Rams Film Room: Strong defensive showing carried CSU in Week 3 upset

DENVER — Following back-to-back heartbreakers, Ram Nation can finally exhale as Colorado State delivered its first win of the season last Saturday, beating the Toledo Rockets 22-6 on the road. 

While we have predominantly focused on the offense in the previous editions of the Rams Film Room, this one is all about the defense, as they stepped up in a major way in the upset of the Rockets. 

CSU’s first win of the season can be credited almost entirely to the defense dominating this game wire to wire. Chuck Heater’s group held Toledo to six points, 21 yards rushing on 28 carries and created chaos with six sacks, ten tackles for a loss and seven passes defended. With their backs against the wall, the Rams defense put together a truly gritty performance, so let’s dive into it. 

We’re going to start in the first quarter. Toledo was getting eaten alive upfront from the get-go of this game. 

The Rams wasted no time in establishing how they were going to punish Toledo in this one. The first play was a run that was stuffed for a loss and it was followed up by this sack from Devin Phillips. Phillips shows good hand use here and uses a swim move to get by the center and set Toledo back into the shadow of their own goal line.

Two drives later, the Rams get their second sack of the game. Mohamed Kamara gets the initial pressure by getting through Toledo’s right tackle. Coach Heater called a sim pressure on this play meaning that the defense is threatening blitz pre-snap but backs out into coverage once the ball is snap. The intention of a sim pressure is to disrupt the offensive line’s blocking assignments and it works perfectly here. Notice Toledo’s offensive line slide left allowing Cam’Ron Carter to create pressure from his linebacker position. Dequan Jackson is spying the quarterback but as soon as the quarterback breaks the pocket he’s able to meet Kamara at the quarterback to split the sack.

Toledo’s long day at the office was only just beginning though. 

Toby McBride showed up huge for the Rams in this game. Toledo attempts blocking him one-on-one with a tight end and McBride manhandles him to stop the run before it even has a chance to develop. 

Toledo would finally put together a drive as the second quarter started and actually got into the Red Zone on the series. However, they decided to go for it on fourth-and-two from the CSU 11-yard line, and well, things did not go to plan. 

The Rams knew a run was coming the entire time which was made evident by them shifting into a five-man front before the snap. Dequan Jackson makes another great play, shooting the gap, stuffing the run in the backfield and giving the ball back to the Rams. It was a massive momentum play for the Green & Gold. It was one of many tone setting plays as well. 

As the first half was winding down, Toledo started to mount another drive and were threatening to cross midfield. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the Rams defense would impose their will once again.

Toledo’s right tackle struggled mightly with CSU’s edge rushers and allowed another sack in this crucial moment. Mohamed Kamara wins around the edge with a good get-off and great speed around the corner. This sack would be the catalyst that killed this drive and ensured both teams would go into the locker room locked at three points.

What about the secondary?

While most of the focus so far has been on the front seven and the pressure they were able to generate, the Rams secondary left some plays on the field that could have made this blowout even more extreme. It should be noted that the group was shorthanded due to injury and targeting suspensions but the plays are still worth bringing up. 

Sophomore safety, Henry Blackburn, nearly had himself a pick-six here. The quarterback is locked on the receiver from the second he receives the snap and Blackburn jumps the route perfectly. The resulting PBU was still a good outcome for the Rams but a defensive score here really could have turned the tide of the game. That said, it was a pretty strong showing for Blackburn and Jack Howell overall.

Pressure makes the pipes burst

Heater dialed up another well-timed and schemed blitz here. The Rams threaten pressure to the field side but end up sending a corner blitz from the boundary. Again, the Toledo offensive line reacts to the action to the field leaving the right side of the line wide open for Cam’Ron Carter to get home and get a sack of his own this time around.

As the third quarter was winding down, the levees were starting to break and the Rams were taking complete control of the game.

Another missed opportunity for a defensive score here. Rashad Ajayi plays great backside man-coverage on this play, undercuts the route and gets his hands on the ball but is unable to finish the play. If he would have caught the ball this would have been a house call for the CSU defense.

Scott Patchan would finally get in on the action and earn himself a sack midway through the fourth quarter. Great hands and speed around the edge to run a tight L around the tackle that results in a strip-sack. Unfortunately, the rest of the Rams defense was sleepwalking when the ball was on the ground and the chance for a turnover was lost.

Final Thoughts

It was a rough first two weeks for the Rams and their fans but this was an encouraging sign of things to come for CSU. It’s been inferred throughout the article that Toledo was not very good along the offensive line but at this point, the Rams should take any advantage they can get. It was a great opportunity for this team to get right and get back to winning.

On the offensive side of the ball, it has been nice to see the team embrace Centeio’s dual-threat ability as I mentioned in the Film Room after the South Dakota State Game. It’s going to be tough sledding for the Rams offensively with Dante Wright being forced to miss time with an injury. And with the team potentially starring down the barrel at 1-3 with a date against Iowa this weekend, it’s crucial for the Rams to find an offensive identity as they head into conference play.

While Trey McBride is living up to the high standards that have been placed upon him before the season, the Rams desperately need another threat in the passing game to emerge through Wright’s absence. They won’t be able to win many games if the remaining skill position players combine for two receptions outside of McBride’s production as they did against Toledo.

However, if the defense is able to carry over this momentum into October they will have a chance to make some noise and be a factor throughout Mountain West play.