CSU Rams vs South Dakota State football: 4 things to know, key matchups and predictions

3 years ago 361

South Dakota State astatine Colorado State; 7 p.m. Friday, Canvas Stadium

TV/Radio: FSN/102.9 FM

Line: CSU -3, 51.5 over/under

Weather: 23% accidental of thunderstorms, 75 degrees

What to know

Jackrabbits are nary patsy. South Dakota State was the 2020-21 FCS nationalist runner-up and is ranked No. 3 successful the preseason FCS rankings. The Jackrabbits finished 8-2 past twelvemonth (5-1 Missouri Valley), losing to Sam Houston State (23-21) connected a precocious touchdown successful the rubric crippled connected May 27. Just astir everyone of enactment from that squad is back, with 10 starters returning connected each broadside of the ball, positive 2 specialists. One glaring exception: QB Mark Gronowski, who suffered an wounded successful the archetypal 4th of the nationalist rubric game, volition miss each of 2021.

McBride’s opening act. Rams elder Trey McBride, a 2020 All-American from Fort Morgan, is Todd McShay’s No. 1-ranked choky extremity connected his NFL Draft Big Board and the No. 27 wide prospect. McBride has 9 vocation touchdown receptions, 1 down Joel Dreesen for 2nd spot successful programme history. McBride is among 33 Rams who are seniors oregon beyond, including his older brother, Toby, a “super” elder antiaircraft lineman.

Rams vs. FCS. CSU is facing an FCS hostile for the 10th clip successful the past 11 years. The Rams, who are 2-0 all-time against SDSU (last gathering 1966), are 7-2 successful those games, but that includes an embarrassing location nonaccomplishment to Illinois State (35-19) conscionable 3 years ago. While the Jackrabbits are a coagulated FCS program, they are conscionable 1-9 against FBS teams. The Jackrabbits’ lone triumph came successful the 2015 play opener astatine Kansas, 41-38.

Searching for points. The Jackrabbits ranked No. 5 successful FCS scoring defence past season, allowing conscionable 15 points per game. They allowed 287.9 of full yardage per game. CSU’s discourtesy averaged conscionable 22.2 points successful 2020 and had a mediocre 46.0% red-zone touchdown ratio successful its 4 games — each against Mountain West competition. The Rams’ third-down speech complaint was conscionable 22%.

Key matchups

CSU D-line vs. Rabbits. The Rams instrumentality 2020 All-Mountain West first-team antiaircraft extremity Scott Patchan and each different subordinate of a antiaircraft beforehand that led the federation successful tackles for nonaccomplishment per crippled past season. An SDSU discourtesy that averaged 29.2 points successful 2020 (22nd successful FCS) with a 93.5% red-zone violative touchdown ratio should beryllium a sturdy trial up of adjacent week’s showdown with the SEC’s Vanderbilt Commodores.

Transfer QBs. Rams starting backmost Todd Centeio, a redshirt elder transportation from Temple, started CSU’s 2020 opener astatine Fresno State but suffered an wounded that constricted his playing clip successful the pursuing 3 games. He apt volition beryllium opposed by Jackrabbits postgraduate transportation Chris Oladokun, who antecedently played for South Florida and Samford.