The foundation has been set — the time for Colorado State to stop coming close and start winning is now

DENVER —  The Rams know that a 1-3 start is not good enough. 

Colorado State fought valiantly against No. 5 Iowa (4-0) on Saturday and genuinely had a chance to upset the Big Ten-leading Hawkeyes. Had a couple of calls gone the other way or had the Rams been able to make a few more plays offensively, we genuinely could have been talking about one of the most impressive wins in the history of CSU football. 

The Rams were flagged for a fairly suspect pass interference call on an incomplete pass on third and long in the second half. They also had an important run from Todd Centeio wiped away from a debatable hold right before the fumble that changed the entire game. Not saying that the officials are the reason that CSU lost, as there were plenty of missed opportunities for the Green & Gold to steal the game. Centeio missed Trey McBride on what should have been an easy touchdown early, the Rams couldn’t convert on a crucial 4th-and-1, and whether there were questionable calls or not you simply cannot afford to turn the ball over deep in your own territory. In the end the Rams just made a few too many mistakes to complete the upset. 

While the final outcome was disappointing — and knowing that CSU legitimately could have won the game is going to leave a bitter taste in your mouth for some time — Ram Nation should be feeling better about the direction this team is heading. 

In a results business like college football, moral victories only count for so much, especially after years of frustration. But with what we’ve seen over the last two weeks, particularly from the defense, there’s certainly reason to believe the Rams will be competitive against Mountain West competition. The injury status of Dante Wright (WR) and David Bailey (RB) will obviously be important to monitor but this team does have enough talent to at least make this season interesting if they continue to build on these past two weeks. 

“I don’t like our record and that just sticks on ya. But the growth this team has shown, I like where our team is right now,” Steve Addazio said postgame.  “I just wish we were where we are right now obviously with a better record.”

Addazio continued explaining that the Rams need to be able to find more consistency offensively and continue to improve in the back end defensively. He added that he really liked where the run game was going with Bailey after his 132 yard performance at Toledo and losing him was a big blow to their efforts against the Hawkeyes. But according to Addazio, the offense as a whole needs to be a more consistent unit.

So far this season CSU is averaging 20 points per game and around 370 yards of total offense. They average more plays run, more first downs converted, and they’re actually positive in the turnover margin right now as well. What the Rams aren’t doing is scoring more points than their opponents (20 points scored vs. 24 points allowed) — even despite really solid play from the front seven, Trey McBride, etc. They’re also killing themselves with untimely penalties (70 yards worth per game), so playing with more discipline will be paramount. 

Looking ahead

Coming back from a .250 winning percentage is not going to be easy at all. The Rams did do it in 2013, though, and it all started with a strong showing against No. 1 Alabama on the road. Maybe CSU can do something similar in 2021. 

Looking at the next six weeks the Rams have three home games and three road games. If they can go 4-2 over that stretch, they’d be sitting at 5-5 with a chance to control their own fate over the final two games. Again, doing so would be a challenge, considering the opponents. Rivalry games are never easy and the trips to New Mexico and Utah State look tougher than they did coming into the year. But what gives me reason to believe in this veteran-led roster is the mentality they’re displaying after experiencing a frustrating opening month. 

Following the loss to Iowa, Scott Patchan and Trey McBride were proud of their team’s efforts, but they also made it clear that moral victories aren’t what this team is aspiring for. They went into the game with the goal of beating a Big Ten team and coming close was not satisfying. 

“It sucks, it hurts, this was a team we should have beat,” McBride said. “It’s frustrating but we’re going into conference play and that’s something I’m looking forward to — seeing if we can bounce back.”

“Moral victories aren’t accepted around here,” Patchan added. “At the end of the day we didn’t get it done.” 

While people like me can look at the Iowa loss and feel encouraged by the efforts, that’s not what anybody wants to hear from the coaches or players after a tough loss. The fans want to know that winning and losing matters to the players in the locker room and that’s something that’s abundantly clear with this group. 

Patchan didn’t play another year of college football to come close to experiencing winning. And McBride certainly didn’t return for moral victories either. These are guys that are fed up with coming up short and desperately want to get over the hump. 

“Pastor Square talked about it with our team — it starts with character, character leads to conviction, and conviction leads to courage. What I see in our team right now is character, conviction and courage,” Addazio said. “We’re building this thing. The foundation of it is toughness, physicality and toughness. And I like that foundation. The other stuff will come. We’ll be able to build on top of that foundation.”

Addazio said it himself, the foundation has been set. The time for moral victories is over, the time for this team to start winning is now.

Next up: San Jose State (2-2).