FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State had nothing to play for but pride in last season’s matchup with Boise State. Despite this, the Rams challenged an 11-win Broncos team to the very end, falling 31-24 in a competitive game at Canvas Stadium.
This time around it’s a different story. Only about a quarter of the way through the 2020 season, Thursday night’s game with the Broncos (2-1) is an opportunity for the Rams (1-1) to prove it’s officially a new era for the program. Coming off of the team’s first win over Wyoming since 2015, there is certainly an energy around CSU football that has been lacking since the early stages of the 2017 season, if not longer. However, as Michigan State quickly found out in a curb stomping at Iowa last weekend, the emotion of a big win only lasts for so long.
Considering CSU has still never beaten Boise State — something that eats the Ram faithful up inside and haunts their worst nightmares — it’s safe to say Thursday night is another extremely important test for the green and gold. A win would be momentous, potentially even program-changing. At the very least, though, the Rams need to prove they are capable of hanging with the Broncos on the road — even if they end up falling short in the end.
FT. COLLINS, CO – NOVEMBER 05: Colorado State head coach Steve Addazio greets Colorado State Rams tight end Trey McBride (85) on the sidelines after McBride scored a touchdown against the Wyoming Cowboys in the first quarter at Canvas Stadium November 05, 2020. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
“We have all the respect in the world for Boise State — for their program, their history and what they’ve done,” Steve Addazio said on Monday.
Addazio continued, explaining that when you watch Boise State on tape, it’s easy to see why they are so dominant. Between how deep their roster is and how disciplined they play on the field, the Broncos, in Addazio’s opinion, are a truly outstanding football team.
“We’re playing a great football team, a team we’ve never beaten, and we know that,” Addazio said. “.. We’ve got a big big challenge in front of us and we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
Along with simply trying to deal with the talent that Boise State brings to the field, one of the crucial keys for the Rams will be taking the right mindset into the matchup and paying attention to all of the little details. After an extremely emotional victory over a rival, it’s easy to come out flat the following week. As Addazio explained, though, for the Rams to truly take the next step and become a winning program, being able to deal with the mental strain from week to week is a huge component.
“I think if you are going to be a bonafide program you have to learn to take each week one at a time. You can’t ride the rollercoaster,” Addazio said.
The first-year CSU coach continued, explaining that the tricky thing about rivalry games is they can be a big boost early in the year; but they can also be deflating when you lose. That’s why it’s so pertinent for the Rams to be able to enjoy the good moments without letting them overcome their focus — because the minute that they stop doing the little things or lose their drive to keep pushing forward, that’s the minute a team like Boise State comes back and humbles them.
“You’re playing an elite team in the league and you’ve gotta be ready to go,” Addazio said.
“So, I don’t know, we’ll find out. How do they respond? Obviously, we’re all coaching, practicing, and working really hard — but all that does is put you in position. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, so I’m anxious to see our team, and how we do respond off of a big win. Are we going to improve again? Or is our mind back where it was, or do we think we’ve already arrived or something? We haven’t done anything. This is round zero and we’ve got a chance to be 1-0 right now. “
