RamNation Radio

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.

CSU got its first look at an elite opponent, and No. 11 BYU provided a sobering measuring stick in a 41-23 win at Canvas Stadium. Joel and Mike break down what went wrong, from BYU’s domination in the trenches and CSU’s continued problems stopping explosive plays to the first-quarter hamstring injury that knocked Hauss Hejny out of the game. They also discuss K’saan Farrar and Darius Curry stepping in at quarterback, CSU’s continued knack for creating turnovers, and Jim Mora’s refusal to use the talent disparity as an excuse. Plus, the guys take a deeper look at the game-day atmosphere, CSU’s aggressive ticket-pricing strategy, the large BYU presence inside Canvas and whether record student turnout has masked a bigger challenge in building the Rams’ broader fan base.

CSU is 2-0, scoring points in bunches and suddenly giving Rams fans plenty of reasons to believe. But now comes the real test. Joel and Mike recap a 58-24 rout of Southern Utah that featured 678 yards of offense, another five-touchdown performance from Hauss Hejny and four more takeaways from an increasingly opportunistic defense. They discuss CSU’s explosive new offense, Mel Brown’s huge night, the team-first culture taking shape under Jim Mora and some defensive concerns that need to be fixed quickly. Then it’s on to the biggest test yet: No. 11 BYU comes to a packed Canvas Stadium for a nationally televised showdown on CBS. The guys break down the matchup, what CSU must do to pull the upset, and what a signature win could mean for the trajectory of the Mora era. Why not the Rams?!