What went wrong in CSU’s disastrous loss to FCS South Dakota State: “You should be sick to your stomach if you’re a competitor”

FORT COLLINS — More than 32,000 rain-soaked Colorado State fans arrived earlier kickoff Friday nighttime to supply an electrical assemblage shot ambiance wrong Canvas Stadium.

The enactment became a full bust.

In the 2nd fractional of CSU’s play opener, trailing by double-digits to FCS South Dakota State, the bulk of seats were empty. That partition of pregame noise? Replaced by awkward silence. It didn’t interruption until a increasing chant roseate up from the visitors’ section: “Let’s spell Rabbits!”

So overmuch for raised expectations successful manager Steve Addazio’s archetypal afloat season. His postgame remarks aft the 42-23 loss featured a communal refrain: Unacceptable.

Let america number the ways.

— CSU entered the crippled with a antiaircraft beforehand 7 Addazio touted successful autumn campy arsenic champion successful the Mountain West. That aforesaid portion gave up 7.1 yards per transportation to an FCS team.

— Predictably, the Rams’ secondary was arsenic ineffective arsenic SDSU recorded 5 completions of 20-plus yards.

— SDSU moved the chains connected 2 agelong third-down conversions (15 and 17 yards). Both drives ended with points.

— Quarterback Todd Centeio was coagulated — 29 of 42, 304 yds, 1 TD — but helium overthrew a sure-touchdown to wide receiver Dante Wright aboriginal and fumbled a midfield handoff speech late.

“You should beryllium sick to your tummy if you’re a competitor,” Addazio said.

The symptom was disposable connected the faces of choky extremity Trey McBride and antiaircraft lineman Scott Patchan.

CSU’s elder squad captains were morganatic NFL draught prospects past outpouring who alternatively returned to Fort Collins. Both players person discussed league rubric aspirations. Are they inactive wrong grasp?

McBride, staring intently from the postgame interrogation room, did not hesitate to answer.

“I inactive judge that. I afloat do,” McBride said. “I’m assured successful this squad and I’m assured successful the players we have. One crippled isn’t going to alteration the full season. I’m fired up astir this team. There are a batch of affirmative things that happened successful this game. We’ve conscionable got to play unneurotic more.”

Patchan added: “It starts with us. We’ve got to spell up and pb this team.”

Blame the pandemic for a stock of CSU’s misery a twelvemonth ago, erstwhile the Rams finished 1-3 with respective crippled cancellations. It’s much hard to pinpoint legit excuses for what happened Friday night. Did the Rams play a genuinely exceptional FCS squad that mightiness contend successful the Mountain West? Or is CSU falling deeper into assemblage shot irrelevancy?

The Big 12 reportedly snubbed CSU successful its latest circular of league expansion. However, hours earlier kickoff against SDSU, diversion manager Joe Parker expressed assurance successful a Power Five future.

“Step fig 1 is figuring retired a mode to predominate this league,” Parker said. “Then instrumentality opportunities that mightiness contiguous themselves arsenic we determination down the road.”

Friday’s debacle proves the Rams are not presently morganatic enlargement partners for immoderate large conference. CSU has 11 much games this play to assistance redefine its spot successful assemblage football. The Rams are climbing uphill.

“One crippled doesn’t marque a season,” Addazio said. “I inactive consciousness similar we person an accidental to person a heck of a shot team.”