15 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS | 14 BOWL GAME APPEARANCES | 45 WEEKS IN THE POLLS SINCE 1994 | 23 ALL-AMERICANS 245 FIRST-TEAM ALL-conference selections | 3 colleGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME SELECTIONS | 1 JIM THORPE AWARD WINNER 2015 SCHEDULE Colorado State CSU vs. Minnesota Minnesota At A Glance Saturday, Sept. 5 • Fort Collins, Colo. RAMS GOLDEN SAVANNAH STATE 1-0 (0-0 MW) W, 65-13 Date: Saturday, Sept. 12 GOPHERS Time: 1:30 p.m. MT 0-1 (0-0 B1G) Saturday, Sept. 12 • 1:30 p.m. MT TV: CBS Sports Network MINNESOTA Radio: ESPN 105.5 Fort Collins, Colo. • CBS Sports Location: Fort Collins, Colo. Saturday, Sept. 19 • 5 p.m. MT Venue: Sonny Lubick Field vs. COLORADO at Hughes Stadium Denver, Colo. • CBS Sports Surface: FieldTurf Saturday, Sept. 26 • 5 p.m. MT Capacity: 32,500 at UTSA Series: 2-0, Minnesota San Antonio, Texas • CBS Sports Saturday, Oct. 3 • TBA A victory Saturday would… at UTAH STATE Logan, Utah • ESPN Networks Extend CSU’s school-record home win streak to 10 games. The Rams haven’t lost at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium since the 2013 Saturday, Oct. 10 • 5 p.m. MT season. BOISE STATE Fort Collins, Colo. • CBS Sports Improve CSU’s record to 2-0, the first time since 2011 that the Rams would begin a season with consecutive victories. Saturday, Oct. 24 • 1:30 p.m. MT Make head coach Mike Bobo the third coach in CSU history to begin AIR FORCE Fort Collins, Colo. • CBS Sports his career 2-0. Julius “Hans” Wagner did it in 1942 and Bob Davis accomplished the feat in 1947. Saturday, Oct. 31 • 1:30 p.m. MT Give the Rams a win over a Power-5 school for the fourth consecu- SAN DIEGO STATE Fort Collins, Colo. • CBS Sports tive season, a streak which would rank second nationally. Be CSU’s first non-conference victory over a current member of a Saturday, Nov. 7 • TBA at WYOMING Power-5 conference at Hughes Stadium since defeating Louisville in Laramie, Wyo. • ESPN Networks 2002. Saturday, Nov. 14 • 5 p.m. MT Be the Rams’ first win over Minnesota. The Golden Gophers won the UNLV first two matchups in the series, in 2004 and 2005. Fort Collins, Colo. • ROOT Sports Saturday, Nov. 21 • 3:30 p.m. MT at NEW MEXICO Albuquerque, N.M. • ROOT Sports Saturday, Nov. 28 • 7 p.m. MT at FRESNO STATE Fresno, Calif. • CBS Sports Saturday, Dec. 5 • TBA MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday will mark the first time since 2007 that a member TBD of a Power-5 conference has visited Hughes Stadium. www.CSURams.com • Twitter: @CSUFootball • Instagram: @CSURamsFB • Phone: 970/491-5067 • Fax: 970/491-1348 • Tickets: 1-800-491-RAMS PREVIEWING THE teams 2 COLORADO STATE FootBALL FOLLOW THE GAME THE TEAMS AT A GLANCE TV (CBS Sports Network) Ben Holden ............................................... Play-By-Play COLORADO STate Minnesota Jay Feely ................................................. Color Analyst Rams Golden Gophers John Schriffen .................................................. Sideline Radio (Colorado State Sports Network) Flagship: KJAC 105.5 ESPN KRFD 100.1 FM/KJME 890 AM/KKVT 100.7 FM/ Sirius 135/XM 195 • Under first-year head coach Mike Bobo, formerly the • Led by Jerry Kill, who is in his fifth season with the Gary Miller ................................................. Play-By-Play offensive coordinator at Georgia. Golden Gophers (25-27). Brian Roth ................................................ Color Analyst • Return 17 starters from last year’s 10-win team (7 on • Return 15 starters from 2014, including seven on the Kevin McGlue ................................................... Sideline offense, 8 on defense, 2 on special teams). defensive side of the ball. • Looking for third consecutive bowl game berth. • QB Mitch Leidner has started 17 career games, pass- • Picked to finish third in the Mountain West’s Moun- ing for 15 touchdowns and rushing for 17, third-most FOLLOW THE RAMS tain Division. in school history. Twitter • Highlighted by consensus All-America wide receiver • Five Gophers were named to preseason watch lists: @CSUFootball @CSURamsGameday Rashard Higgins, who led the NCAA FBS for yards Peter Mortell (Ray Guy, Wuerffel), De’Vondre Camp- @CoachBobo_CSU @CSUAthletics (1,750) and touchdowns (17) in 2014 and was one of bell (Butkus), Rodrick Williams (Earl Campbell Tyler Instagram three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award. Rose), Briean Boddy-Calhoun (Bronko Nagurski, @CSURamsFB @CSUAthletics • As a team, return 83 percent of its receiving yardage Chuck Bednarik) and Eric Murray (Bronco Nagurski, Facebook from 2014. The team’s pass catchers lead the NCAA Chuck Bednarik). Facebook.com/CSURamsFootball FBS with more than 6,400 career yards combined. • Began the season receiving 25 votes in the USA • Began the season 1-0 for the fourth time in the past Today Coaches Poll. five seasons. • Lost to No. 2/2 TCU, 23-17, in the season opener. TEAM COMPARISON • In the season opener, scored the fifth-most points Minnesota rushed for 144 yards and passed for 197. CSU UM in school history and won by 52 points, the largest • Went 8-5 in 2014, appearing in the school’s third Rushing Offense ......................... 