Mountain West Connection: All Posts by Terrance DickensAll you need to know about the Mountain West, and then somehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50409/mwc-fav.png2018-03-27T08:30:01-07:00https://www.mwcconnection.com/authors/Terrance-Dickens/rss2018-03-27T08:30:01-07:002018-03-27T08:30:01-07:00Colorado State Adds Grad Transfer QB
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Air Force at Colorado State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JwuJ8_t7y-DPGlMHwxlUceggoos=/3x0:4337x2889/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59172771/usa_today_10503259.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Rams appear to have found their starter for the fall. </p> <p id="BqKh0m">A couple weeks ago, Colorado State fans got the news that Colin Hill who was given the keys to the explosive Ram offense had re-torn his ACL playing pick up basketball. Hill a fan favorite due to his success as a true freshman in 2016 before a torn ACL brought that to an end. The news of the injury shook the fanbase and questions began to rise of who will replace him if he can’t come back this season. The Rams had only two quarterbacks on the roster in J.C Robles, and Justice McCoy. Robles was the only player to register stats last season in mop up duty. Coach Mike Bobo announced that the Rams got a huge boost in grad transfer K.J Carta–Samuels. Who is transferring from Washington played there the past four seasons. </p>
<p id="HVtbST">If the name sounds familiar, K.J. is the younger brother of former Wyoming star Austyn Carta-Samuels. According to reports Washington Head Coach Chris Petersen reached out to Bobo last season notifying him that Carta-Samuels had an interest in joining the Rams as a graduate transfer. Since then the Rams have been recruiting him. However, news got around that Carta-Samuels was going to be signing with the UCLA Bruins and it was a foregone conclusion. Yesterday morning news dropped on Twitter that Carta-Samuels was going to sign with the Rams. According to Bobo he signed on Friday but waited to announce it due to Niko Medved being hired back as the men’s basketball coach. </p>
<p id="JjrahM">This is a huge pick up for the Rams. It allows for a need to be filled and they don’t have to rush Hill back. Now there is a possibility he can return, but I believe he’ll sit and petition for a 6<sup>th</sup> year. Carta-Samuels has a big arm, mobility and can make plays with his legs and arm. He will be able to extend plays and bring leadership to what will be a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball. Fall camp has just gotten real interesting for Colorado State.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2018/3/27/17167704/colorado-state-adds-grad-transfer-qbTerrance Dickens2018-03-05T10:00:05-08:002018-03-05T10:00:05-08:00Colorado State 2018 Schedule: A challenging road ahead
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Air Force at Colorado State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PKVUIj74pwRH3BXkTsqkWfZzays=/0x165:2102x1566/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58908463/usa_today_10503204.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A look at the games next fall.</p> <p id="0CEgAg">Colorado State Ram fans will be seeing a lot of change when the season begins with a new quarterback, offensive coordinator and a completely new defensive staff. However, they don’t get a warm up game against an FCS opponent to figure things out. The regular season schedule was released for Mountain West teams last week and Colorado State will open conference play quite early against cross divisional opponent the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. The contest will be during week zero on August 25<sup>th</sup>. For Ram fans it’s a good game to have because the next three contests are anything but easy. Here is a breakdown of Colorado State 2018 season. </p>
<p id="OHTIYl">After the Hawaii contest, the Rams will head 60 miles down to Denver to play the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown against the Colorado Buffaloes. A game that was marred by controversy last season will be a good measuring stick in what is the start to the toughest stretch of the season. This game is a rivalry in which CU has won 6 of 8 meetings since 2010. Rams will be looking to win this one to get bragging rights for 2018.</p>
<h3 id="NWy7gm"><strong>Toughest Stretch:</strong></h3>
<p id="mhmRKC">The Rams have a brutal non-conference schedule. The first three games are against Power 5 opponents that are looking to rebound from tough seasons. Colorado (in Denver) on August 31st, Arkansas on September 8th and ending September 15<sup>th</sup> at Florida in the Jim McElwain buyout game. None of these games are easy and will ultimately play a huge role in how the rest of the season goes for the Rams. Arkansas and Florida respectively will be with first year coaches in Chad Morris (Arkansas) and Dan Mullen. Having an SEC opponent on the schedule is one thing but two can be seen downright crazy. All three teams should be much improved and will pose a huge challenge for the Rams before finishing non-conference play against Illinois State. </p>
<h3 id="jAPily"><strong>Conference Portion:</strong></h3>
