Mora sets strict terms for Rams

Colorado State head football coach Jim Mora told his players on Monday that he expects a specific response from the team and his staff following Saturday’s 31-14 loss to Utah State in Logan, Utah. The coach said he is watching the squad closely as it enters the final four games of the season.

Mora opened his postgame press conference on Saturday by calling the performance awful. He stated that the team was not ready to compete despite a week of good practice. He said the result was unacceptable and that it would not be tolerated going forward.

The coach identified four key areas for improvement: attitude, body language, effort, and how players respond to coaching. He explained that these factors help him determine if a player is disconnecting from the program. He described these elements as really important for the football team.

Mora also addressed the ejection of receiver Jaivyn Moore in the fourth quarter of the game against Utah State. He said he was ashamed that a player he coached was kicked out of the game. He noted that this had only happened once before in his 15 years as a head coach, which occurred at UConn when a player on the bench was ejected.

By Monday, Mora clarified that the ejection was sufficient punishment for Moore. He said the team would not impose any further discipline on the receiver beyond the ejection itself.

On Saturday, the coach suggested that more action might be taken against players and coaches who were not contributing enough. He said there was no chance those individuals would remain on the roster or staff. He mentioned that a list of names was already being compiled and that the list was getting longer.

Mora said he knew how to turn programs around and had done it four times in his career. He emphasized the need to be tough and willing to make hard decisions as a university and a program. He stated that if people did not do things the team's way, they would not be part of the program.

The coach said his comments applied to everyone who touches the program, not just the players. He said all parties are equally responsible for the team's performance. On Monday, Mora said nothing about specific personnel moves involving players or staff. When asked about the bigger picture of the team and the university, he said he did not have time to discuss the topic.

The Rams face No. 20 Boise State this Saturday at 4 p.m. at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins. Boise State is 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Broncos defeated Texas State 46-45 on Saturday, scoring the winning touchdown with 2:40 left in the game.

Quarterback Maddux Madsen leads the Boise State offense with 1,681 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. He was injured late in the game against Texas State and was replaced by Max Cutforth, who threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Dylan Riley leads the team in rushing with 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns. Rasean Jones is the leading receiver with 545 yards and four touchdowns.

Linebacker Boen Phelps leads the defense with 49 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception. Defensive back Travis Anderson has 35 tackles and three interceptions. This will be the 15th meeting between the two teams. The Broncos hold a 13-1 advantage in the series. The only victory for Colorado State in the series came in 2023, when the Rams won 31-30 on a Hail Mary pass and extra point as time expired. Boise State won last year’s meeting 49-21 in Boise.