FORT COLLINS – Twenty or more. That’s the number of missed tackles that defensive coordinator Marty English said the Colorado State defense had in last week’s loss to Minnesota.
It’s never a good time for a defense to be missing tackles. But it’s even worse when that defense is about to welcome in one of the most dangerous running backs not just in the Mountain West, but in the country.
Brian Hill put up absolutely ridiculous numbers a year ago, finishing sixth in the nation with 1,631 rushing yards (135.9 yards per game). In 2015, Hill was in the conversation with guys like Leonard Fournette of LSU and Christian McCaffrey of Stanford.
If CSU wants to hoist the Bronze Boot for the fourth consecutive season, they will have to limit the production of Hill and the rest of the Cowboys rushing attack.
“He is a talented running back – big, strong,” said defensive coordinator Marty English. “He gets his pad level down. He wants to run through you and if we don’t approach it with the same mindset, with a gang tackling mindset, he’s going to have a good day.”
That emphasis on multiple guys getting to the ball carrier figures to be a focal point for the Rams defense all week during practice.
“We want to stop him, get to the ball and gang tackle,” said linebacker Kevin Davis.
Last year’s matchup saw the Rams all but shut down Hill, who totaled just 65 yards on 21 carries. While CSU looks to replicate that type of success, they know that Hill will be looking to wash away that performance with a breakout game Saturday.
“He runs hard,” said defensive lineman Jakob Buys. “He’s going to run through you. We have to come up and make our tackles and bring the wood to him instead of us just taking the hit. We can’t let him fall for an extra two yards.”
Keep in mind that if the Rams fail to limit Hill, it could open the door for Wyoming’s passing attack.
Cowboys quarterback Josh Allen leads the Mountain West with six passing touchdowns and ranks second in the conference with 866 passing yards. And as head coach Mike Bobo noted, Wyoming’s offense isn’t all about their star running back, saying that Allen is athletic and fearless.
Bobo also compared Cowboys receiver Austin Conway to CSU’s Detrich Clark, who can make explosive plays virtually on his own. As if that wasn’t enough to handle, English and the Rams defense also have to game plan against receiver Tanner Gentry, who leads the Mountain West with 388 receiving yards.
This week, in particular, Bobo is putting the pressure on his defensive line to step up.
“We need to get some more production out of the defensive linemen,” said Bobo. “Not just do your job, but we also need to start getting some production and tackles for loss. When you get one-on-one, we need to penetrate and start making some plays, other than our linebackers.”
Third down defense continues to be an issue for the Rams as well. For Bobo, he wants to see two things happen Saturday with his defense.
“We’ve got to do a better job of challenging receivers on third down and we’ve got to do a better job of putting some pressure on the quarterback,” said the Rams head coach.
It’s no secret that this Wyoming offense can score in a hurry. It’s shaping up to be one of those games where CSU’s defense has to play for 60 minutes.
“I think that their entire team wants to come out and break out against us,” said Buys. “This is a big game for them and it’s a big game for us.”