<p id="4jPE8n">The Rams open conference play against Hawaii on August 25<sup>th</sup>. After that game the Rams won’t play another conference game for a month. The Rams resume conference play on the road after a much-needed bye week. Heading to San Jose State on October 6th to open conference, the Rams won’t have to play consecutive road conference games all season. The home portion of conference starts a week later against the New Mexico Lobos. It’s important that the Rams don’t look ahead with Boise State looming on a short week (October 19<sup>th</sup>.) Boise State will be a revenge game after the defense surrendered a 28-3 second quarter lead last season. Boise ended up winning 59-52 in overtime. </p>
<p id="48kIfb">This is the beginning of an interesting two game stretch for Colorado State. After the game in Boise, they return home for the Border War against Wyoming. The Rams finish the season with two of three on the road. Road games against Nevada and Air Force, with a home game in the middle against Utah State. Nevada should be improved this season after giving the Rams all they could handle on homecoming last season. Air Force is always a tough game due to the option offense, and the fact they dominated time of possession in last season’s upset win in Fort Collins. This is not an easy conference schedule at all. It will test the Rams from start to finish. </p>
<h3 id="24I2R2"><strong>Outlook: </strong></h3>
<p id="Q3lTAI">The Rams have a tough 2018 schedule, that will present many challenges. However, it’s a schedule that sets up nicely due to not having to travel two weeks in a row at any point this season. This allows the Rams to stay fresh and keep the fans engaged. The bye weeks also fall at perfect times. The first one September 29<sup>th</sup> after the end of non-conference play. The other one being November 3rd in the home stretch of conference play. It should be an exciting season not only for Ram fans, but also for the Mountain West. The Rams should either compete for the conference title or fall out of the race early depending on how they navigate through conference. Time will tell, until then football is only five months away</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2018/3/5/17080968/colorado-state-2018-schedule-a-challenging-road-aheadTerrance Dickens2017-01-05T18:35:39-08:002017-01-05T18:35:39-08:00The Blame Game: CSU's Academic Problem
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YEQ8AuDydH9kIzpWl_HgXtwHjDQ=/0x0:2314x1543/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52619465/usa-today-9789101.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A lot of people are looking for someone to blame for the academic eligibility problem with CSU basketball but there is only one person to blame or maybe 3.</p> <p>It's been a while Mountain West fans! When you have a laptop that keeps breaking you're not able to do things like writing articles unless I want to use my phone. That would not have been good for the eyes or very fun. Good thing I graduated because a broken laptop while in college is pretty much the end of the world.. However to switch things to a more serious issue, as many people have heard three mens basketball players at Colorado State have been ruled ineligible for the spring semester. This is a major black eye for a program which just a few years ago was commended for always having one of the top academic performance ratings. A lot of blame has been passed around from the athletic department, to Larry Eustachy. The most ridiculous one came from a Facebook comment in which someone blamed the push for the new football stadium.</p>
<p>The accountability is on the players. They know that you have to get decent grades to stay eligible. All you need is a 1.9 GPA that's not very hard, non athletes need to remain above a 2.0 to avoid academic probation. The fact that the players didn't take school seriously, and now they're missing the entire second half of the season is embarrassing to themselves, the program and the fan base. Every athlete has mandatory study hall in which they can get all their studying done so they could relax once they get home. The academic advisors often times give them the easiest schedules that revolve their practice schedules so they could succeed. So when everything is laid out for you and you're still ineligible who takes responsibility? The students, the fact that these guys are junior college transfers need to realize that they're at a university. Often times they're given a free pass at their previous institutions, and they come into a university believing that the same thing is going to occur. These players were given a major reality check at the expense of hurting their own teammates.</p>
<p>I hope this serves as a lesson to everyone, not just the Colorado State basketball players. I applaud the University for sending the right messages and holding the players accountable. These are the consequences for not studying and thinking you're going to get by just like Junior College. Use this semester off to become better students and be an example for your teammates and future teammates. Then when next fall comes around you can play again and contribute to this team. The blame is on the players. Now its time for them to put plans into action to become not just better players but better students.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2017/1/5/14174570/reality-check-csu-basketballTerrance Dickens2016-10-13T20:27:50-07:002016-10-13T20:27:50-07:00Colorado State Wins Homecoming Game 31-24
