DENVER — Saturday’s game between Colorado State and Wyoming will feature two teams that hate each other a whole lot. The longest continuous rivalry west of the Mississippi River, the Border War is one of the most unique rivalries in all of college football. And this year there’s even more at stake as both schools desperately need a win to keep their bowl hopes alive.
While the teams on the field will not lose any love for each other up in Laramie this weekend, there is a shared respect between the programs on the sidelines. Steve Addazio has complimented the way Craig Bohl has established a winning culture at Wyoming on a couple of different occasions, including most recently at his weekly press conference on Monday.
“Craig and I are in a heated battle in a rivalry game, but off the field, I really like Craig a lot. I think we see the game through a very similar set of eyes,” Addazio said. “And having played against him now, I really have a great deal of respect for the way he’s built his program; and the foundation of the program and his philosophies.”
Addazio also complimented the good work Bohl has done for the sport as a whole, participating on different committees that impact change and the overall direction of college football. “He and I have talked about our ability as guys that have been around this game a while to make it better for the next generation, if you will. And he’s just really done a phenomenal job of that.”
“I’ve got a great deal of respect for him and his program and his coaching staff,” Addazio continued. “This isn’t like a Kumbaya love affair. This is just me being honest with you and telling you what I really think.”
Nov 22, 2019; Laramie, WY, USA; Wyoming Cowboys head coach Craig Bohl calls time out against the Colorado State Rams during the third quarter at Jonah Field War Memorial Stadium. PHOTO: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
Outside of the work he’s done for sport, what really impresses Addazio about Bohl’s tenure is the way he has been able to identify under-the-radar prospects, sign them and ultimately develop those players at Wyoming. The foundation of the program is largely locally built with players from Wyoming and the surrounding states. But even the ones that come from other parts of the country have to fly into Denver and drive right through Ram Country to get to the campus in Laramie.
“I mean, it blows my circuits that they’ve got to fly people into Denver and drive them right past Fort Collins to go all the way to wherever the heck they’re going,” Addazio said. “I haven’t been there yet but it seems like another part of the world. So in order to do that, that impresses me, like they can go find talent and project it and then recruit it.”
Addazio continued, comparing the situation to Sonny Lubick’s time at CSU. When Lubick was running the show the foundation of the program was established with players from Colorado. He was able to find diamonds in the rough and then work them until they shined. Bohl has done things similarly at North Dakota State and now Wyoming. And it’s the same way Addazio is trying to establish success at CSU as well, by finding under-appreciated talent, signing them and then coaching them up once they get to campus.
It doesn’t mean that the entire roster will consist of local players. No matter where you are located you have to be able to sign players from talent rich regions like California, Florida, Texas, etc. And that’s no different for Wyoming or CSU. But by having the base of the program built locally, you’re able to establish a consistent culture, which is something that Addazio credits Bohl for.
Nov 5, 2020; Fort Collins, CO, USA; The Colorado State Rams raise the Bronze Boot, a traveling trophy for the winner of the annual Border War football game between Colorado State and Wyoming, after winning the game at Canvas Stadium. PHOTO: Bethany Baker-USA TODAY NETWORK
“Those guys have figured that out,” Addazio said. “And that’s what we’re trying to do… We’ve got to have a tremendous focus in our backyard. And don’t get seduced by all the other nonsense that you can get seduced by in recruiting.”
According to the second-year Rams coach, things are going well for CSU on the local recruiting front. Obviously the process has been a bit wonky due to the pandemic but he feels the program has really benefited from the addition of talented local players.
“We have brought in some really talented guys from Colorado,” Addazio said. I mean, if I tried to name them all right now I’d miss some names. But we’ve got a bunch of guys that are playing on the field, or are about ready to play on this football field, that I think will not only be good players, I think they might be great players. And that’s the key. I mean, that’s what we need to do.”
Addazio mentioned the impact that young players like Jack Howell and Henry Blackburn are making in the secondary. He brought up A’Jon Vivens and Barry Wesley, both of whom played for Jeffco schools before their collegiate careers. He talked about Thomas Pannunzio, a former walk-on from Pueblo that’s worked his way into an important role on this team. Addazio brought up Brian Crespo, a Fort Collins native that will likely be playing significant snaps in the next season or two.
“Our list of Colorado kids is swelling right now. It really is,” Addazio said. “And I think that that’s a huge factor. I’ll bet if you go back through here, you’ll find that if Colorado kids have had prominent roles and fair numbers in this program, we’ve probably won a fair amount of games.”
While they may wear different colors, it’s clear that Addazio and Bohl approach their programs in very similar ways. Both teams rely on defensive success, running the football consistently and just generally be tougher than the opponent. We’ll see if Bohl can even the score with Addazio, or if Addazio can become the first Rams head coach since Sonny Lubick to beat the ‘Pokes’ in his first two seasons on the job.
“I though it sucked that we lost but Colorado State beat us fair and square,” Bohl told DNVR back in July. “We didn’t play very well and they did. I think that’s one of the great things about college football. We’re excited about having the Rams up to War Memorial Stadium this year. The fact that we did play was a win. But I can tell you was a punch in the gut. When I saw their players run across the field and grab that boot, I mean, it was a punch in the gut.”
