CSU football prepares for UNM amid awkward circumstances

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Steve Addazio met with the local media on Monday afternoon to discuss his first game as head coach of the Colorado State Rams. 

“It’s game week. I’m excited to play New Mexico and looking forward to getting back and starting the Mountain West college football season,” Addazio said in his opening remarks.

While Addazio’s message of optimism, and excitement, remained a theme throughout his 30-minute availability — we also learned a variety of significant things about the team, including that senior tight end Cameron Butler will miss the entire season after suffering a non-contact injury in practice. No specifics were given on Butler’s injury but losing the most experienced tight end on the roster is clearly a big blow. 

In addition to the news about Butler’s status, we also found out just how difficult it has been for the Rams to balance their roster throughout training camp. According to Addazio, on an average day, the team has missed anywhere from 15-20 players due to injuries, COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, etc. — although he did clarify that it’s not an official number and that it’s fluctuated over time. 

“We’re down a lot. I mean we’re down 20’s of players per practice,” Addazio said. “It’s kinda been that way for the last 10 days… I’m not out there whining about it… I don’t even know the number. But I would say, comfortably, 15 to 20, every day in a different form. Maybe there’s a day where it’s a little better but ya know, we were without a dozen linemen for the better part of the last 12 days. So, we’ve had our issues. And we’re continuing to have issues right now.”

Addazio continued that just because a player is being held out of practice does not necessarily mean that they are currently sick. The contact tracing process means many of the actions taken are preventative measures. “We want to be as prudent as we possibly can be, and as conservative as we can be within the protocols (and) within all the rules,” the veteran head coach told reporters.

With so many players out, though, Addazio and everyone inside the program have had to get creative. The first-year Rams coach explained that they are trying to have as many contingency plans as possible, which includes cross-training players at multiple positions.

In a normal season there might only be one or two backup players for the center position, but in 2020, you may need three or four. The point is that Addazio and the players know that they will need to be flexible this year — much like they already have had to be in training camp.

With so many moving parts and so much uncertainty, one might think that the mood is down inside the locker room. Overall, though, Addazio feels that his players are responding well to the adverse conditions that have come their way. 

“Man, we’re just grateful to be in this position, where we actually are playing,” Addazio said. 

Obviously, things can change quickly. As it currently stands, New Mexico cannot even practice in groups larger than five, so there is some doubt about whether or not the Rams will actually get the chance to take down the Lobos for an 11th consecutive year. But at this point in time, all signs indicate that they will press on with the Week 1 matchup — which means for the first time in over 300 days, there will be college football in Fort Collins this Saturday. 

“Our team, our staff, we’re all very, very excited to get started and kick this season off,” Addazio said. “I like the way our team has prepared, I like the way they have worked. We have a long way to go but I think we’re chipping away at it one day at a time, one week at a time.”