44-7 wasn’t exactly the start to the season Colorado State had in mind. Nick Stevens and the Rams’ offense looked lost while Mike Bobo’s young defense played like, well, a young defense.

Fast-forward to week five when Wyoming came to Fort Collins. Brian Hill rushed for 166 yards, including a 49-yard jaunt. CSU’s Collin Hill threw a costly pick-six. What may have been most alarming to fans was that the Rams seemed lifeless and failed to put up any points in the second half despite trailing by just a touchdown.

Most folks thought that CSU’s Border War loss would be the telling point of the season. But that actually came the following week, when Stevens returned to the huddle and spearheaded a come-from-behind victory against Utah State.

Had the Rams lost that game, they’d be staring at 2-4 and likely 2-5 the next week after traveling to Boise State.

Ironically, Bobo and company have a great chance to nab their eighth win of the season when returning to Albertson’s Stadium to face Idaho in the Potato Bowl.

The resurgence of Bobo’s offense has been well-documented since Stevens returned. We’ve seen stars come forth in guys like Michael Gallup. All but one offensive lineman earned All-Mountain West recognition, a tip of the hat to offensive coordinator Will Friend.

On the defensive side, Marty English challenged his young group from the beginning of the season. They not only matured, but delivered quality performances in big games down the stretch.

So what would eight wins really mean for this battle-tested group?

“A lot of people were saying we’re going back to our 3-9 days,” said center Jake Bennett. “To come out with eight wins would just show the kind of talent and resiliency that’s on this team.”

Another win would also serve as a catapult for a team that has the excitement of an on-campus looming in 2017, as well as a highly touted recruiting class expected to come in and make an impact immediately.

Said Stevens: “I think that we had a lot of doubters early on in the season and I think if we’re able to improve from last year, which we thought was a pretty good year, and get an eighth win, I that that would definitely be huge for this program, especially moving into the new stadium and some of the adversity we’ve hit this year. It would mean a lot. The thing is that I don’t think it’s the best we could have done either, which is also something you have to consider. If we can get that eighth win, we’ll be able to ride that momentum into next year.”

An added bonus for the Rams is that their matchup with the Vandals will be the lone bowl game of the day. Bobo welcomes the extra eyes on the green and gold.

“You’re always looking for exposure for your program and university,” Bobo said. “Athletics is a great way for that to happen. You’re on national TV, you’re on ESPN and we’ve got a chance to promote the brand of Colorado State. And how we play and how we represent the university – everybody will have a chance to see that on Dec. 22. So we’re excited about it. I’m excited about it because Colorado State is going in X number of homes. It might reach a recruit, it might reach some young kid that decides to go to school here. I think that’s what athletics can do so we’re excited about it.”