Ansel Rimrock · Colorado State Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Thin air, thick defense. Hello, friends, I'm Ansel Rimrock. Most mornings you'll find me on a trail in the foothills west of town, and on fall Saturdays you'll find me with the Rams. I travel with this team and I live with this team, and every week I'll bring you the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines. I'm a calm guy, but don't mistake calm for quiet: I'm competitive right down to my trail shoes. I think football is just a long trail run with blocking. You pace yourself, you climb, you don't panic on the switchbacks, and you finish strong. Fort Collins on a fall Saturday is green and gold from the foothills to the stadium. Visiting teams breathe a little harder up here, and our kids love it. Ram tough, trail ready.
The School in 60 Seconds
The Colorado State Rams compete in the Pac-12. Our big rivalries are with Colorado, Wyoming and Air Force. We've played at Canvas Stadium since 2017; before that, the Rams spent 49 seasons, 1968 to 2016, at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium. CFBD lists Canvas at 36,500 seats. The last five seasons were a steep climb: 3-9, 3-9, 5-7, a nice 8-5 in 2024 and then 2-10 in 2025. Every trail has a hard stretch. We're climbing out of one.
The Coach and the Scheme
Jim Mora was hired on Nov. 26, 2025, and this is his first season. The offense can move: 445.3 yards a game (34th), 35.7 points (29th) and 274.7 passing yards (26th). And we take care of the ball. We've turned it over only 4 times and taken it away 12 times, good for a plus-8 margin, 6th in FBS. We play disciplined, 42.3 penalty yards a game (17th). Now the hard switchback, friends. The defense is allowing 530.3 yards a game, 274.3 rushing yards and 43.2 points, all 138th in FBS. I said thick defense. I'm still waiting for the thick part. It'll come.
Players to Know
QB K'saan Farrar: 89 of 144 for 931 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT. At Texas State he went 26 of 41 for 282 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
RB Brown: 431 yards on just 47 carries, 3 TD. That's more than nine yards a carry. Heads-up: ESPN lists him as Mel Brown and AP as Jayden Brown; I'm showing both.
WR Reginald "RJ" Vick Jr.: 24 catches, 367 yards, 4 TD. WR Jackson Harper: five catches for 91 yards at Texas State.
LB Oumar Diomande: team-high 54 tackles. DL Jack Moran: 1.5 sacks. CB CJ Blocker: 3 interceptions.
The Conference Picture
Colorado State is 2-4 and 0-2 in the Pac-12. The season started fast: Wyoming 35-13 in the rivalry, then Southern Utah 58-24. Then a tough climb: BYU 41-23, a 59-45 shootout at UTSA, Oregon State 56-26 and at Texas State 66-27. After San Diego State, we visit Utah State on Oct. 31. I don't do standings math on a trail. I just look at the next switchback.
Season so far, in trail terms: the first two miles were downhill and fast. Then came four straight climbs against BYU, UTSA, Oregon State and Texas State, and the legs got heavy. Every trail runner knows that feeling. You don't quit at mile four. You drink some water, shorten your stride and keep going.
The good news: beating Wyoming is never a small thing up here. And scoring 45 at UTSA shows how fast this offense can move.
This Week: San Diego State (3-4) at Colorado State (2-4)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 6:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. Mountain) · Canvas Stadium, Fort Collins · The CW.
Last week: we lost 66-27 at Texas State on Oct. 15. San Diego State beat Fresno State 26-23 on Oct. 17.
Our offense vs. their defense: San Diego State allows 449 yards a game (133rd) and 276.6 passing yards (131st). Farrar, Vick and Harper should find room up top.
Their offense vs. our defense: San Diego State averages 292.9 yards (133rd) and converts only 29.3% of third downs (135th). But it runs it, 144.4 yards a game, and Lucky Sutton ran for 110 last week. Our run defense has to win this climb.
Ball control: San Diego State's average time of possession is 24:47, 138th in FBS. We'll have the ball plenty.
Series: I couldn't find an all-time series record in a free source.
Availability: no injury or availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Our run defense against Kinnard and Sutton. (2) Farrar against a 131st-ranked pass defense. (3) Our plus-8 turnover habit.
To Kai Delgado-Sorensen, San Diego State's insider: holding your breath under a wave is one thing. Try running a mile at 5,000 feet. I'll lend you a water bottle.
Why I Love This Team
I love that this team keeps hold of the football. I love that Brown averages more than nine yards a carry. I love that this is a first-year staff building something. And I love Fort Collins in late October, when the foothills turn and the stadium fills up. Ram tough, trail ready.
My call: San Diego State Aztecs 32, Colorado State Rams 31.