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F5z8rGqC9vt0Z7_8r4JXlCb27Vo=/3x0:4598x3063/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51348819/usa-today-9583999.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Coloradoan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Colorado State redeems itself after embarrassing performance last week, but suffered a bigger loss in the aftermath.</p> <p>Last week the Rams played their worst game of the season. Yes that includes the game against Colorado opening night. The game garnered lots of criticism from students, fans and former players. Those were well deserved criticisms despite some players thinking it wasn't. If there was any thought of there being a must win game, this was the one. The Rams responded after a slow start but ended up scoring 21 unanswered points to defeat Utah State 31-24. The Rams however suffered a bigger loss before the game was over.</p>
<p>How did the Rams win: After a back and forth first quarter in which teams traded scores, the Aggies took control of the later end of the quarter and the remainder of the half. The Aggies scored 17 unanswered points to take a 24-10 lead at halftime. The Rams fans felt like it was deja vu all over again, and began heading for the exits. The second half the Rams woke up on both sides of the ball. Starting with an 60 yard touchdown pass from Colin Hill to Michael Gallup. The defense tightened up not allowing the Aggies to score another touchdown. The Rams scored 21 unanswered to finish the game but suffered a tough loss.</p>
<p>The big loss: Colin Hill kept the ball after dropping back on a pass play and kept running, he wasn't going to slide he was trying to reach the end zone. He got 19 of 20 yards needed preventing a third and long. He gave the team a spark but Hill was hurt on the play. Laying in pain and he eventually was helped off the field by teammates. He ended up walking back out on the field but on street clothes. His sacrifice gave the team a spark and the team kept the momentum the rest of the game.</p>
<p>Nick Stevens returned after a humbling benching and lead the team on two scoring drives to win the game 31-24. The Rams got a big interception late from Kevin Davis to seal the game. The team won a must win game to improve their record because they are entering a key stretch which will determine their fate.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2016/10/13/13238978/colorado-state-wins-homecoming-game-suffers-bigger-lossTerrance Dickens2016-10-02T17:10:45-07:002016-10-02T17:10:45-07:00Enough is Enough: The Bronze Beatdown
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/afUUkIV2liw1sQgqFjU_8lnj1qM=/0x0:4915x3277/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51159093/usa-today-9583995.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The Coloradoan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Rams lose the boot to Wyoming in embarrassing fashion. </p> <p>Yesterday afternoon I was ubering around Fort Collins to kill time before the game. I happen to come across some Wyoming fans and they had an interesting take on the rivalry. The passenger said to me "Honestly I feel the only people who care about this rivalry are the Wyoming fans." He said that because Colorado State fans are more focused on the rivalry with Colorado because of the state pride thing. I told him that I agreed, but the one team the Rams hate losing to more is Wyoming because you will never hear the end of it.</p>
<p>Wyoming is like the only child that pushes to get attention from the two brothers from down the street. When that child gets the attention he annoys everyone else in the neighborhood. So with that being said, losing to Wyoming in the Border War hurts more than losing to CU. Ram fans will never hear the end of it because this is the only thing that matters to most Wyoming fans. However I have to give credit where credit is due, Wyoming was the better team last night and deserved to win. I have been nice about Rams this season but that time ends now.</p>
<p>First things first: Marty English it's not working time to move on. You said the issues were fixable after the Colorado game but the past two weeks the issues returned. WE DON'T HAVE 3-4 PERSONNEL!!! We're not big enough to have three down lineman. Wyoming figured things out quickly and just lined it up and ran the ball down their throats. Their offensive line was bigger and stronger than the defensive front for the Rams. The QB draw touchdown to put the game out of reach could be seen from a mile away. Sitting with numerous Ram fans everyone expected that call. Your first stint as Co-Defensive Coordinator showed a defense that was mediocre at best. Gave up a ton of big plays and forced the offense to keep scoring to stay in the game. The defense was pretty good last season despite two big losses from the top teams in the conference. They were disciplined and didn't make the same mistakes over and over. Which is currently happening right now. Fix the issues or this could be 2011 all over again.</p>
