Nick Stevens working on the little things this offseason, fighting for his starting spot

After leading the Rams to a 2015 bowl appearance in his first year as the starting quarterback, redshirt junior Nick Stevens is improving his game by working on the little things this offseason.

“I think we need to work on the details,” Stevens told the media after last Thursday’s practice.

“It may be a play here and there, but that could be the difference in really good preparation and just okay preparation,” he said. “We want to have the best preparation we can. I think that gives you the best chance to win, so yeah definitely I’d say the little things and the details are what we need to work on as a team.”

Amidst the arrival of Georgia graduate transfer Faton Bauta, and the constant reminder of competition for his starting position, Stevens is focusing on bettering the team any way he can, and making the team more poised for the fourth quarter. After struggling to close out games, blowing second-half leads on multiple occasions, Stevens believes preparation will be the difference in Year Two.

“Focus on the details in and out every day,” Stevens explained. “Every practice, every play is going to help you in the fourth quarter when you’re really tired, just because you fall back on your training.”

The quarterback continued, “If we do train and focus on the details, that’s what is going to happen when we have our first game and are in the fourth quarter, and we’re tired, and it’s hard to think. If you focus on those every single day, in and out in practice, that’s what you’re going to fall back on when you’re in those situations.”

Eat, breathe and sleep football and then, when the fourth quarter arrives, seize the day. Steal the win. Become a conference champion.

Coach Bobo has preached a similar need to focus on the details with consistency, which may be one of the most difficult things to ask out of college kids, who have a tendency to get caught up in the moment.

Along with paying attention to the little things, Stevens has made an effort to get closer to his teammates this offseason. The result? No. 7  feels that the offense is closer than ever, something that Ram fans should be excited about.

“I think that even though we’ve been around each other for three years now, we kinda have a special chemistry within the offense,” Stevens said. “We had our struggles together, and then kinda figured it out towards the end of the season. Now, I almost feel like (we’re) veterans.”

As the Rams prepare this spring for the upcoming fall season, things are starting to click for the program in Year Two under Mike Bobo. Taking over after Jim McElwain bolted for Florida, Bobo and the staff enjoyed a lot of success following the short offseason last spring.

Early jitters and costly mistakes cost CSU big time early in the season, blowing fourth quarter leads against Colorado and Minnesota in two of the first three games of the 2015 season. The Rams will undoubtedly look to start the season on a better note this fall. With a year under the current coaching staff, the Ram players are feeling comfortable in their own skin, and the team has bonded because of it.

“I think that the team is a lot closer now, than we were last spring,” Stevens explained.

“I’m not exactly sure what that comes from, but you can really tell in the locker room that there is chemistry there, and a much better atmosphere.”

Even through adversity, and scuffles among the team during the first day in full pads, there is a sense of togetherness that can be felt in the Colorado State locker room. With the Rams looking to build off of the success from 2015, to be one of the elite members of the conference, team chemistry will play a huge role in the success of the Rams moving forward.