing into the night air, the marching band playing the fight song, the crowd roaring with every big play — the pageantry of college football is half the experience, and that’s what makes Friday night so exciting. Sure, it’s a chance for Colorado State to pick up a win at home against a group that Addazio called the best FCS team he’s ever had to prepare for, a group that came just shy of clinching a national championship this past spring. But on a deeper level, it’s also a chance for the community to reunite with its team. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing a great stadium,” Addazio said. “ I can’t wait to feel the effect of our stadium, our fan base, and just generally college football. I mean, that’s what makes it exciting.”

Addazio continued, explaining that the energy of the crowd is something that the players feed off of, and obviously, it was a big missing component last fall. 

“I think everybody’s looking forward to playing in front of a bunch of people and feeling the energy of the crowd,” Addazio said. 

Here’s what else we learned from Addazio in his traditional Monday press conference. 

Addazio wants crisper execution 

CSU began installing the game plan last week. To this point the Rams have not yet found the consistency that the coaching staff is looking for though. 

As Addazio explained on Monday, CSU is a team that is both explosive and exciting. But he also said that he’s thankful that his group has an extra week to prepare for the matchup, as they have not met the standard. 

“I don’t think we were especially crisp,” Addazio said. “ I thought last week, we did a good job of getting it in sort of speak. But I thought yesterday and today could be better.” 

While he is looking for more consistent execution, Addazio is not worried about the spot his team is in right now. He said that Week 1 is always a little bit interesting because after going up against their own teammates and seeing a lot of familiar schemes in training camp, the team has to shift focus and now prepare for an opponent. It’s a completely different type of practice and naturally it leads to some hiccups along the way. 

“You’ve got to learn how to prepare for opponents,” Addazio said. “Our effort has been really good. I think we think we’re straining at a high level. But we’ve got to get more focused, and we’ve got to have a higher level of execution. Because that’s what it’s going to take. Early in the season, you’re in a foot race to get the level of execution you want.”

Rams need to prepare with a sense of urgency

CSU will be looking to finetune everything as we get closer to Friday, but Addazio wants his players to know that the clock is ticking and the time to prepare is decreasing by the day. Because of this, the Rams need to prepare with a sense of urgency. 

“We’ve got a couple of extra days, because we started early,” Addazio said. “And now we’ve got to really put a good can of polish on it right now. For the next two days we’ve really got to get on top of this game plan.”

According to Addazio, two days is enough time to work on the areas where the Rams still need to improve, but it comes down to the group having their eyes on the prize and keeping the correct mindset. 

“There’s got to be a sense of urgency,” Addazio said. “That’s where we are.”

CSU will rotate 7 offensive linemen 

Along with executing the game plan, in order for the Rams to have success in 2021, the offensive line is going to have to play at a higher level more consistently this fall. 

In a recent interview with Barry Wesley, the versatile veteran lineman explained that he’s holding himself and the group as a whole to a higher standard. He also talked about how difficult it was for the team to prepare on a week-to-week basis given the circumstances of the 2020 season. 

“It was horrible,” Wesley said, before telling a story about being in the locker room prior to the San Diego State game. “I vividly remember being in the locker room, like okay, they’re going to cancel this game. I was just waiting, anticipating something going wrong. And that’s just kind of how bad last season was.”

The offensive line should benefit from a more consistent schedule in 2021. The group may also benefit from having more depth as well. The Rams will rotate seven players in the trenches, most of which have played significant snaps for either CSU or a previous school. 

“We have seven guys that we feel are starters,” Addazio said. “The guys that play the most consistently will stay on the field. But we feel that we have seven.”

Look for Rams to rely on 12 personnel 

The Rams should benefit from having better depth for the offensive line, but they also should have more flexibility due to the talent at the tight end position. Addazio called Trey McBride the best tight end in the country on Wednesday. And according to the Rams’ second-year coach, fans should expect to see McBride in all facets of the offense against South Dakota State. 

“He’s going to touch the ball a lot,” Addazio said. “There will be blocking, touching the ball, running with the ball — I mean he’s on the bat. He’s the captain of our punt team. I mean, you’ll just see him all over the field.”

Beyond McBride, Addazio also talked about the strength of the tight end unit as a whole and CSU’s ability to operate in 12 personnel. With veterans like McBride, Cam Butler and Miami-transfer, Brian Polendey, CSU has a trio of dangerous pass catchers that can also make a positive impact as blockers. 

“Those guys are very good blockers and you can create extra gaps in the defense,” Addazio said. “I think that it stresses the defense, that it’s harder to stop the run. And when you commit eight, nine guys in the box, you can throw it over their heads, run play-action or drop back. I mean we can be in empty or we can be in close formation on first down as efficiently as any other team.”

It’s because of that versatility with the tight ends that Addazio is excited about his team’s ability to oppose defenses running nickel or dime packages. If teams put too many defensive backs on the field CSU will run it down their throats. If they try to go with a heavier look to combat CSU’s rushing attack, the Rams can counter by using those tight ends in the passing attack. 

“A lot of teams in our league want to play in nickel and dime defenses,” Addazio said. “It’s hard to do that if you play a 12-team that can throw the ball really well but then can run the ball really well. Now you’ve got to make a decision here. What are you doing?”

CSU has really focused on passing offense

Finally, the biggest question mark for CSU’s offense coming into the season was how effective they would be able to throw the football. Addazio said on multiple occasions throughout training camp that the passing attack was a point of emphasis, and he repeated that sentiment once again on Wednesday. 

According to Addazio, junior wide receiver Dante Wright has had a tremendous training camp, which is good news for anyone that bleeds green and gold. Wright racked up 20 catches in just three games in 2020. He’s going to need to make a similar impact for the Rams in 2021, especially if offensive coordinator Jon Budmayr wants to take some heat off of the rushing attack and McBride at tight end. 

Outside of Wright, Addazio mentioned New Mexico-transfer, Jordan Kress, Justice McCoy and Ty McCullough specifically. He’s spotlighted E.J. Scott recently as well. Overall, though, Addazio is pleased with the progress with the entire group as a whole. 

“I think these guys have done a good job,” Addazio said. “I think all the receivers have improved vastly.”