SPRING GUIDE 1 COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL March 19, 2014 | Contact: Paul Kirk, Director of Media Relations | 970/491-4672 | [email protected] | @PaulKirk_CSU Stuart Buchanan, Media Relations Assistant | 970/988-6304 | [email protected] Colorado State begins its 2014 Spring Football practice period on Tuesday, March 25, with the fi rst practice set for 3:15 p.m. All practices will take place at the Rams’ 2014 SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE on-campus practice fi elds, located just south of the McGraw Athletic Center complex, Head Coach Jim McElwain is available to media after each practice. with the exception of several scrimmages at Hughes Stadium, one practice at Dick’s Times/dates subject to change with little/no notice...please confi rm Sporting Goods Park and the annual Spring Game on April 19. with media relations offi ce in advance. Per NCAA rules, Colorado State may conduct 15 practice sessions in the spring period. Tuesday, March 25: 3:15-5:30 p.m. (player availability from designated player list) BACK AT IT: Colorado State returns 46 letterwinners from its 2013 squad, including 11 starters -- fi ve on offense, six on defense. Two special teams “starters” also return, Thursday, March 27: 3:15-5:30 p.m. with fi rst-team All-Mountain West kicker Jared Roberts and punter Hayden Hunt back (Co-Defensive Coordinator Al Simmons available to media) in 2014. Friday, March 28: 3:15-5:30 p.m. RETURNING AWARD WINNERS: Four Rams who earned All-Mountain West (Offensive Coordinator/QBs Dave Baldwin available to media) recognition last season return in 2014 and look to begin a tradition of winning bowl games at Colorado State. Here is a look at those four honorees: Saturday, March 29: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Special Teams Coordinator/RBs Jeff Hammerschmidt available to media) • K Jared Roberts (Sr.) - First-team All-MW; second-team Phil Steele All-MW Tuesday, April 1: 3:15-5:30 p.m. • OL Ty Sambrailo (Sr.) - Second-team All-MW; third-team Phil Steele All-MW (player availability from designated player list) • LB Max Morgan (Sr.) - Honorable ment. All-MW; third-team Phil Steele All-MW • TE Kivon Cartwright (Sr.) - Honorable ment. All-MW; third-team Phil Steele All-MW Thursday, April 3: 3:15-5:30 p.m. (Co-Defensive Coordinator/LBs Marty English available to media) RETURNING PRODUCTIVITY: Despite the loss of Walter Camp All-America running back Kapri Bibbs, who declared for entry into the NFL Draft after his 1,741- Saturday, April 5: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. yard sophomore season, the Rams return a great deal of their offensive and defensive (Assistant Head Coach/LBs Tim Skipper available to media) production in 2014. CSU brings back 100% of its passing, 73.6% of its receiving, 77.6% of its tackles and 80% of its interceptions. Sunday, April 6: SCRIMMAGE at Hughes Stadium (Closed) Leading the charge is senior quarterback Garrett Grayson, who is the top returning passer in the Mountain West after throwing for a CSU-record 3,696 yards in 2013. Tuesday, April 8: 3:15-5:30 p.m. Three of the Rams’ top four pass-catchers also return in 2014: Rashard Higgins (837 (player availability from designated player list) yards), Joe Hansley (613) and honorable mention All-Mountain West tight end Kivon Cartwright (462). Thursday, April 10: 3:15-5:30 p.m. (TE coach Art Valero & OL coach Derek Frazier available to media) The running game is in good hands with the return of two-year letterwinner Donnell Al- Saturday, April 12: 11:30-1:30 p.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park exander. A junior who has played in 20 games for the Rams, Alexander rushed for 428 (player availability from designated player list) yards and two touchdowns in 2013. Ultimately, the Rams return 23.5% of the team’s 2013 rushing yards. CSU also returns second-team All-MW left tackle Ty Sambrailo to Tuesday, April 15: 3:15-5:30 p.m. fortify the offensive front. (McElwain only) Defensively, CSU brings back its top two leading tacklers from 2013 in All-MW honor- Thursday, April 17: 3:15-5:30 p.m. able mention Max Morgan and fellow linebacker Aaron Davis. The Rams’ defense also (WR coach Alvis Whitted & DL coach Greg Lupfer available to media) returns players who produced 54.9% of its tackles for loss, 51.6% of its sacks and 77.8% of its forced fumbles. Friday, April 18: 3:15-5:30 p.m. (player availability from designated player list) CSU returns two-thirds of its special teams unit in All-Mountain West kicker Jared Roberts and punter Hayden Hunt. In 2013, Roberts converted 21-of-24 fi eld goals and Saturday, April 19: 11 a.m. - Spring Game at Hughes Stadium was a perfect 58-for-58 on point after attempts. (player availability from designated player list) RAM U: Implemented upon Head Coach Jim McElwain’s arrival in the winter of 2012, Ram U is the