Colorado State will try to pull off the upset of the season when it travels to No. 8 Michigan in Week 1 for Saturday afternoon’s game. The Rams are playing under first-year head coach Jay Norvell, who took over following the firing of Steve Addazio. Michigan will be looking to build on its first Big Ten title since 2004 and its College Football Playoff appearance.
Colorado State hit the reset button following a 3-9 season that led to the firing of Addazio. The Rams were able to make a solid, yet surprising, hire when they were able to get Norvell to make what many people considered to be a lateral move. He brought multiple players with him, including quarterback Clay Millen, wide receiver Tory Horton and wide receiver Melquan Stovall. The Rams are expected to transition to more of a pass-happy offense under Norvell. They also went to the transfer portal for defense, but they have linebackers Cam’Ron Carter and Daquan Jackson back from last year’s team.
All ?? on Michigan.#Stalwart x #RamGrit pic.twitter.com/HA8d4Vd3UX
— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) August 30, 2022
Carter and Jackson combined for 184 tackles in 2021, so they will be key pieces during this transition period. The Rams were one of the leaders in college football as far as defensive pressure last season, and they are shaping up to be a dangerous bunch again this year. They have 12 total transfer starters between defense and offense, making them a difficult team to handicap prior to their first game. Millen is a freshman who did not play for Nevada last year, and he is playing behind a completely rebuilt offensive line. Horton is expected to be his top target after catching 52 passes for 659 yards and five touchdowns last season, while senior A’Jon Vivens is expected to get the starting nod at running back.