Rams' Fairchild's comfort grows with familiarity
By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 26, 2008 at 11:55 p.m.
Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild went into preseason practice trying to figure out what kind of team he had.
The new Rams coach has a better idea now, five days before CSU opens the season Sunday against arch rival Colorado at Invesco Field at Mile High (5:30 p.m., FSN).
"We have an experienced line with a premier tight end (Kory Sperry) and two good backs (Gartrell Johnson and Kyle Bell)," Fairchild said. "We are a team that ought to be able to run the ball.
"We are a team that is talented and young at wide receiver. We're going to grow there along with our quarterback (Billy Farris)."
On defense, the Rams are young at cornerback, where four freshmen, two sophomores and one junior are listed on the depth chart.
"We're a team that has experienced safeties (Klint Kubiak and Mike Pagnotta), but we're inexperienced at cornerback," Fairchild said. "We have a little more depth in the defensive line than I anticipated and I know (defensive coordinator) Larry (Kerr) is pleased going to almost five linebackers and maybe a sixth."
With his improved knowledge of his players, Fairchild is more comfortable making a game plan.
"We have a feel who our top players are," Fairchild said. "Do I completely know? No. I just have a much better feel, and that allows us to game plan with a little more certainty."
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