second phase of CSU’s offseason strength and conditioning program, LIMITED IN SPRING concluding just before spring break. Several Rams had postseason medical procedures which could im- pact the amount and scope of their participation during Spring Ball. Over a fi ve-week period, Rams players gathered four days per week, fi rst for a one- hour morning weight-lifting session, with the offense and defense alternating between DL Austin Berk LB SteveO Michel 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. lifts. DB Bernard Blake LB Max Morgan OL Zack Golditch OL Ty Sambrailo The unique feature of the regimen is the one-hour afternoon set of drills that alternate DL Josh Lovingood by day between linear motion and change-of-direction. Players move quickly as a group from station to station, with each drill designed around a specifi c purpose that translates to the game. SPRING GUIDE 2 COLORADO STATE FOOTBALL WHAT’S RETURNING: CSU 2013 Quick Facts Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 46/20 (Returning - 16 offense, 28 defense, 2 specialists) Colorado State University Total Starters Returning/Lost: 13/12 (Returning - 5 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialists) Location ...................................Fort Collins, Colo. 80523 **more on page 4 Enrollment ...........................................................26,769 Nickname ...............................................................Rams POSITION CHANGES: During spring camp, the Rams coaching staff will experiment with fi ve Colors .............................................Forest Green & Gold players at new positions. Stadium ............ Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium Blake Jones -- from TE to OL Davon Riddick -- from RB to CB Capacity ...............................................................32,500 Jasen Oden -- from DB to RB Willie Udofi a -- from WR to S Conference .............................................Mountain West Nolan Peralta -- from LB to TE President ....................................... Dr. Anthony A. Frank Director of Athletics ...................................Jack Graham Head Coach ..............................................Jim McElwain CAREER RECORD WATCH: Career Record ....................................12-14 (3rd year) Senior linebacker Aaron Davis Offi ce Phone ............................................ 970/491-6131 • 90 total tackles to enter CSU’s career top 10 Offensive Formation .......................................... Multiple Senior quarterback Garrett Grayson Defensive Formation ..........................................Multiple • 1,959 passing yards in 2014 to become the school’s all-time leading passer 2013 Record/MW ...................................8-6/5-3 (T-5th) • 159 completions to register most career completions in CSU history 2013 Total Lettermen.................................................. 63 • 20 more passing TDs will give Grayson the most all-time by a CSU QB Lettermen Returning/Lost in 2014 ........................46/20 • 3,066 total yards of offense in 2014 will give Grayson the most career total offensive yards in Starters Returning (O/D) in 2014 ...................... 11 (5/6) CSU history 2013 Starters Lost (O/D) .....................................5 (6/5) Junior linebacker Cory James • Needs to record 1.5 sacks to enter CSU’s career top 10 Athletic Media Relations Senior linebacker Max Morgan Director/Football Contact ..................................Paul Kirk Offi ce phone ............................................ 970/491-4672 • 74 total tackles to enter CSU’s career top 10 E-mail [email protected] Senior kicker Jared Roberts Secondary Contact ...............................Stuart Buchanan • 22 fi eld goals to set the CSU career mark for fi eld goals in a career Cell phone ................................................970/988-6304 • 99 points in 2014 to pass Jeff Babcock on CSU’s career scoring list for a kicker Email [email protected] FAX .......................................................... 970/491-1348 FRESHMEN IN 2013: Last season, Head Coach Jim McElwain called upon seven true Press Box Phone ........................... 970/491-8100, 8111 freshmen to help guide the Rams to their fi rst bowl appearance since 2008. Those seven freshmen Web site ..................................................CSURams.com combined to make 19 starts --14 by WR Rashard Higgins -- and appeared in 71 games. Defensively Twitter ...................................................... @CSUFootball and on special teams, those seven newcomers tallied 78 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss. Offen- sively, Higgins led the team with 68 receptions for 837 yards and six touchdowns. RB Eric Williams, General Information a walk-on from Rock Canyon in Castle Rock, Colo., carried the ball fi ve times, but made his biggest