<p>Second: Colin Hill still isn't ready. Despite playing well the first two and a half games he had numerous issues last night. He was inaccurate, missing a touchdown pass down field, threw a terrible pick 6, and couldn't dissect a very vanilla tampa 2 defense. He's young and a freshmen who honestly could have used a full redshirt year. However Wyoming did nothing to disguise coverage, they had two deep safeties with 4-3 personnel. He's young and will improve but he has to stay calm and read the play through.</p>
<p>Finally: The Run game needs to wake up. Last nights performance was disappointing. They couldn't get anything going, they may have run for over 100 yards but it took 5 backs to do it and no one rushed for over 40 yards. The offensive line is one of the most experienced units in the country but they have been getting owned all season long. Especially against CU and Wyoming. In order to take the pressure off Hill, the running game needs to produce the numbers.</p>
<p>If the Rams want to make a bowl, they need to wake up now, the season doesn't get any easier. English better make adjustments or you will hear more rumblings from Ram Land calling for his head.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2016/10/2/13137612/enough-is-enough-the-bronze-beatdownTerrance Dickens2016-08-31T17:04:42-07:002016-08-31T17:04:42-07:002016 Bold Predictions For The Mountain West
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D4_JSbmFA08p46qY3dHLM-crAls=/0x0:3292x2195/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50599323/usa-today-8977896.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This should be an exciting season for the conference, and these are my 2016 bold predictions for the upcoming season. These are sure to ruffle some feathers...</p> <p>We are days away from the official start of the football season. In a conference like the Mountain West, there is always some unpredictable things that happen each season. Example: Air Force winning the Mountain division last year. This year will provide some surprises and excitement. Here is a list of my bold predictions heading into this season.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 1: Boise State will sweep the non-conference slate, and it won't be close</b></p>
<p>The Broncos have a pretty favorable slate in the non-conference this year. A team that returns a lot of talent and isn't afraid to play anyone. The problem is most teams are scared to play them out of conference. Aside from the home game against Washington State (likely will be a shootout) they should cruise through their non conference games. People will bring up BYU every year but Boise should win that game comfortably. It's a revenge game for Boise at home, and that crowd will make it hostile.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 2: UNLV will be the most improved team in the conference</b></p>
<p>The Running Rebels brought in one of the best recruiting classes in school history in the off season. Seven mid year JC transfers will be able to jump in and contribute right away. The offense has some explosive weapons, including Devonte Boyd who should put up some big numbers this season. The defense especially the secondary will be very good, and will cause explosive teams to struggle. This should be a much improved team this year with 7 potentially 8 wins could be within reach. This team will be fun to watch.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 3: Colorado State will complete the front range sweep</b></p>
<p>The front range sweep will be a tough feat this year but I believe the Rams will do it. They would have to beat Wyoming, Air Force and Colorado which is a road game at the Academy which is always tough. Wyoming should be improved, but not good enough to beat the Rams. Colorado with them being a power 5 team will be tough, but with it being a rivalry game week one anything is possible.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 4: Boise State will lose to a triple option team for the third consecutive season.</b></p>
<p>I mentioned earlier that Boise State will sweep the non conference slate. However I don't believe that they will finish the season undefeated. Their kryptonite the past couple seasons has been the triple option. Which is always a tough offense to prepare for. The Broncos lost both games last year to New Mexico and Air Force but those games were in back to back weeks. They catch a bit of a break this season with New Mexico being earlier and Air Force being the last game of the season. However they have to travel on the road for both matchups. They will lose one of the two with that game likely being Air Force.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 5: The Conference will have multiple Power 5 upsets.</b></p>
<p>The non conference slate is going to be great. Most of these games are winnable matchups, and I believe the conference will upset several teams from the Power 5. Colorado State upsets Colorado, Boise beats Washington State and Oregon State, San Jose State beats Iowa State and SDSU upsets Cal. This should be a competitive conference this year and upsetting teams will catch attention of the rest of the country.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 6: San Diego State will finish the regular season undefeated</b></p>
