CSU Looks to Bounce Back Against Vanderbilt

By Ruby Kayser

After a disappointing loss to South Dakota State in week one, Trey McBride believes that the Rams will bounce back and capture a win against Vanderbilt this Saturday.

“I'm confident in this team. I’m confident in the players we have,” McBride said in the post game interview last Friday. “One game isn’t going to change the whole season, I’m fired up about this team.”

CSU started their season 0-1 last week with a 23-42 loss to South Dakota State. In 2020 the Rams were robbed of a full game schedule due to the pandemic restrictions. They picked up one win, three losses, and a forfeit. A disappointing season to say the least. However some hope still remained with the rivalry win against Wyoming, which resulted in the possession of the Bronze Boot for the first time since 2016. The Rams return some key players from the 2020 season, including Todd Centieo who split time at Quarterback with Patrick Obrien. With the transfer of Obrien, Centieo is the best man for the starting QB spot. Centieo is a dual threat with the ability to run and throw the ball successfully. Junior wide receiver, Dante Wright returns on offense. Wright was Second Team All Mountain West in the 2020 season and will likely build on that honor. CSU star Trey McBride returns for another season and will undoubtedly make a huge impact.

McBride is believed to be a future NFL star and one of the best tight ends in the country, he was named the #1 Tight End Overall in Todd Mcshay’s 2022 NFL Draft Rankings. As a high level blocker he creates holes for ball carriers to run through. He takes blocking seriously, which is unique to most tight ends who are mainly focused on receiving. Don’t confuse his blocking ability for a lack of receiving ability, McBride is also an excellent receiver with a low error percentage. He hasn't had more than one drop in a season and zero total fumbles throughout his career. This reliability is what makes him elite. For such a standout player, he is surprisingly humble.

When asked if he thinks he should get the ball more, McBride responded, “I’m a team guy and for whatever we can do to get the ball down the field more.”

Vanderbilt is at the very bottom of the SEC. In 2020 the Commodores went 0-9. Historically the program has only had four winning seasons since 1959, most recently in 2008. They picked Vanderbilt football alumni Clark Lea as the new head coach. Lea was extremely successful at Notre Dame as the Defensive Coordinator. He saw ten bowl games and two College Football Playoff appearances. He is challenged with completely turning around Vanderbilt football and finding some success. The 2020 season was beneficial in giving some younger players experience on the field. Quarterback Ken Seals returns for the Commodores. He is the safe bet for the starting position over Mike Wright who is a very impressive play maker and will definitely see the field at some point this season as well. Elijah Mcallister will be leading the charge for the Commodores as the star returning edge defender. He offers the secondary protection that Van

dy just needs.

The game will be a good matchup and honestly could go either way. Both teams lost to lower level FCS teams in week one and are looking for redemption. The Rams have the advantage of McBride on their side, who had 13 catches and 116 yards against SDSU last week. Centieo is a good throwing quarterback and Vandy has proven to be very weak against th

e pass. The Rams are in a good spot to win this game, but winning is like a foreign language to this team.

McBride, Patchan, and Kamara pictured in the huddle.

Picture by: Matt Silalahi