CSU lost to Utah 27-3 on Saturday. I thought it was 20-7 for the entire weekend, as I left early from the game for the first time I can remember on Saturday.

Besides a fantastic Gartrell Johnson III (aka the Predator or Triplesticks) run for 44 yards on the first series of the game and a two nearly-completed bombs to Damon Morton from backup quarterback Billy Ferris, the Rams weren't ever in contention.

While it was a surprise to see Ferris in the game, it seemed to be a shake-up long overdue, until the news that it was only temporary, not something that would continue.

Since the coaching staff appears resigned to lose, I am going to assume they will be resigning at the end of the season. That means CSU will be needing a new coach, so I will play CSU Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk, and try to find the next head coach for CSU.

I will start with coaches at smaller schools that could be looking to move up, but keep in mind with most teams having at least three or four games remaining, a lot can change in the next few weeks to determine which coaches will be available.

The up-and-coming candidates (in no order):
JD Bookhart:
Positives: A former CSU wide receiver who learned the West Coast offense under Mike Shannahan in Denver. Also led Akron to consecutive winning seasons in first two years, including a MAC title and Motor City Bowl (sounds horrible, but that is the prize of winning the MAC) berth in 2005.

Negatives: A sub-par season last year and what looks to be another one this season (consecutive losses to Buffalo and Temple) show that while Bookhart can coach, his recruiting skills are questionable. Will only have four years experience as a head coach.

Overall: CSU doesn't have a lot of money, so he would be a cheap candidate. Can he win with his own players?

Craig Bohl:
Positives: Leads the top-ranked FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) North Dakota State Bison, who just last weekend beat Minnesota of the Big Ten. Former top assistant at many FBS (formerly known as Division I-A) schools, including eight years as the linebackers coach for Nebraska during their glory years in the mid-1990s.

Negatives: Seems very committed to NDSU, and it is unlikely that CSU would be a huge step up for him, especially if he can keep it going at NDSU. He will definitely soon be on the radars of Big 10 schools, so why risk it to go attempt to turn around a struggling program. CSU just stole NDSU's old basketball coach Tim Miles, so I doubt they would be willing to watch us swoop in to take another.

Overall: Would be a great get for CSU, but I don't know if we could sway him from what he has going.

Bobby Hauck:
Positives: In charge of the perennial FCS title contender University of Montana. He has led the Grizz to the Big Sky Championship all four years at the school, and currently has them undefeated again. Worked under Rick Nuehiesel at CU, so familiar with what it takes to recruit to Colorado. No buyout on his contract, and CSU could triple his current contract and still not reach the current $500,000 a year Sonny (look at #76) reportedly receives.

Negatives: He worked at CU under Neuheisel, a time when CU didn't really run a tight ship, and has also recruited some troubled (or worse) players to Billings. Wyoming coach Joe Glenn was the previous coach at Montana, and he hasn't done anything spectacular for the 'Pokes. Hauck is from an almost entirely Grizz family, so it may be hard to tear him from the job.

Overall: Last year Hauck was up for some pretty big jobs (Minnesota and Stanford), but the problems in the program this summer might scare off a few teams this year. Hauck would have to show he will run a clean program at CSU, where we have seen too many problems with our athletes in the past year, but he is a proven winner and he knows the area. Convincing kids to come to Fort Collins is will be no tougher than Bozeman.

If he leads Montana to the FCS Championship, then he might work his way to a more prestigous football school than CSU.


* Stay tuned for an update soon of high level assistants (like Air Force with Troy Calhoun) and retreads (like Pete Carrol at USC) for CSU to go after.

Utah for your times

Now that we have stopped celebrating the Rams win, it is time to focus on the future.

Which is still very bleek.

CSU needed tons of breaks just to beat a horrible UNLV team, and into town comes a streaking Utah team, winners of four games in a row. The Utes won't make those same mistakes.

Quarterback Brian Johnson is a stud, and the Utes will be able to run on the Rams, just as every team has been able to for about the last four years.

The Utah defense is always tough, but for the Rams to have a shot they will have to run the ball extremely well, and limit their turnovers to zero.

Even then, I don't like the Rams' chances.

Utah 34, CSU 17.

The Streak is Over

It was a great weekend for Ram fans.

Johnny Walker fired up the Rams as they pummeled the Rebels 48-23.

We won't be ranked number three in ESPN's Bottom 10 anymore.

Gartrell Johnson III was MWC Offensive Player of the Week.

Cecil Sapp scored a TD for the Broncos.

David Anderson scored for the Texans.

CU lost.