<p>The Aztecs return the most talent in the conference and many expect them to be very good this year. I remember watching the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas and the domination they showed against the Cincinnati was mind blowing. This team won all 8 of their conference games by double digits. Most of them by over 20 points. Their only weakness is the receivers and a quarterback that will have a lot more expectations this year. The defense will again be stout but in order for this to happen the offense has to be more than run dependent. I believe this team will finish undefeated going into the Mountain West title game.</p>
<p><b>Bold Prediction 7: The conference champion will be in a New Years 6 Bowl Game</b></p>
<p>Houston isn't sneaking up on anyone this season. They are a great team but I believe the strength of the Mountain West will boost them over an American Conference champion. This should be a much improved conference from a year ago and as mentioned earlier will catch the attention of the nation and the committee. That's if they pull off the upsets they can do.</p>
<p>Mountain Division Champ: Boise State 11-1</p>
<p>West Division Champ: San Diego State 12-0</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2016/8/31/12723596/bold-predictions-for-the-2016-football-seasonTerrance Dickens2016-08-29T05:20:11-07:002016-08-29T05:20:11-07:00Colorado State Football Preview: The Hughes Swan Song
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KXFPM9OC-5rRPcBfEnDz7Y9Puz0=/154x0:3706x2368/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50561699/usa-today-9024474.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As Colorado State begins the goodbye tour for Hughes Stadium, could this also be a goodbye to the Mountain West? We'll look at what's going to be a very interesting season for the Rams.</p> <p>In a few short days Colorado State will be kicking off the season against the hated Colorado Buffaloes. This game will also begin the "Farewell Hughes" season as the Rams will be heading to a new on campus stadium in 2017. Since the Rams last took the field there has been a lot of change. The biggest is Hollywood Higgins and Joe Hansley have departed and are now in the NFL. There is still ton of talent on this team but in order to take the next step they have to conquer their biggest opponent THEMSELVES!</p>
<p>Last season the Rams were inconsistent at best. While they made a bowl game the team themselves got in their own way. After a gimme win against Savannah State, the Rams dropped the next two games in which they had a lead or were tied in the 4th quarter. The ultimate downfall of those two games were turnovers. The Rams turned the ball over four times against Minnesota which resulted in a 23-20 overtime loss and twice against Colorado. In the Colorado game which CSU dominated there were three missed field goals and a pick 6. Even though there was some bad, the good was also there.</p>
<p>After a 41-17 loss to San Diego State in which coach Mike Bobo called out his team, the Rams finished the regular season with four straight wins. Getting back to basics and running the ball, along with controlling the clock. However they didn't win the "conference" bowl game against Nevada after bad clock management. That brings us to this season, a season of goodbyes and uncertainties. This is the last season at Hughes Stadium, but it could be (although a longshot) a goodbye to the Mountain West.</p>
<p>Offense: The offense will return a lot of talent from last years team but lost a couple key pieces in the receiving corp. As mentioned earlier Joe Hansley, and Rashard Higgins have moved on to the NFL. The receivers have always been deep so now it will be good to see what guys like Eloy Masters, Xavier Williams, and Sammie Long can do. The biggest question is the Quarterback position. Nick Stevens is in competition with Georgia graduate transfer Faton Bauta. Both quarterbacks bring different things to the team, Stevens is a pure passer while Bauta is a duel threat. Stevens needs to cut down on the bad decisions if he's going to keep the job. The running back position will be the feature position for the Rams. Dalyn Dawkins and Izzy Matthews are both explosive backs that will keep the pressure off the quarterbacks. The offensive line is very experienced with Fred Zerblis, Zach Golditch, Nick Calender, and Jake Bennett all returning from last years team. This should be an explosive team no matter who is quarterback.</p>
<p>Defense: The defense has lost more than the offense. Losing eight starters off a defense that played well at times but was often inconsistent. Jordan Vaden moved over from the offensive side to play corner. Kevin Davis will help a young inexperienced and learn a completely new system. The Rams will be moving to a 3-4 attacking defense. So a new scheme along with new pieces will prove to be a challenge for the Rams.</p>
<p>Outlook: The offense will be explosive and often be tough to stop. The defense will struggle but grow throughout the season. The team will put together another good season to make a fourth consecutive bowl game. The bowl game will depend on the record. I'm predicting the Rams will be either 8-4 or 9-3, finishing 2nd in the Mountain division. They'll need to have a solid season to impress the Big 12 Conference. This will be a challenging season starting this Friday against the Colorado Buffaloes and it's important to get things off right.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2016/8/29/12657844/colorado-state-football-preview-the-hughes-swan-songTerrance Dickens2016-02-21T21:19:51-08:002016-02-21T21:19:51-08:00The Unfortunate Reality: CSU's Nightmare Season
