Stephens: CSU football 'came to Jesus' in Border War win

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Across the suites that tower over War Memorial stadium rests a sign that reads “Welcome to 7,220 feet.”

At high altitude, CSU felt closer to heaven on Saturday.

Colorado State University hasn’t been playing its best football under first-year coach Mike Bobo. The Rams entered Saturday’s Border War against Wyoming with a 3-5 record including two overtime losses, and a week earlier had let a 13-10 halftime deficit erode into a 41-17 defeat at the hands of San Diego State. What Bobo was witnessing sickened him. Tired of preaching fundamentals that never carried over to game day, he gathered his team Monday in the McGraw Center auditorium for what he called a “come-to-Jesus meeting.”

There the Rams sat, seniors up front, freshman in the back, watching film of their loss to the Aztecs. Safety Trent Matthews was called out for his play, as was fellow senior Kevin Pierre-Louis. Linebacker Kevin Davis watched evidence of him letting teammates down and quarterback Nick Stevens was shown his errors. No one was off-limits.

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“Coach Bobo is a player’s coach, he’s a good coach and I want him to be successful. Even if it’s my senior year, I want him to be successful,” Pierre-Louis said. “I never want to let a coach down, especially coach Bobo, so it kind of hurt us when he pointed at seniors and said ‘you’re not doing your job.’

“It was kind of like meeting Jesus that day. It was sad.”

No meeting the Rams have sat through this season has been more valuable.

Five days after being embarrassed by their coaching staff, the Rams asked themselves “what would Jesus do?” and pounded Wyoming into submission with a 26-7 victory in the Border War.

OK, so maybe it was not the most pacifist approach, converting fourth downs in their own territory, laying brutal (but legal) hits and dancing jigs to the music pumped through the PA system at Jonah Field, almost as if to taunt the sparse crowd of 18,682 that converged on Laramie on Saturday afternoon.

But Jesus wouldn’t be selfish. And for the first time in nine games this season, the Rams (4-5, 2-3 MW) made it a point to leave egos in the locker room and focus on the other 119 players on the roster.

“We played for each other and the results showed,” Stevens said, holding the Bronze Boot as if it was a newborn baby. “We’ve played for each other all year, but there have been little plays here and there, little things that were just selfish. (Bobo) made it a point to get it in our minds that we’re playing for each other, and if you’re going to take a play off, that’s hurting your brother next to you.

“We all realized that, prepared really good this week and definitely played for each other more than we have in the past.”

Devil’s advocate: This was Wyoming (1-9, 1-5) that CSU beat, one of nine teams in the NCAA FBS with one win or fewer this season, and in the midst of a serious rebuilding project. The Rams inflicted 101 yards of penalties upon themselves, and against a defense that allows 203.6 passing yards per game, Stevens only threw for 120.

Flick that demon off your shoulder. On the road against a rival coached by Craig Bohl, who has five Division I national titles to his name as a head coach and assistant, CSU showed a preview of the team Bobo has been promising exists, now two wins shy of postseason eligibility with three games to play.

The midseason turnaround has finally arrived thanks to one uncomfortable meeting.

Before CSU hopped on the buses to travel down U.S. Highway 287, back to lower elevation and away from heaven, players couldn’t help but credit their “evangelizing” coach for helping them see the light.

“Oh yes,” linebacker Deonte Clyburn said. “We came to Jesus.”

For insight and analysis on athletics around Northern Colorado and the Mountain West, follow sports columnist Matt L. Stephens at twitter.com/mattstephens and facebook.com/stephensreporting.