Football Schedule Preview

South Dakota State Running Back, Isaiah Davis

South Dakota State (Home) September 3

When the FBS and FCS collide, the former typically breezes through a cakewalk of a non-conference victory. But don’t let South Dakota State’s classification fool you. Contrary to popular subdivision belief, the Jackrabbits have regularly proven formidable against top-tier competition amid a current streak of nine consecutive winning campaigns.

Most recently, SDSU defeated Delaware during its third FCS semifinal appearance in four years en route to competing in the program’s first-ever national title—where Sam Houston State edged the Jackrabbits out in May.

Set to continue rising the ranks, coach John Stiegelmeier expects to retain the vast majority of a 2020-21 defense that led the FCS across the board (15 points per game). Offensively, since combining forces to construct the Missouri Valley Conference’s top rushing attack, Pierre Strong and Isaiah Davis return to guide a dangerous backfield.

Meanwhile, the Jackrabbits’ utmost concern resides at quarterback, where an injury will force Mark Gronowski to miss the season. Without the MVC’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, SDSU turns to sophomore Keaton Heide— who completed 11-of-22 passes off the bench during the FCS finals.

Given the FCS’ brief preseason, CSU may catch the Jackrabbits at the perfect time as Heide finds his footing under center. Still, Colorado State’s 2021-opener certainly doesn’t constitute any sort of gimme for the hosts.

Vanderbilt (Home) September 11

Out with the old and in with the new at Vanderbilt as Clark Lea snatches command of the helm from seven-year head coach Derek Mason. And though Mason twice led the Commodores to the postseason invitations, perhaps it was time for a change in Nashville following a 1-16 combined record over the last two seasons.

As recent history suggests, placing Vandy on the path toward prosperity will be easier said than done for Lea in 2021. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting how the SEC program appears in line to enjoy noticeable improvements on offense, where former CSU coordinator Joey Lynch will handle the team’s quarterbacks and passing game. Upon arriving in Vandy, Lynch meets the task of grooming sophomore gunslinger Ken Seals, who returns his top three wideouts since accumulating 1,928 passing yards in nine 2020 contests.

Toledo (Away) September 18

In light of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility, plenty of programs across the country will return the bulk of its key contributors in 2021. However, Toledo’s circumstance isn’t as simple as merely welcoming back a boatload of familiar faces for another crack at excelling. Instead, the Rockets boast the luxury of retaining countless athletes who established their ability to promisingly steer the ship via guiding coach Jason Candle’s troupe to its 11thstraight campaign of .500 or better (4-2).

When CSU and Toledo clashed heads in 2019, heartbreak transpired for the Rams as E.J. Scott’s buzzer-beating grab fell two yards short from paydirt while the Rockets

Toledo Running Back, Bryant Koback

escaped with a 41-35 win. Similar to the previous shootout, expect the MAC’s fourth-leading passer, Eli Peters, to orchestrate a highly competent offense. Alongside an established wideout corps, multifaceted tailback Bryant Koback (125 all-purpose yards per game) remains at the forefront of a unit that finished 20th in the nation in scoring last year (35 tallies on average).

Iowa (Away) September 25

Beyond enabling dedicated Rams fans to cross off a bucket-list destination, making the Iowa contest worthwhile will presumably require maximum efficacy in all phases for CSU. And even if the visitors supply their genuine A-game, the odds of prevailing over a troupe which found itself ranked No. 16 at 2020’s conclusion still might not lie in the Rams’ favor.

While all-league running back Tyler Goodson should continue headlining an exciting offense, Iowa’s stout defense stole the show as the Hawkeyes placed second in the Big Ten West. Specifically, the Hawkeyes surrendered only 16 points per game in 2020 (sixth in the FBS).

Though the squad must rebuild a disemboweled defensive line after losing four starters up front, Iowa has rarely experienced issues finding viable reinforcements during coach Kirk Ferentz’s 22-year tenure.

The extent of holes in Iowa’s defense, including linebacker/leading-tackler Nick Niemann’s departure, may occasionally prove harmful during Big Ten play. However, while returning every starter in the secondary, that doesn’t mean the Hawkeyes will struggle to contain CSU.