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nqW1SMVKTVCp1z5OB5qqH0zNcuU=/0x0:4915x3277/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48902517/usa-today-9126877.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Colorado State is having a nightmare season and there could be no end in sight. </p> <p>Before the beginning of the season Larry Eustachy said before a football crowd at Hughes Stadium that the "CSU Rams were going to be playing in a tournament this year." I knew it was a lie from the beginning. Who can blame him, he's just trying to get the crowd fired up, for the upcoming season. This season is an ongoing nightmare that won't be ending any soon, here's a recap of how things got this way.</p>
<h3>Non-Conference:</h3>
<p>The team started out strong going 5-0 including a big season opening win at Northern Iowa, but it went rapidly downhill fast. The Rams blew a 17 point lead in the championship of the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic to UTEP losing that game in overtime. The Rams went on to lose five of their next six games including an epic home meltdown to rival Colorado. That game CSU shot lights out in the first half scoring 52 first half points. In the second half the Buffs dominated nearly doubled them in scoring scoring 49 points to the Rams 25.</p>
<p>In the midst of this funk they lost to UTEP, Colorado, Northern Colorado, Long Beach State and Kansas State. Their only win was to a D2 opponent Arkansas Fort Smith in which they needed to pull away in the second half. They finished conference play by beating up on a really terrible D1 team USC-Upstate and another D2 team Regis University. The Rams annual non-conference schedules have been an eyesore in which I have noted in previous articles. It did nothing to prepare them for conference play.</p>
<h3>Conference Part 1:</h3>
<p>The first part of conference wasn't that bad. Losing a close game on the road to a very good Boise State team, followed by winning the next two in very dramatic fashion. Beating UNLV on a late free throw after blowing a first half lead was a great way to gain momentum. Followed by a head scratching win over San Jose State in which it took them overtime to do so. Granted this isn't the human punching bag San Jose State team of the past, but they are still pretty bad. They were just too inconsistent during the first half to gain any momentum. This season soon becomes a nightmare, the type you don't know if you're going to wake up from.</p>
<h3>The Beginning of the End:</h3>
<p>Tragedy struck right when the Rams were beginning the second half of conference. The team rallied and strung together a couple of wins. The momentum didn't last as the inconsistencies returned. Losing the next two games on the road. Which brings us to the events that took place recently. In the record books, it's going to say that Colorado State beat Boise State. However If you are smart, and not a homer you know that Boise State is the true winner. The shot was good, and the nation got an up close look as to why Mountain West officials are a complete joke. The fact that the conference the next morning backs the officials then, a day later backtracks shows how conference executives are a joke as well. This is probably the worst win that I've experienced as a fan, knowing that your team didn't outright win. The shot being waved off killed the spirits of Boise State and any team that has experienced that has always ended up losing.</p>
<h3>The Low Point:</h3>
<p>The ship has reached a new low. This past week was the worst of the worst. The Rams were swept by a Utah State team that can now say almost half of their conference wins are against Colorado State. The annual orange out game was upon us, a game that the Rams have won since they've begun celebrating the original days of Colorado A&M. The Rams had a chance to seek revenge on the the rivals up north on our home court against what's usually a capacity crowd. This is the part where the nightmare has reached its peak.</p>
<p>The exact opposite occurred, with the Rams being ran out of Moby Arena by their Border War counterpart. The Cowboys went up 15-0 and never looked back on their way to an 84-66 beat down. A game where the Rams out rebounded them by 15, had an offensive rebound advantage of 20 to 1, but they lost by almost 20. Josh Adams torching the Rams is a massive understatement. He obliterated them and showed the coaching staff what they missed out on by not recruiting him. Wyoming hit 17 three pointers and left Ram Country completely embarrassed at what took place. The Cowboys have won five straight against the Rams, and it looks like that will continue for the foreseeable future. Hey gotta let them have something since the Rams have been destroying them in Football for the past couple years.</p>
<h3>No Light at the End of the Tunnel: <br>
</h3>
