A Stern Test Awaits Colorado State on Saturday

By Joe Morrone | Sep 26, 2014

Sep 13, 2014; Fort Collins, CO, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Jim McElwain on his sidelines in the third quarter against the UC Davis Aggies at Hughes Stadium. The Rams defeated the Aggies 49-21. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado State Rams are off to a solid start in the 2014 season winning two of their first three, including an opening night win over the Colorado Buffaloes. The Rams are definitely headed in the right direction under Head Coach, Jim McElwain but they are seeking a statement win. A program changing win, and they will get another chance on Saturday.

The Rams will be in Boston to take on the Boston College Eagles, and a win on Saturday would be huge for McElwain and his program.

The Eagles don’t immediately jump to mind when people think of college football but they are a solid football team with a lot of talent. Just two weeks ago, the Eagles upset a USC team that many expected to contend for a National Championship.

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If the Rams are going to pull the upset, then they will have to stop a running game that is ranked third in the country. That’s a challenge for a young defense that really struggled with the Boise State running game just two weeks ago. The Rams will have to be better at the point of attack and their linebackers must be extremely active.

The Eagles are led by quarterback, Tyler Murphy who is a dual threat and is averaging 125 yards on the ground by himself. They like to spread defenses out and then beat them with their speed, something Boise State did with shocking ease to the Rams a couple of weeks ago.

If the Rams can contain the running game, then they have a shot to get off the field. Unlike Boise State, the Eagles struggle to throw the ball and are looking for more consistency in that area. The defense for the Rams must force the Eagles to throw if they are going to win this football game.

Offensively, the Rams should be able to move the ball as they have through the first three weeks. They need to try and help their suspect defense by running the football with Dee Hart. If they can do that, then quarterback Garrett Grayson should be able to make some plays downfield.

This game is bigger than a bunch of X’s and O’s though, it’s about a young program looking to take that next step. With all due respect to the Buffaloes, the Rams are a better team and they were supposed to win that game.

There are some who will point to the bowl win over Washington State as a program changing win, but bowl games are funny. They are really one game seasons and it’s so hard to make any long-term conclusions based off of those.

The Rams need a win over a good football team in the midst of a regular season to really establish themselves as an up and coming program. It’s not only about this season, a win on Saturday helps recruiting and is something McElwain can build on going forward.

There’s little doubt that it’s going to be extremely tough for the Rams to go into Chestnut Hill and win, but if they play well then there’s no reason why they can’t be in the game well into the fourth quarter.

McElwain has done a masterful job in rebuilding the Rams from a joke back to respectability, but now comes the next step and that step must include a signature win. A victory over Boston College on the road would be exactly that.

If you would like to check out the game, it can been seen locally on Root Sports at 10:30 on Saturday morning.