San Jose State (Home) October 9

While besting Boise State for the program’s first-ever conference title, Mountain West Coach of the Year Brent Brennan’s squad assembled an unscathed 7-0 league record. The Spartans’ massive leap from 1-11 in 2018 to celebrating atop the conference just two years later seemingly transpired out of thin air. Nonetheless, prosperity certainly won’t catch the rest of the league off-guard in 2021, especially considering SJSU welcomes back essentially the entire team who recently took college football by storm.

Offensively, the Spartans’ defensive front presents a

Photo Courtesy of Hawkeye Sports

San Jose State Defensive End, Cade Hall

New Mexico Safety, Jerrick Reed II

grueling test for the Rams in the trenches. Cade Hall (2020 MW defensive Player of the Year) and Viliami Fehoko return following mouth-watering seasons where the two defensive linemen combined for 16 sacks and 24.5 total tackles for loss. The list goes on as leading-tackler Kyle Harmon remains in the picture among each of his fellow starting linebackers.

The Spartans’ secondary surfaced as one of the defense’s few noticeable areas of exploitation. Still, CSU quarterback Todd Centeio’s run-first nature doesn’t exactly mesh well with the circumstance.

New Mexico (Away) October 16

No one anticipated firstyear sideline chief Danny Gonzales instantaneously turning the tides after Bob Davie’s abysmal tenure. And though UNM’s 2-5 record doesn’t give the program too much to hang its hat on, the Lobos deserve some props for proving competitive in 2020.

Gonzales achieved enough to at least provide fans a bit of hope regarding the squad’s future. Particularly, with running back Bobby Cole leading the charge, the Lobos’ 394 rushing yards per contest ranked fourth in the conference. Now, if UNM can solve its seemingly everlasting quarterback riddle, it’s fair to assume the offense’s capacity to carry the Lobos to a few more victories.

Under center, Gonzales retains Tevaka Tuioti, Trae Hall and Isaiah Chavez—all of whom will battle for reps moving forward. Tuioti called the shots to commence 2020 before suffering a campaignending ailment in week two. Subsequently, Hall completed 53-of-101 attempts in four games as Chavez then drew a pair of season-ending starts while UNM rattled off backto-back wins.

Regardless of the QB battle’s victor, the Lobos’ embarrassingly poor defense (447 yards allowed per game) suggests CSU should find a way to painlessly seize its 11th consecutive victory over UNM.

Utah State (Away) October 22

The Rams would most definitely love to snap their two-game skid against the Aggies. But first things first, CSU hopes it actually obtains a chance to face the league foe this time around after USU players unanimously opted out of 2020’s clash.

Following uproar-sparking comments from university president Noelle Crockett toward then-interim coach Frank Maile’s cultural background, the program has since moved past its accumulation of turmoil. Unfortunately, from a football perspective, USU appears destined to scuffle during coach Blake Anderson’s inaugural season.

In hindsight, the Jason Shelley experiment was never worthwhile. The former Utah reserve looked like a fish out of water in four starts before USU dismissed the quarterback from the team. Now, dualthreat gunslinger Andrew Peasley owns favorable odds of serving as USU’s starting quarterback after holding his own when stepping in for Shelley last year. Still, the Aggies face an uphill climb in all phases subsequent to finishing dead-last in the league in points per game (15.5) and total defense (485.3 yards allowed on average).

Boise State Receiver, Khalil Shakir

Boise State (Home) October 30

Will Boise State’s reign of terror ever end? It’s a possibility all Mountain West teams find themselves debating each season. Since entering the Mountain West in 2011, the blue-turf bulldozers have finished in second place or better every season—during which it has seized four conference titles and defeated CSU in all 10 meetings.

Who knows, maybe the Broncos will gradually regress under new coach Andy Avalos following Bryan Harsin’s departure? Well, that may be wishful thinking. At the very least, BSU likely won’t experience immediate issues upon retaining six All-MW honorees from a 5-2 2020 campaign.

