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Colorado State vs New Mexico: Keys to a Rams Win, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction
CSU looks to win two games in a row for the first time since 2019
Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire
Can the Rams keep the momentum rolling?
WEEK 7: Colorado State Rams (2-3, 1-0 Mountain West) vs New Mexico Lobos (2-4, 0-2 Mountain West)
WHEN: Saturday, October 16th — 5:00 PM MT/4:00 PM PT
WHERE: Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
TV: Stadium
STREAMING: WatchStadium.com
RADIO: The Colorado State broadcast can be found in and around the Fort Collins area on 102.9 FM. The New Mexico broadcast can be found in and around the Albuquerque area on 96.3 FM.
SERIES RECORD: This will be the 68th all time matchup between the two schools. CSU leads the series 42-25. The Rams won the last matchup in 2019, 35-21 in Albuquerque.
LAST WEEK: Colorado State beat San Jose State 32-14, while New Mexico fell to San Diego State 31-7
WEBSITES: CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website | GoLobos.com, the official New Mexico athletics website
GAME NOTES (PDF): Colorado State | New Mexico
ODDS (as of 10/14, via Vegas Insider): Colorado State -10.5
SP+ PROJECTION: Colorado State by 6.3
FEI PROJECTION: Colorado State by 12.7
The Colorado State Rams got off to a good start in conference play with a 32-14 win against San Jose State in dominating fashion. The Rams held the Spartans under 270 yards of total offense and forced three Spartan turnovers. Cayden Camper is fast becoming another asset for the Rams as he went 6-6 against San Jose State.
This week the Rams head south on I-25 to face the New Mexico Lobos. Colorado State hasn’t lost to New Mexico in their last 10 tries. The Lobos are using that as motivation this week. The Rams cannot get complacent or they could be staring down the wrong side of the record column.
Here’s how the Rams can keep the momentum rolling and beat the Lobos.
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Three Keys to a Rams Victory
1. Defensive Pressure
The Rams defense is starting to round into form. They’ve allowed less than 300 yards of total offense in three straight games. They finally turned up the pressure when it comes to turnovers and need to keep the momentum going on that side of the ball.
https://twitter.com/JustinTMichael/status/1448695281415954433
With Terry Wilson potentially out, the Rams need to bring the pressure and make whomever the back up is uncomfortable. If they can make the QB uncomfortable it could be a long day for the Lobos and a good day for Chuck Heater’s defense.
2. OL Needs To Be Prepared For a Rocky Start
The Rams had to shuffle their offensive line last week due to a season ending injury to Vincent Picozzi. It worked out for the Rams as they finally got the balanced offense Steve Addazio was looking for when he got hired at Colorado State. The Rams had a near even split in rushing and passing yardage.
The Lobos present a different challenge this week as they run Rocky Long’s signature 3-3-5 defensive scheme. Long likes to bring pressure from different areas to cause confusion for an opponent’s offensive line. The Rams need to be prepared for the challenges this unordinary defensive scheme brings.
https://twitter.com/CSUFootball/status/1448083820595617795
3. Balance, Balance, Balance
The Rams finally got the balance they were looking for on offense last week against the Spartants. Colorado State had 449 total yards of offense, with 232 yards passing and 217 yards rushing. They also spread the ball around, with eight different receivers catching a pass last week.
The Rams also finally connected on the big explosive play they have just missed in multiple games this year and got out of their third quarter funk at the same time. Todd Centeio connected on a 60 yard touchdown pass to Ty McCullouch to open the Rams lead even further.
New Mexico’s defense isn’t bad per se, but the Rams offense seems to be finally turning a corner. If Colorado State can continue to run a balanced scheme, they could present a challenge to anybody in the Mountain West.
Prediction
A 10 game winning streak is on the line for the Rams and based on recent performances that streak doesn’t look to be ending this week. The Rams come out hot and roll through the end of the game with Toby McBride recording another 100 yard performance.
Colorado State 37, New Mexico 20
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