On the Road Again: Rams head to San Diego

The rest and relaxation of a bye week should fit right in with

the sun and fun of a trip to California. The satisfaction will not

linger long, though, unless CSU evens out its conference record and

gets a win Saturday against San Diego State at Qualcomm

Stadium.

The Aztecs come into the game 2-3 (0-1 MWC) with their two wins

coming at home and their three losses on the road, including a

heartbreaking 24-21 loss to No. 13 Michigan.

“It has everything to do with staying alive in the Mountain West

Conference championship,” said CSU quarterback Justin Holland. “We

haven’t let that dream die. That’s what our goal still is, and it

is huge for us to go out and pick this one up.”

The Rams will be looking to get the running game started early

and often to loosen the defense up for Justin Holland. They will

also look to improve on third-down conversions, as they were unable

to convert on third down two weeks ago against Brigham Young.

“Basically we are going to try and run the football again,

that’s what Colorado State does,” said senior H-back Joel Dreessen.

“We got to work on our third-down efficiency. I think we were only

3-of-12 last week, and we have got to keep those chains

moving.”

That running game will be headed by junior running back Uldis

Juanarajs, who has rushed for 77 carries for 340 yards and three

touchdowns this year. Juanarajs had one of his best games against

BYU, running for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, and he

has had a week of rest and preparation coming into this game.

“I think, not just for myself, a lot of guys are banged up, and

bye weeks always help out,” Jaunarajs said.

The defense will also have to step up this week. The Aztecs are

led onto the field by junior quarterback Matt Dlugolecki, who has

thrown for 1,268 yards and six touchdowns but has also been picked

off seven times this season. Juniors Jeff Webb and Robert Ortiz

have been Dlugolecki’s main targets this year. Webb has 37 catches

for 434 yards and three touchdowns, while Ortiz has managed to pull

down 23 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns.

Holland has been leading the Rams offense, but with the loss of

starting tight end Matt Bartz and injuries and double teams

plaguing David Anderson, Holland will be looking for other

receivers to get open.

“(We are) definitely (working on) getting our tight ends more

involved,” Holland said. “Get the ball to Dreessen and the other

tight ends, teams are starting to double our wide receivers,

especially Dave (Anderson), so get the ball to the tight ends more

and continue working on running the ball.”

One major obstacle that looks to punish the Rams offense, and

has in the past, is senior All-American linebacker Kirk Morrison.

Morrison, the 2003 MWC Defensive Player of the Year, led the Aztecs

with 115 tackles last year, 70 of them coming unassisted.

With two similar offenses that rely on the aerial attack and

have struggled on the ground, the Rams realize the importance of

winning this evenly matched contest.

“It’s so important, especially at this point, our remaining

games, every single one of them, is a must win,” Dreessen said. “To

accomplish what this football team wants to accomplish this year,

and we are definitely taking that sort of mindset into this week’s

game.”