It’s worth noting how the Broncos must learn to live without explosive playmaker Avery Williams, who won his second MW special team’s player of the year award in 2020. After recording threecareer touchdowns and turnovers apiece against CSU, the defensive back’s departure enables a longawaited sigh of relief from the Rams. However, elsewhere, from Hank Bachmeier’s potent passing proficiency to rock-solid middle-of-thefield defending, the Rams will surely have their hands full with the Broncos.

Wyoming (Away) November 6

Last season failed to offer CSU head coach Steve Addazio ample opportunities to furnish a positive first impression in Fort Collins. However, the inaugural staff still managed to secure a signature statement when the Rams snatched a 3424 win over Wyoming— snapping a four-game skid against the bitter foes.

Now, looms the question of whether or not Addazio can do it again? After all, Mike Bobo’s Rams defeated Wyoming and Air Force in the former coach’s first campaign before failing to beat any of CSU’s rivals over the next four seasons. But let’s be honest, Bobo’s track record doesn’t pertain to how Addazio and company will fare against the Pokes moving forward. And at initial glance, the Border War’s 113th edition should significantly pertain to CSU’s ability to hinder Craig Bohl’s ground-and-pound offense, per typical.

Behind a sturdy front retaining each starter, Wyoming welcomes back the MW’s second-leading rusher in Xazavian Valladay and an elite complement who also finished top 10 in the league on the ground, Trey Smith.

Air Force (Home) November 13

Troy Calhoun enters 2021 owning more questions than answers regarding who will keep Air Force’s patented triple-option scheme afloat after leading the conference in rushing for the fourth consecutive season (306 yards per contest).

Headlined by All-MW first-teamers Parker Ferguson and Nolan Laufenberg, the Falcons lose five starting offensive linemen. In addition to the daunting task of replacing every component up front, both 2019 leading-rusher Kadin Remsburg and versatile fullback Timothy Jackson have departed the academy.

Luckily for AFA, though inexperience comprises the offensive line, Calhoun

Air Force Quarterback, Haazig Daniels

returns his top 2020 ballcarrier, Brad Roberts, as well as quarterback Haazig Daniels — who churned out 5.4 yards per touch as AFA’s second-most efficacious rusher.

Considering the Falcons have averaged 380 rushing yards over four straight wins against the Rams, it’s certainly a plus for CSU that Calhoun’s group should be in line for some extent of ground-game regression.

Hawaii (Away) November 20

Hawaii failed to prove exceptional in most phases of the game throughout its abbreviated schedule. However, the vast majority of the Rainbow Warriors’ facets weren’t anywhere close to poor, either — amounting to an all-around solid, bowl-winning campaign.

Now, though decent in many aspects across the turf, second-year coach Todd Graham returns to the totality of a secondary that arguably represented Hawaii’s most durable position group. After collectively ranking third in the conference in passing yards allowed (197.1 yards per game), All-MW secondteam defensive back Cortez Davis returns alongside Khoury Bethley (team-most six passes defended) and Quentin Frazier (team-most five forced turnovers).

The aforementioned defensive backs, coupled with key depth pieces such as sophomore Cameron Lockridge, will help the Rainbow Warriors’ defense stay afloat despite potentially porous rush hindrance.

Nevada (Home) November 27

Though Nevada pummeled the Rams 49-10 in Reno when the programs last clashed in 2018, home-field advantage has influenced this particular inner-conference series tremendously. Luckily for CSU, the green and gold boast an 8-0 record all-time against the Wolf Pack in Fort Collins since the two first met.

However, the past is the past. And if one thing’s for certain, hampering UNR’s juggernaut-esque offense—which ultimately left opponents the dust throughout 2020’s 7-2 season—won’t constitute anything near a walk in the park. En route to leading the Mountain West with six allleague first and second-team honorees combined, the Wolf Pack averaged 441 yards per game (319.1 passing).

Upon claiming MW Offensive Player of the Year distinction, proficient gunslinger Carson Strong led the conference in passing yards (2,858), touchdowns (27), QBR (160.6) and completion (70.1). Beyond the signal-caller, UNR’s list of retained playmakers includes top wideout Romeo Doubs, whose 1,002 yards led the MW and nine receiving touchdowns ranked tied atop the league with Wolf Pack tight end Cole Turner.