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CSU's 'one-game season' begins against Lobos

A win by Rams means game versus Wyoming has bowl implications

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 14, 2008 at 3:04 p.m.

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CSU wide receiver Dion Morton and the Rams will take on the New Mexico Lobos at noon today at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins.

Photo by David Zalubowski / Associated Press

CSU wide receiver Dion Morton and the Rams will take on the New Mexico Lobos at noon today at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins.

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Although head coach Steve Fairchild prefers to look at the bigger picture, Colorado State has plenty at stake in the final two games of this season.

CSU (4-6 overall) plays New Mexico (4-7) at Hughes Stadium in its home finale, and the Rams need to win today against the Lobos and Nov. 22 against Wyoming in Laramie to become bowl eligible.

"I'm not mentioning it, because it's the same reason I didn't set a number of wins or anything as a goal this year," Fairchild said. "My main concern is, every time we go out to practice, we get a little better and just keep pressing on."

CSU is one of two teams that has an opportunity to win six games and possibly get into one of the Mountain West Conference's four guaranteed bowl games, but probably only if Utah gets invited to a Bowl Championship Series matchup, because the conference already has four teams with eight wins or more.

With its 22-14 win against Wyoming on Thursday night, Nevada-Las Vegas kept its bowl hopes alive and ended Wyoming's postseason bid.

The Rams are in a position to make a lot happen in what boils down to a two- game season.

"I try not to think of this as a two- game season," defensive coordinator Larry Kerr said. "I try to look at it as a one-game season, because then we get the second game. It's human nature to think, 'What if? What if?' but there's not 'what ifs' about this game.

"We have to focus on New Mexico. I look at it as a one-game season and getting to the next game."

Greg Peterson, the Rams offensive coordinator, also is focused on the Lobos.

"We thought we had an opportunity a week ago to really take advantage of having three ballgames left, having a game against Air Force that we would have liked to have won," Peterson said.

"If we win (today), we have the potential to try it again and maybe get into some postseason play."

The players know what is at stake.

"Absolutely, you've got to put it in front of them," Peterson said. "We started Saturday in the locker room after the game. They need to realize how much they have to play for and what is left. If we can find a way to beat New Mexico and be successful against Wyoming, we'll see if we can get in a bowl game, and that won't be at all bad."

The Rams won their last two games in 2007 to finish 3-9, but there is more up for grabs this November.

"The last couple years, we've been struggling towards the end of the season, it's been kind of hard to get motivated during practice," senior nose guard Matt Rupp said. "We always went out and played hard in the games. But now we are in a position to go on after the regular season and go into the postseason. You can see it in a lot of guys. Everybody is working hard to get those next two wins.

"The window of opportunity is shrinking and we only have two games left, and we really want that third game."