Wyoming lost.

The Rockies didn't overshadow the Rams (like they will next weekend).

After 13 weeks of futility, everything seemed to go right for the Rams, especially on the field.

As I previously wrote, the Rams need more big plays on defense and special teams, something common under the great Ram teams of the 1990s, but lacking now. Well, the Rams got them in bunches.

They forced five turnovers, scored on two of them, recovered a accidental onside kick, and managed to only turn the ball over once themselves.

More importantly for the Rams was that they responded after UNLV pulled the game to within 27-17 by getting a 33 yard Damon Morton kickoff return and then a 34 yard touchdown pass to Morton on the next play.

CSU attempted to do this multiple times to put away teams like Air Force and CU during their losing streak, but they missed and blew the lead.

The key for the Rams will be keeping up the winning ways, with streaking Utah coming to town. The Rams still can finish the season bowl eligible, an unlikely situation, but not impossible.

After the Rockies recent run, there is only one impossibility in this world, scoring World Series tickets.

When it rains...

CSU almost escaped without losing Saturday.

Zeus tried to get the game cancelled, throwing lightning bolts into Hughes Stadium, but even the Gods couldn't do the trick.

It was embarrassing to be a fan of CSU, so much so that at halftime I meandered over behind the Air Force bench, where I had an ongoing conversation with Air Force cornerback Carson Bird for the entire second half, when he wasn't busy catching passes from Caleb Hanie.

So what is next for the Rams?

Hopefully it is more changes to the lineup to shake things up, like starting Gartrell Johnson III, the goat for so many fans last season, who gave the Rams anemic running game energy.

Hopefully we see Billy Farris, to give a glimpse if he can carry this team next year. Or if he falters, Grant Stucker. Or Nick Neuenfeldt.

Hopefully Rashaun Greer or Brett Willis gets a chance to perform at WR, as Bird stated that CSU's small wide receivers were easy to push around, taking them completely out of their routes.

Hopefully, we see something to be good for next season.

Because this season is over.

Bombs away on the Zoomies

CSU gets to take on those other instate rivals this weekend, the Zoomies of Air Force, who started off this lovely 12 games losing streak since for the Rams.

The 24-21 comeback victory for the Falcons, in which they trailed at half 21-3, put the Rams into a funk, one they have stayed in for a year.

My buddy Ben, who has this great blog, wanted me to predict the Rams would turn their fortune and go on a 12-game winning streak, but I can’t do that.

I will predict that the Rams pull this one off, and it will give them confidence to finish the season well, early struggles considered.

Air Force always plays hard, but they can’t out-athlete the Rams, something most teams have done this year. They are tough and disciplined (and not afraid to injure), but I think that actually plays into the Rams’ hands.

CSU has trouble with team that have speed that disrupts schemes on both sides of the ball. Against Air Force the Rams should be able to line up and pound the ball, setting up the play-action pass.

On defense, the Rams will have trouble containing mobile quarterback Shaun Carney and quick scat back Chad Hall, but no other Falcon on offense poses a true big play threat. The two-deep defense that the Rams so love will be a great match-up against the Falcons short-passing and semi-option offense.

I feel the game will be close, and hopefully CSU’s special teams can live up to their potential and actually make a special play.

I truly feel that the Rams are one win away from breaking out, it is just a question of will they finally get it going too late to save anyone’s job.

The players say that they are playing for their coach, so do it the way Sonny used to.

By winning.

Sonny should stay (if he wants to)

After a 24-20 loss to San Diego State that seems to basically assure that CSU needs to make a coaching change, many are calling for Sonny Lubick's head.

Though our year-long drought points to this, I just can't say it.

Sonny Lubick built this program up from almost nothing, and it seems like everyone at CSU is blinded by the last four years.

Yes. we have been terrible lately, but Sonny doesn't deserve to be run out of town, which is what too many people want to do.

He is the greatest coach CSU has ever known, and for all he has done at CSU, he can leave whenever he wants.

CSU is full of fickle, bandwagon-jumping fans (for evidence, see Rockies, Colorado) and there is no need to appease them, because one never will.

Ram "fans" have left games in droves twice this year when the game still hung in the balance (Cal and SDSU). You want to place blame on the players and coaches, yet so many of you can't even sit through a three hour game.

Ram "fans" often booed Justin Holland when his arm was our only weapon.

Ram "fans" refuse to look at any history and see how remarkable it is that we even have bowl aspirations every season, especially after how terrible CSU was from 1950-1990.

Ram "fans" can't be bothered to travel to crappy bowls like the Poinsettia.

