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Colorado State vs Hawai’i: Keys to a Rams Win, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction
CSU looks to finish the season on a high note
Contact/Follow @J0shFr3d & @MWCwire
Can the Rams get back on track?
Week 8: Colorado State Rams (3-7, 2-4 Mountain West) vs Hawai’i Warriors (4-7, 1-5 Mountain West)
When: Saturday, November 20th, 2021 – 9pm MT/8pm PT
WHERE: Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex; Honolulu, Hawai’i
TV: Spectrum Pay-Per-View
STREAMING: For fans on the mainland, the game can only be streamed using the Team1Sports application, which is available for download on Android and Apple devices and over-the-top platforms like Roku and Amazon Fire. Please note that the game will not be available on desktops or laptops.
RADIO: The Colorado State broadcast can be found in and around the Fort Collins area on 102.9 FM. The Hawai’i broadcast can be found in and around the Honolulu area on 92.7 FM.
SERIES RECORD: This will be the 26th all time matchup between these two schools. CSU leads the series 15-10. The last game between these two schools was a 43-34 Hawai’i win in Fort Collins.
LAST WEEK: Colorado State lost to Air Force 35-21, while Hawai’i lost to UNLV 27-13
WEBSITES: CSURams.com, the official Colorado State athletics website | HawaiiAthletics.com, the official Hawai’i athletics website
GAME NOTES (PDF): Colorado State | Hawai’i
ODDS (as of 11/3, via Vegas Insider): Colorado State -2
SP+ PROJECTION: Colorado State by 1.2
FEI PROJECTION: Colorado State by 6.6
The Colorado State Rams lost their fourth game in a row last week. This time to Air Force. They barely had any offense and weren’t in sync between all phases of the game. Defense would gets stops, but the offense couldn’t take advantage and it cost the Rams.
This week the Rams head to the Hawaiian Islands to take on the Warriors. Hawai’i is coming off a loss to UNLV and has taken a step back on defense this year. The Rams have an opportunity to get back on track and finish the season strong. It will just be on them to complete that task.
Here’s how the Rams can keep enjoy the sunshine and beat the Warriors.
https://twitter.com/CSUFootball/status/1461049385429737485
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Three Keys to a Rams Victory
1. Fast Start
Against Air Force, all three phases of a football game were out of sync for the Rams. The defense couldn’t hold Air Force and put CSU in a 14-0 hole. When they did get stops, the offense couldn’t respond. When the offense scored, the defense couldn’t hold the Falcons. And then special teams allowed a fake punt to be converted into a first down.
Against Hawai’i, the trip will take its toll on teams. CSU left on Wednesday to try to get that travel out of their system. The Rams will need to start fast on both sides of the ball to beat the Warriors. The offense needs to strike first and the defense needs to get stops.
2. Open Up The Offense
Against Wyoming, Trey McBride and Dante Wright combined for 15 catches for 138 yards, and two touchdowns. Against Air Force, they combined for just eight catches for 113 yards and no scores. After opening up the offense at the beginning of conference play, the Rams have seemed to condense their offense.
https://twitter.com/CSUFootball/status/1461447576478109701
Against Hawai’i they need to open it up again. Trey McBride needs at least 10 receptions. Dante Wright needs to have a couple deep shots thrown his way. A’Jon Vivens has shown to be a change of pace guy and deserves his share of carries. However they get it done, Colorado State needs to open up the offense more and hit their playmakers.
3. Defensive Havoc
The Rams are still a top 40 defense after two poor performances. They are still also top 10 with 34 total team sacks. Hawai’i is middle of the pack in terms of offense, but they are similar to Colorado State in terms of how they split their plays calls between runs and passes. So the Rams have their chance to cause havoc in the Warriors backfield.
Scott Patchan and Toby McBride have been itching for release. Even Cam’Ron Carter has been waiting for another chance to get after the quarterback after facing two mainly running teams these past few weeks. If the Rams defnese can do what they do best, it will be a long day for Hawai’i.
Prediction
The Rams are coming to the islands early to try and get over the jet lag. They’ll be angry, focused on getting back on track to finish the year, and focused on continuing to lay the foundation for years to come. Hawai’i will probably get their scores, but CSU should be able to cause enough havoc to win the game.
Colorado State 27, Hawai’i 21
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