Jay Norvell excited for a new beginning in conference play

Colorado State (0-4) has had a rough go of things in the first five weeks of the 2022 season. 

Through four games this year, the Rams have been outscored 164-43, they’ve allowed 25 sacks, and unfortunately, as we’ve now seen repeated ad nauseam CSU is one of only two winless teams remaining in the FBS. 

As challenging of a start as it’s been for this team so far — and it’s definitely been brutal at times — the hope inside the program is that there is still an opportunity for CSU to show growth this fall and even be competitive in a conference that is clearly down. 

During his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon, Jay Norvell expressed to Mike Brohard of CSURams.com that the conference slate is a chance for a new beginning. 

He talked about how over the last month the Rams have had eight veteran players leave the team, most of which were guys from previous regimes, but according to Norvell, they were just not committed enough to what this team is trying to accomplish. And with them now out of the picture, the locker room is a tighter group and more in sync with the program’s vision. 

“We’re down to 68 scholarship players, and I think we’re in a much better place as a football team,” Norvell said. “I think the locker room is a lot closer, I think guys are pulling for each other and leading others, and in many ways we’re starting fresh with a brand new football team.”

For the guys that are still here, Norvell hopes to see the players band together and play hard down the stretch. If they can do that, anything is possible in a quirky Mountain West. 

Really though, Norvell wants to just keep everyone focused on moving forward. It was always going to be a mixed bag in terms of trying to blend so many transfers and a new staff in with guys that have already played in multiple systems. As Norvell sees the situation though, this really defines the character of the guys that are willing to stick around and it has ultimately made the team better off in the long run. 

“As kids leave, it’s really defining the character and the personality of the guys that are here,” he said. “They’re bonding. They’re stronger together because of it.”

In addition to diving into the transfer situation and CSU’s mindset going into the league slate, Norvell also talked about the team’s health and how the bye week came at a much-needed time for the Rams. 

As of right now, quarterback Clay Millen is still considered “day to day” with a sprained AC joint. Safeties Jack Howell and Henry Blackburn are still working through respective leg injuries as well. But the hope is that a lot of the players that have been dinged up in the last couple of weeks will be able to go against Nevada on Friday, including offensive tackle Dontae Keys and offensive guard Dante Bivens. 

“Both of those guys are senior linemen that give us a lot of stability and physicality,” Norvell said. “We do need to get those guys back. But we’re still going to play some young players up front, and those guys have got to be prepared to step up and do their job.” 

With Millen likely missing this week’s game against the Wolf Pack, true freshman Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi will get the start. He’s been credited for his poise throughout this entire situation and provides a more mobile skillset than the rest of the QBs on the team. Norvell said that he’s done a nice job of spreading the ball around, playing with confidence and that he provides a spark to the team. Maybe he can be what the Rams need to get over the hump and finally snap the nation’s longest losing streak. 

“We’ve got a lot of young guys, so it’s all in front of them,” Norvell said. “We can still accomplish a lot of our goals, but it’s how we play in the conference.”