While the fans have been poor, it isn't like the administration has helped Sonny any.

CSU is 8-0 in Thursday night games (Media Guide, page 12) at home, but thanks to the MTN and the new TV contract, the Rams don't host these anymore.

Forget about the electric crowds for night games, especially those on ESPN, fans will love noon kickoffs and 3:30 starts way more. And who doesn't get pumped for games on the MTN, the invisible network.

Forget about Fum's Song rallying the crowd.

Forget about fans standing in the front row, pounding signs.

Forget about creating any home-field advantage.

Nope, come to sanitized Ram Town and cheer if it suits you, but really we could care less.

As I have said before, Sonny needs to make some important and significant changes to remain coach, but he is our best shot. We can't hire a big name, and why would some young upstart want to come here to suffer in a terrible situation.

If he feels he can't do it, I am sure Sonny will resign, but until the day the he makes that decision, I want no one else besides Sonny leading my Rams.

Why CSU isn't special anymore

Quick Preview

CSU vs. SDSU is a game that should allow the Rams a chance to win their first game in over a year. I will go out on a limb and predict a 38-16 victory as a homecoming present, as SDSU's horrible defense allows the Rams to control the ball and put up points.

CSU has been itching for a chance to play someone that they easily can beat, and I think returning home to face a team that is struggling almost as much as the Rams will be the key.

The Aztecs are so poor lately, people at the university want to disband the team. CSU has struggled, but no one is going that crazy here in Fort Collins, I hope.

Longer analysis of CSU’s decline

It seems amazing to me that the Rams could be in a situation where they are expected to struggle with the perennial doormat Aztecs, when just five years ago when the Rams were the toast of the conference (yes, it was just 2002 when ago Bradlee “The Mulleted Warrior” Van Pelt skateboarding the Rams to a 10-3 record and a MWC title).

Prior to 2003 at CSU, Sonny was 84-38 in his career, but during the last five seasons his record has plummeted to 105-69, a 21-31 record.

Why?

In looking at the weekly football press release on csurams.com, I stumbled upon page nine, which focused on defensive stats for the Rams throughout the Sonny Lubick years. Two key stats, defensive scores (special teams included) and turnover margin, caught my eye as the main reason the Rams are down.

From 1993-2002, the Rams forced 23-plus turnovers every season, yet since then they have forced over 20 turnovers just once, in 2005 (their last bowl-eligible season). The Rams also never lost a season-long turnover battle in any season from 1993-2002, yet also 2005 is the only season since they the Rams have achieved not lost the turnover battle.

From 1993-2002 the Rams had one year in which they failed to score at least three times on defense and special teams, while since 2003 the Rams succeeded in scoring more than two defensive scores in 2004 only.

The lack of the big plays on defense and special teams, a staple during CSU’s glory years, is what I believe is the major driving factors of the Rams collapse.

The lack of touchdowns through defense and special teams has crushed the Rams, not giving them the high energy plays that change games.

On the same token, the Rams defense hasn’t forced enough turnovers in clutch situation to hold-off late-game comebacks by opponents, which have taken place in multiple games during the current losing streak.

CSU’s offense has taken much of the blame during the recent down years (especially last year), but CSU’s decline in game-changing plays on special teams and defense are more of a driving force.

Ultimately the blame goes on Sonny for the play of the Rams, but much of it really should fall heavily on the shoulders on defensive coordinator Steve Stanard, who took over as defensive coordinator in 2003, and Dave Arnold, who has coached special teams since 2004.

CSU needs to get more playmakers on the field, and they need to have coaches that can put them in position to make big plays.

I don’t think either coach, Stanard or Arnold, are doing an acceptable job.

Thank (insert religious leader) for the Rocks...

The Rockies are in the playoffs.

Hopefully that will give the Rams some hope.

If a team as terrible as the Rocks have been for roughly ten years can turn it around and make the playoffs, a team that has lost 11 straight can turn it around and make a bowl, right?

And bless San Diego for hopefully sending another sacrificial lamb.

I guess I might be getting ahead of myself, as I should talk about how the Rams played terrible against TCU, but why waste space. I called that game a CSU loss, and I might be the world's biggest homer.

Yes, CSU was unimaginative. Yes, the Rams didn't force the issue by going for it on fourth-down late in the third.

CSU has to be on ESPN's bottom 10 now, but they play SDSU next week.

And right now they are favored by 13 points.

The Aztecs must really be terrible.

So Rams, take a note from the Blake Street Boys and never give up. End the streak versus the Aztecs, and then create a new winning streak for the future.