Colorado State vs. Utah State - Rams' keys to the game

After a week of question marks, Mike Bobo and the Colorado State Rams enter the teeth of their schedule. Utah State heads to Fort Collins as a six-point favorite.

Here are the five keys to the game for the Rams:

Score first

In their last two games, Utah State scored a combined 30 points on offense. Aggies’ quarterback Kent Myers essentially does it all, but doesn’t have much of a supporting cast to turn to. If the Rams can get on the board first in this game, they’re in great shape, as this week’s opponent is 0-3 when coming-from-behind. Utah State is also 0-2 on the road so far.

Contain Myers

Watch for a heavy dose of zone reads this game from the Aggies’ quarterback. Utah State won’t be throwing the ball all over the field, which makes early downs critical for the Colorado State defense. If the Rams can limit Myers and get off the field, they have a great chance to win.

Get to 27 points

Utah State allows just 23 points per game, while the Rams score about 24 points per game. When the Aggies score less than 20 points, they’re 0-2. The CSU offense needs to take care of the ball, first and foremost. But they also need to execute against a freakish Utah State defense. Three touchdowns and two field goals should be enough to get the win.

Special teams must be better

Against Wyoming, Hayden Hunt shanked his first punt of the season, Wyatt Bryan missed a chip shot field goal and the coverage unit allowed a momentum-changing return. Those mistakes won’t fly this week, either.

Who steps up as a leader?

Bobo and the coaching staff challenged the players this week to take on leadership roles. When adversity comes this week (and it will), who will be that guy? The last thing the Rams want is to be embarrassed at home in back-to-back weeks. And if you look at upcoming games, it would be huge for CSU to steal this one and keep bowl game aspirations alive.