Savannah State vs. Colorado State Preview

Savannah State is on a smoking 23 game losing streak dating back to September 14th, 2013; that is nearly 2 years people. The last time the Tigers won multiple games in a season was 2009. Of course, bigger upsets have happened (I'm looking at you Michigan), but it is hard to imagine any situation in which Colorado State loses Saturday. That being said, Saturday's game provides numerous story lines and is an important tune up before a tough Minnesota team comes to Fort Collins.

Vitals

Who: Colorado State MW (10-3) vs. Savannah State MEAC (0-12)

When: Saturday, September 5th @ 2pm MST

Where: Hughes Stadium (Fort Collins, CO)

How (to watch): Online (free)

What to Watch

Bobo's First Game

Nearly nine months since his hiring, it is finally time for Coach Mike Bobo to take the field for his first game as a head coach. He has big shoes to fill after the departure of Jim McElwain, but his team is ready to prove they are not taking a step back. Bobo's first win at Colorado State will be the program's 500th overall, a fitting way to kick off a new era of Ram football. All eyes will be on the up-tempo offense Bobo brings from Georgia as in live action for the first time. Will he goes gun blazing, opening the full playbook to test his team? Or will he play it vanilla and save his tricks for Minnesota and Colorado?

Two QB's

Bobo was not afraid to name a starter, making RS SO Nick Stevens the guy midway through fall camp, but he knows backup RS FR Coleman Key needs experience as well. Bobo plans to use both quarterbacks throughout opening day to build their confidence and get real game experience. With Garrett Grayson gone, both Quarterbacks will vie to prove their merit as Colorado State's QB of the future.

Kivon Cartwright

Senior TE Kivon Cartwright is finally healthy and hungry as ever to show what he can do on the field. Prior to numerous injuries last season, Cartwright was an All-MW Honorable Mention as a sophomore and was on the Mackey Award watch list to start 2014. Cartwright has slowly worked back to game speed and looks healthy as ever. At full strength, he is easily the Rams' best receiving tight end and provides a match up nightmare for opposing defenses. The Savannah State defense may be the perfect welcome back party.

New Defense

There is a lot of buzz surrounding this Colorado State defense. Eight starters from last year return, and with the addition of one of the hottest defensive coordinators in college football, Tyson Summers, the Rams defense has a new identity. Summers installed a 4-3 scheme that led Central Florida to a top 10 defense last year and has instilled a sense of physicality in his players. Whether this new mindset and the 4-3 scheme succeeds on the field will be a major plot point Saturday. The Rams struggled in 2014, giving up 425 yards a game with 200 of those coming on the ground.

Orange Out

The annual Ag Day kicks off the season featuring orange throwbacks, Aggie tradition, and an awesome tailgate paying homage to Colorado State's days as Colorado A&M. Ag Day always provides a great atmosphere for a college football game, and if anything, you get to see these awesome unis again.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">One month from this moment... We run out of the tunnel again! <a href="http://t.co/aXGiJ6NEFn">pic.twitter.com/aXGiJ6NEFn</a></p>&mdash; CSU Rams Football (@CSUFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSUFootball/status/629015297748439040">August 5, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Prediction: CSU 48 SSU 10

FBS vs. FCS games are typically underwhelming; provided this particular FCS team has 53 loses since the turn of the decade, this game should be no exception. The Rams may have lost key pieces at quarterback, running back, and linebacker, but the talent returning at other positions will be well enough for this week. There are still many reasons to watch as listed above, and consider this a good appetizer for what's to come in this non-conference slate.