The Rams Defense Costs Them A Victory
Four thoughts from a great offensive & bad defensive day for the Rams
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Will the real CSU defense please step up?
The Colorado State Rams fell to 1-3 after a 41-35 loss to the Toledo Rockets. The Rams had nearly 700 yards of offense and twice came up short of the goal line on the end of half and end of game plays.
The Defense Will Probably Cost Mike Bobo His Job
The Colorado State defense had a decent first half, holding Toledo to 172 yards and 14 points. But the second half is when the dam broke open for the Rockets. Toledo had 375 yards of offense and put up 27 points in the second half, as the Rams had their trademark slow start to the second half.
CSU got very little pressure on the QB when Toledo did pass and couldn’t contain the run on numerous occasions. The defense needs to step up and help their offensive teammates out, as the Rams can put up the points this year.
Miscommunication, A Big Problem On Defense
There seems to be a mixed bag of reasons for why this Rams defense is bad: Talent, Overreacting, Coaching, Not Doing One’s Job, and Miscommunication. There probably could be a lot more reasons listed here, but these five seem to be the biggest.
Miscommunication is big part of why the Rams lost against the Rockets and one play illustrates this. Jamal Hicks took himself off the field before Toledo’s third play of the second half and the Rams couldn’t get anyone on the field to replace him. With only 10 players on the field, Bryant Koback ran right through the hole, where the safety should’ve been, for a touchdown.
Patrick O’Brien Had A Decent Performance In His First Start
After being second string for a number of years in college, O’Brien got the opportunity for his first start after Collin Hill went down with another ACL tear against Arkansas. He had a shaky start, as he missed easy throws that could’ve extend CSU drives, before calming down and leading the Rams on long drives.
O’Brien found a favorite target in Warren Jackson, before Jackson was knocked out of the game. He seemed rushed and indecisive at times during the game, but O’Brien’s ability to extend plays kept the Rams in the game until the end.
Marvin Kinsey Continues His Strong Start To The Season
Dante Wright got the early accolades for this offense as Marvin Kinsey bided his time. Now that teams have to respect the speed of Wright, holes have opened up for Kinsey and he has been taking advantage. After a relatively slow start against CU, Kinsey has exploded for this Rams offense.
Against Toledo, Kinsey had 23 carries for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Kinsey has shown up this season after having quiet seasons recovering from an ACL tear. He has rushed for 556 yards and three scores, has 165 yards receiving and two scores, and is averaging 9.1 yards a touch this season.
