FORT COLLINS — Getting beat is one thing, and coaches know it will happen. Contributing to the loss isn’t in the plan, and when mistakes start to pile up like they have for Colorado State’s football team this season, coaches look for answers.

Mike Bobo is ready to test his theory this week, and he’s hoping some adjustments to the way the Rams practice will alter the course of Saturdays.

Especially this one, as No. 25 Boise State comes to Hughes Stadium (5 p.m.; CBS Sports Network), a squad that will take advantage of every miscue by the Rams.

He’s looking not only at cleaning up the penalties the team is collecting — numbers that put the Rams near the bottom of the country in terms of fouls committed and yards lost — but eliminating missed assignments that he categorizes as undisciplined play. Truth is, some of it has caught him off guard. He’s felt the team has gone into games understanding the plan and ready to execute, only to see mistakes be made.

“We’ve got to do a better job of making sure we go into this week that we understand what we’re doing 100 percent through and through so we can execute,” he said at his press conference Monday. “A lot of times, penalties and mistakes come when you’re not sure. We need to be sure so we can play fast. If we’re not ready to play fast against this team, it could be a long day.”

To that end, Bobo wants to pick up the tempo at practice, as well as foster more competition. He said the past few weeks they’ve backed off that a bit as injuries mounted, leaning more toward scout work.

That’s going to change this week, starting with Monday. It’s a day he said the Rams normally don’t go against the other side of the ball, but this week there was seven-on-seven work as well as the two lines squaring off for pass-rush work.

He said it wasn’t adding more practice, just practicing different.

“I do think we understand it. I do think we have a pretty good feel for it, and then you get in the game and things go fast and kids make mistakes,” Bobo said. “So we’ve got to do a better job at practice and making sure things go fast and we compete at a higher level during practice.

“I’m not saying go full pads, tackle, anything like that. We’ve got to rev up the competition in my opinion a little bit of us playing faster instead of just the scheme and the assignment this week.”

Offensive tackle Sam Carlson sees a myriad of reasons why the Rams falter at times, be it a lack of focus, playing undisciplined or having players not fully versed in what they’re being asked to do. He didn’t list them as excuses, but rather flaws that need to be corrected.

He also agrees that amping up the competition factor this week will definitely help, seeing it as something that worked well in the past.

“I think so. Competition breeds competitors,” Carlson said. “When you have guys who are out there competing, you’re going to find out who really wants to be there and who doesn’t. We’re going to find out a lot about our team this week.”

Against the ranked at home — Boise State comes into Saturday’s game ranked No. 25 in the AP poll, and the Rams haven’t had much success in beating ranked teams at Hughes Stadium, just 2-24.

The two victories came in 1977 against No. 12 Arizona State and in 1990 against No. 19 Wyoming. CSU also beat Fresno State in 1993 at home, but the Bulldogs, ranked No. 23 by the coaches, weren’t ranked by AP.

The last time Boise State came to Hughes ranked, the Broncos left with a 63-13 win in 2011.

Developing a feel — Quarterback Nick Stevens was pressured throughout Saturday’s loss to Utah State but showed the ability to steer clear of trouble in the pocket, even breaking out a couple of times to pick up yards, including his 15-yard touchdown run. It’s a skill Bobo said the sophomore has to have — especially in a pro-set — and is getting better at performing.

“It’s a knack, and I think Nick is getting better at that I think with the cumulative reps he’s had. There were a couple of times during the game I thought he could have used better pocket presence and slid over, kept his feet underneath him and had better balance to make a throw,” Bobo said.

“That comes with repetition and time, but our guys are going to have to do that.”

Pink out — The Rams will use Saturday to raise awareness for breast cancer prevention, with both the volleyball and football teams encouraging their fans to wear pink to the games. The teams will also be wearing pink or having elements of pink in their uniforms. During the game, several athletic items will be auctioned off to help raise money for the UC Health oncology department.

Mike Brohard: 970-635-3633, mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and twitter.com/mbrohard