217.0 .................144.0 margin of victory since 1997. consecutive bowl game. Passing Offense ..........................381.0 ................. 197.0 • In 2014, Minnesota rushed 599 times for 2,801 yards Total Offense ............................. 598.0 .................341.0 and 32 touchdowns. Scoring Offense ...........................65.0 ....................17.0 Rushing Defense ......................... 83.0 ............... 203.0 Pass Efficiency Defense ...........71.30 ...............114.20 Colorado State leaders minnesota leaders Total Defense ..............................183.0 ................449.0 Category Player Total Category Player Total Scoring Defense ........................... 13.0 ..................23.0 Touchdowns 9 players 1 Touchdowns KJ Maye 1 Net Punting .......................................... - ................43.57 Passing Yards Nick Stevens 289 Rodney Smith 1 Punt Returns ............................... 12.00 ..................0.00 Passing TDs Nick Stevens 5 Passing Yards Mitch Leidner 197 Kickoff Returns .........................100.00 ............... 20.00 Rushing Yards Jasen Oden, Jr. 74 Passing TDs Mitch Leidner 1 Turnover Margin ........................... -3.0 .....................0.0 Receptions Rashard Higgins 7 Rushing Yards Rodney Smith 88 Passing Efficiency .................... 213.34 ...............110.99 Receiving Yards Rashard Higgins 84 Receptions Eric Carter 4 Sacks ................................................. 7.0 ......................1.0 Total Offense Rashard Higgins 84 KJ Maye 4 Tackles For Loss ...........................16.0 .................... 6.0 Tackles Josh Watson 9 Receiving Yards KJ Maye 73 Sacks Allowed .................................2.0 .....................2.0 Interceptions DeAndre Elliott 1 Total Offense Rodney Smith 88 Forced Fumbles Joe Kawulok 1 Tackles Damarius Travis 10 NCAA RANK COMPARISON Fumble Recoveries Kevin Davis 1 Interceptions Eric Murray 1 Sacks Martavius Foster 3.0 Forced Fumbles N/A 0 CSU UM Tackles for Loss Martavius Foster 3.0 Fumble Recoveries N/A 0 Total Offense .....................................15 .......................91 Josh Watson 3.0 Sacks Hendrick Ekpe 0.5 Rushing Offense .............................42 ......................84 Punt Return Avg. Deionte Gaines 26.0 Robert Ndondo-Lay 0.5 Passing Offense ...............................10 .......................81 Kick Return Avg. Jordon Vaden 100.0 Tackles for Loss Theiren Cockran 2.0 Team Passing Efficiency ................13 ..................... 96 Punt Return Avg. N/A 0.0 Scoring Offense ................................6 ...................T-91 Kick Return Avg. Jalen Myrick 20.0 Total Defense ...................................14 ..................... 92 Rushing Defense ............................33 ..................T-95 Passing Yards Allowed ................ T-11 ......................79 Team Passing Efficiency Defense ...12 ..................... 55 SERIES history: Colorado State vs. minnesota Scoring Defense .......................... T-31 .................. T-67 Turnover Margin ..........................T-111 ..................T-52 Sept. 18, 2014 1 2 3 4 F Sept. 10, 2005 1 2 3 4 F 3rd Down Conversion Pct. .............6 ....................100 #22 Minnesota 14 10 7 3 34 Colorado State 0 10 0 14 24 4th Down Conversion Pct. .......T-69 ...................T-51 Colorado State 3 7 6 0 16 Minnesota 3 19 20 14 56 3rd Down Conversion Pct. Defense ...16 ..................T-63 4th Down Conversion Pct. Defense ...89 ......................T-1 Colorado State welcomed the largest home-opening game Laurence Maroney ran 26 times for 133 yards and two touch- Red Zone Offense ..........................63 ................ T-108 crowd in school history for the first game in the expanded downs, leading Minnesota to a 56-24 victory over Colorado Red Zone Defense ......................T-61 ..................T-28 and renovated Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium. With State. Maintaining his position as a darkhorse Heisman Punt Returns .....................................31 ...................T-19 the first phase of the project in place - the addition of 4,800 Trophy contender, Maroney gave the Gophers room to Kickoff Returns ................................T-1 ..................T-84 permanent seats in the north end zone, two new score- breathe by scoring on runs of 2 and 32 yards in the second First Downs Offense .....................T-5 ..................T-89 boards and a video board,