RamNation Radio

What started with so much promise has turned into a nightmare for CSU football. After opening 2-0, the Rams have dropped four straight, surrendering an astonishing 222 points along the way. Joel and Mike discuss the historically bad defense, Jim Mora's accountability for the ongoing struggles, and whether new defensive coordinator Kenny McClendon can realistically turn things around. But there's still reason for hope. Quarterback Hauss Hejny returns to the lineup Saturday against a San Diego State team that may present CSU's best opportunity in weeks to get back in the win column. The guys break down the matchup, the Aztecs' vulnerabilities, and why Joel is surprisingly optimistic about CSU's chances. Plus, with bowl eligibility slipping away, what will it take to salvage the season and restore some confidence in the direction of the program?

KFKA sports talk host Brady Hull joins Joel and Mike for a wide-ranging discussion about CSU athletics and the future of the Pac-12. With the Rams sitting at 2-3 following three straight losses, the guys assess Jim Mora's first five games, the historically bad defense, and whether new defensive play-caller Kenny McClendon can turn things around. They also preview Thursday's challenging road matchup at Texas State and debate what it will take for CSU to get back on track. Plus, is the new Pac-12 living up to its promise of becoming the nation's fifth-best conference? The trio examines the league's expansion strategy, television deal, competitive standing and long-term outlook before wrapping up with Brady's insights from a recent CSU men's basketball fundraiser and expectations for the upcoming season.

What should have been a celebration turned into another nightmare for CSU football. A record 41,000 fans packed Canvas Stadium for Homecoming and the Rams’ first Pac-12 conference game, only to watch Oregon State roll up 650 yards without punting once in a 56-26 rout. Joel and Mike break down another historically bad defensive performance before diving into the biggest story of the weekend: Jim Mora stripping defensive coordinator Tyson Summers of play-calling duties mid-game, Summers leaving the sideline, and his subsequent dismissal from the program. Was the change overdue? And, why did Mora allow the defense to reach this point in the first place? The guys examine Summers’ surprising retention from the previous staff, Mora’s own responsibility for CSU’s three-game collapse, and whether new play-caller Kenny McClendon can use the bye week to finally make this defense remotely competent.

CSU scored 45 points and piled up 500 yards at UTSA — and somehow lost by two touchdowns. Joel and Mike break down the Rams’ wild 59-45 loss, including an impressive first start from K’saan Farrar, an offense that repeatedly fought its way back, and a defense that has now surrendered 100 points and more than 1,100 yards in the last two games. They dig into Jim Mora’s visible frustration with the defense and its staff, the troubling run defense and explosive plays, and what changes could be on the table. Then it’s on to Homecoming and CSU’s first-ever Pac-12 conference game, as Oregon State returns to Canvas Stadium with an explosive passing attack that presents another major test for the struggling Rams defense.

After the reality check against BYU, CSU faces a very different—and potentially more revealing—test in its first road game of the Jim Mora era. Joel and Mike preview Saturday’s matchup at UTSA, where the Roadrunners have built one of the strongest home-field advantages outside the Power Four. With Hauss Hejny’s status uncertain and CSU entering as a surprising double-digit underdog, the guys examine the quarterback situation, a struggling Rams run defense, UTSA’s massive penalty problems and the matchups CSU must exploit to have a chance in San Antonio. At 2-1 and exactly where many hoped they’d be through three games, this may be the game that tells us much more about where Mora’s rebuilding project really stands. The guys break it down.