<p>As the header says, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The glory days of the past few years are over. The reason this program became great was because it was built from the bottom by Tim Miles. Recruiting four year players and bringing in transfers who can plug holes that may have existed. Coach Eustachy is the opposite, he recruits a lot of transfers and/or 2 year rentals along with the occasional freshmen. In a conference like the Mountain West, foundations are built over four years look at Boise State, San Diego State, and Wyoming. These are programs that have players who have been there since right out of high school. It might be some time before the Rams get back to those days especially with the seniors they have graduating this season. This season has been an unfortunate nightmare, but some times nightmares are truly a reality.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2016/2/21/11086348/the-unfortunate-reality-colorado-states-nightmare-seasonTerrance Dickens2016-01-09T07:38:13-08:002016-01-09T07:38:13-08:00Colorado State Rallies to Beat UNLV 66-65
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/r0xVTedwQbTLFig-MBJpM-6CHBQ=/0x320:2139x1746/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48529981/usa-today-9041755.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jeremiah Paige scores 7 points with under a minute left, along with John Gillon's game winning free throw gives the Rams a one point win, despite being down 10 in second half. </p> <p>It was a competitive back and forth game in Fort Collins on Wednesday night. With both teams looking to get their first conference win they played with a sense of desperation. The Rams were coming off a game where they rallied but fell short against Boise State and the Rebels were upset at home by Fresno State. The teams played like it in the first half, shooting the ball and lots of offense. The Rams held a 33-29 edge at the break. Prentiss Nixon led all scorers with 11 points including 3-3 from three point range. Patrick McCaw led the Rebels with 6 points. The Rams went 7-13 from beyond the arc but the Rebels stayed in the game despite only going 2-11.</p>
<p>The second half was filled with fireworks. The Rams extended their lead to 37-29 when UNLV decided to take a timeout. The Rams for the next couple minutes keep the lead around seven but the Rebels's offense got hot. UNLV used a 14-0 run to take a 50-43 lead with 11 minutes left the game. The run extended to be a 19-2 run with the Rebels leading 55-45 with about 9 minutes left. UNLV kept the lead around 10 until the final TV timeout. The Rams began to chip away getting it down, with a dunk by Stephen Zimmerman gave the Rebels a 61-53 lead. John Gillon responded with a three to cut the lead to 61-56 with under four minutes to play. The lead stayed at five until Jeremiah (J.D) Paige scored 7 straight points to give the Rams a 65-63 lead including an and-one with 11 seconds left. After a Colorado State timeout McCaw quickly responded tying the game at 65 with seven seconds left. Gillon was fouled with one second left, and made 1/2 free throws to give the Rams a 66-65 win.</p>
<p>It's a big win and confidence booster for the Rams as they go on the Road to take on San Jose State. The Rebels played great, but collapsed down the stretch. They're staying on the front range as they take on Wyoming on Saturday afternoon.</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2016/1/9/10740160/colorado-state-rallies-to-beat-unlv-66-65Terrance Dickens2015-12-20T07:37:16-08:002015-12-20T07:37:16-08:00Colorado State Drops Neutral Game to Kansas State
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lb3N5LnLFZZrcYKDoeqMoF-x_lA=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48396881/usa-today-9005319.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Gary Rohman-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Colorado State loses 61-56 to Kansas State without leading scorer Gian Clavel</p> <p>Gian Clavel was declared out for the season earlier this week with a hand injury. He was the leading scorer for a Colorado State team that scores a ton of points. The place they will miss him the most in is on court leadership. The Rams dropped their second game in a row in a non conference tilt against Kansas State. They fought throughout the game, but the shooting throughout was not good. The Rams didn't score for the first five minutes, but Kansas State didn't score much either. By the time the Rams scored a basket it was only 4-3 in favor of Kansas State. The two teams fought back and forth throughout the rest of the first half with Kansas State going into the locker room with a 29-25 lead.</p>
<p>The second half began much like the first with the Rams having another scoring drought. Going 10 minutes without a basket, as Kansas State widened their lead. There were air balls, shot clock violations, and lots of missed threes. The Rams missed 12 threes in a 23 minute span. Despite the scoring drought, the Rams kept fighting until the end. They still managed to score 31 points in the second half. The defense of Kansas State frustrated them, not allowing them to get off clean shots. Emmanuel Omogbo led the Rams with 13 points and 14 rebounds. While the guards struggled to get things going from the field.</p>
<p>This is the first of a neutral and neutral series for the two teams. They will play again next season in Denver at the Pepsi Center. Colorado State hosts USC-Upstate next, while Kansas State hosts North Dakota</p>
https://www.mwcconnection.com/2015/12/20/10626992/colorado-state-drops-neutral-game-to-kansas-stateTerrance Dickens