Bucking the national trend, Colorado State saw one of the largest per-game attendance increases in college football in 2017.CSU had the eighth-largest per-game attendance increase in the NCAA last season, increasing by 4,462 fans per game on average. The figure ranked second in the Mountain West (Fresno State, 5,139).Season ticket sales in 2017 reached a school-record 15,477, an increase of 40 percent over the 2016 total of 11,054. The inaugural season of the new on campus stadium also set all-time attendance records for average attendance (32,062 per game) and total attendance (192,369).The Rams sold out their total allotment of tickets on four separate occasions last season, including Oregon State, Nevada, Air Force, and Colorado in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver.The Rams' 2018 home schedule includes a Sept. 8 visit from SEC foe Arkansas (the first SEC program to visit Fort Collins since 1981 and the first Power 5 team since Minnesota in 2015) and FCS visitor Illinois State, along with Mountain West opponents Wyoming, Utah State, New Mexico and Hawai'i. Season tickets packages also include the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown against Colorado at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Prices for the seven-game package begin as low as $250.Several standouts return from an offense that ranked 11in the FBS in 2017, including running back Izzy Matthews , who is tied for fifth in program history in career rushing touchdowns (26). Wide receiver Olabisi Johnson finished last year with 41 catches for 595 yards, including a team-high six receptions for 119 yards in the New Mexico Bowl against Marshall. It was his second consecutive strong bowl game, following his school-record 265 receiving yards in the 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.The defense will be spearheaded by the return of the team's two top tacklers from 2017, linebacker Josh Watson and safety Jordan Fogal . Watson led the team with 109 tackles and was an honorable mention All-Mountain West selection. Fogal, who was playing in his first season at CSU after transferring from Utah, ranked second on the team with 71 tackles. Other significant contributors returning to the Rams defense will include linebacker Max McDonald (fourth in tackles), cornerback Anthony Hawkins (team-leading three interceptions) and linebacker Emmanuel Jones (returning leader in tackles for loss).The returning defensive talent will be led by new coordinator John Jancek , who brings 10 years of experience as a defensive coordinator at the FBS level, most recently a three-year stint at Tennessee. Four other new assistant coaches join Jancek on that side of the ball, including special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Chase Gibson Dave Johnson was also added to the staff to be the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. The six new full-time assistant coaches boast over 100 years of combined experience on Division I coaching staffs.