Friday, November 08, 2019

2019 Ram Recap - Week 7 - Little Wolf Pups

As discussed last week, the Rams' last victory against an FBS team was against the University of New Mexico Lobos in October of 2018. After this past weekend, we can now say that the Rams' last victory over an FBS team was against the University of New Mexico Lobos in October of 2019. Thank you, Lobos, for giving me something positive to write about each of these seasons. In fact, we should thank the Lobos for a historically bad run against our Rams. With Saturday's victory, CSU has won the last ten (TEN!) meetings between the two teams. Regardless of how far the programs have fallen, that is an impressive stat. 


The Positives:

  • The return of Warren Jackson was good for the Rams, good for Patrick O'Brien, and good for a win. Jackson tallied nine receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns in his first game back from injury. He was, without a doubt, the best player on the field and the New Mexico secondary could not stop the 6'-6" receiver from California. On plays that Jackson was not catching the ball, he was drawing defensive pass interference calls. Jackson's talent has always been there and this year he has been able to showcase it regularly. 
  • Patrick O'Brien looked vastly improved over the previous weeks. Whether it was the return of Jackson to the lineup or the quality of defense lining up across from him, O'Brien had his best game of his collegiate career. His pocket presence looked better - he made good decisions, had some really pretty and accurate throws, and [MOST IMPORTANTLY] did not turn the ball over. 
  • True freshman pre-med student and lightning-bolt-in-human-form Dante Wright had yet another solid game, accumulating over 100 yards receiving. Wright continues to be a steady offensive threat for this offense. And he is a true freshman. Who wants to go to med school. 
  • For the first time all season, the Rams improved as the game progressed. After a shaky first quarter, the coaching staff made quality adjustments that resulted in a win. 
  • I correctly predicted this game as a Rams victory. 

The Negatives:

  • The first quarter was not good. After a opening drive that resulted in a touchdown, the Rams offense reverted to what we have witnessed the last few weeks. Punts and fumbles. Funts and pumbles. 
  • Marvin Kinsey is explosive. He is strong. He runs with a purpose. He always runs leaning forward. He cannot hold onto the ball to save his life. He leads the nation in fumbles lost. Bobo has to gamble every week if the productive plays are worth the risk of turning the ball over. 
  • Bryson Carroll ran roughshod over the Rams defense, carrying for nearly 200 yards. In the first quarter, Carroll exploded around the corner and ran into the end zone. Fortunately for the Rams, Carroll celebrated early and dropped the ball at the 2 yard line. Unfortunately for the Rams, they did not fall on the ball and the Lobos retained possession and scored on the next play. A little awareness of the situation would have turned the tide for the Rams early in the game.
  • We should not dwell on the negative. The Rams won a damn game. 

Up Next - Weeks 8 and 9 

The Rams will carry the momentum of victory into a bye week. Sweet. After a weekend off, the Rams head to California for a matchup with defending MWC champion Fresno State. The Bulldogs have endured a Jekyll and Hyde type season - losing their two opening games against USC (good team) and Minnesota (currently undefeated and ranked #20) before beating Sacramento State (Stingers out) and New Mexico State (bad team). They followed those wins by getting thumped by Air Force. I have no idea what CSU can do against Fresno on the road. Turnovers will probably dictate the outcome, so Kinsey and company better hold onto the pig.

If my limited recap of the Ram game did not fully satiate your weekly Ram hunger, take a look at this series of tweets and read the article in the last tweet below. As always, #FearTheMu11et.

WeekOpponentPredictionResultFlick's Picks
1Colorado (Denver)LCU 52 - CSU 311 - 0
2Western IllinoisWCSU 38 - WIU 132 - 0
3at ArkansasLUA 55 - CSU 343 - 0
4ToledoWUT 41 - CSU 353 - 1
5at Utah StateLUSU 34 - CSU 244 - 1
6San Diego StateLSDSU 24 - CSU 105 - 1
7at New MexicoWCSU 35 - UNM 216 - 1
8BYE--
9at Fresno StateL
10UNLVW
11BYE--
12Air ForceW
13at WyomingW
14Boise StateL


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