Energy needs direction.
Colorado State football heads into Mountain West play Friday against San Diego State searching for a breakthrough. After a 20-3 loss to Washington State that drained some of the early optimism around the quarterback switch to Jackson Brousseau, the Rams announced a change that could redirect their season: Associate head coach and pass-game coordinator Matt Mumme will take over playcalling duties for the first time since Jay Norvell arrived in Fort Collins and potentially open up the positives Brousseau displayed against the Cougars.
Norvell has been the voice in the quarterback’s head every game of his CSU tenure. But after four games of inconsistent results, he said it was time to shift responsibilities among the staff.
“A lot of people have a lot of misconceptions about playcalling, to be honest with you,” Norvell said. “Matt and I have been handling offense for a long time — nine years together. Matt’s going to communicate with the quarterback this week. He’s done a good job, and we’re just going to change it up that way.”
Norvell framed it as an adjustment rather than panic, but his contract renewal is up in the air, and the Rams sit at 1-3 on the season.
“We’ve been on the same page for a long time about what we’re going to do,” Norvell said. “And, you know, we need a little spark, and so, you know, we’ll continue to make changes and adjustments, you know, throughout the year like we do every year. So this is no different.”
Mumme, son of Air Raid architect Hal Mumme, has already shaped much of CSU’s philosophy as pass-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Friday night, though, the voice Brousseau hears will be Mumme’s.
“I’m just honored to elevate into this spot and have a chance to work, you know, with JB in the game and all these young men,” Mumme said. “(I’m) really excited about the opportunity and excited about the opportunity these guys (have) got going into Friday night. It’s a good football team. It’s a good defense.”
That new responsibility comes at a crucial time for Brousseau, who stepped into the starting role against WSU and looked composed despite the scoreline. The quarterback completed 19-of-28 passes for 188 yards, showing patience and decisiveness — even without a touchdown to show for it.
“Jackson really competed hard in the game; (he) did a good job scrambling,” Norvell said. “He had eight check-downs in the game where he threw the ball to the back after going all the way through his reads. And that’s the kind of progression that we got to have from our quarterback.”
Norvell praised Brousseau’s preparation, calling him “a student of the game” who studies tendencies and defensive reactions closely with his coaches.
Mumme, who has mentored him and the rest of the quarterback room, sees him at his core.
“With him, it’s always been that way, and I saw it in high school,” Mumme said. “The guy’s used to winning. … He knows how to win games. He knows what it looks like, and he knows what he wants. He’s very cerebral, very smart, very intelligent. He’s almost more intelligent than I am.”
The protection around Brousseau will look different this week, with redshirt senior Alex Foster expected to step into the starting lineup after veteran tackle Tanner Morley went down against WSU. Morley’s injury is one of several that have forced CSU to lean on younger players early in the season.
The next step is getting the receivers to match their quarterback’s poise.
CSU entered the year touting its depth out wide, but without former star Tory Horton and injuries limiting others, no one has yet separated themselves. Norvell pointed out the efforts of Rocky Beers and Jaxxon Warren, who have been out with injury and will likely continue to be, stepping into bigger roles.
Having worked closely with the wide receivers, Mumme might have the answers.
“We have a really talented group; I just don’t think we have anybody that’s risen up yet,” Mumme said. “Those guys need to be a little more persistent, you know. And I told them, I said, we need to finish … A lot of times it’s not about the overall route that they’re running; it’s about where they finished it. And so if we can just get them to be a little bit better, I think we can get them open.”
The injury list isn’t limited to the offense, though. With defensive captains Jacob Ellis and Mukendi Wa-Kalonji sidelined, redshirt freshman Keegan Shank will step into a bigger role on defense. Norvell said the unit has relied on younger players to grow quickly, and Shank is the next in line.
The timing of the switch doesn’t make things easier. SDSU has allowed just 39 points all season, with 36 of those coming in one game against WSU. In their other three contests, the Aztecs have yielded only three points total, coming from last week’s 6-3 win at Northern Illinois.
Through four games, SDSU ranks top-15 nationally in total defense, passing defense and scoring defense. Linebacker Owen Chambliss and defensive end Trey White anchor a unit that has suffocated opposing offenses.
“Their corners do a tremendous job,” Mumme said. “They’ve got a guy that’s really special. He’s been there for a while, he’s got a lot of reps and he’s going to be tough. We’re going to have to try and find ways to get our guys loose, and so some motion games, some other ways to just move guys around. And then just, also, it’s going to be a little bit different game plan than what people have seen.”
Offensively, the Aztecs lean on junior running back Lucky Sutton, who has 337 rushing yards and three touchdowns this fall. And SDSU’s formula has been clear: lean on defense, protect the football and grind out wins.
History is also on the Aztecs’ side, as SDSU leads the all-time series 22-15.
“We’ve got our preseason done; we’re excited to start our conference play,” Norvell said. “I think we know about our football team. I think we understand our strengths and weaknesses. I think we’re making the proper adjustments as a staff to move forward and to really accentuate the strengths of the players that are playing for us.”
Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. Friday at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on social media @michaelfhovey.
Interested in more sports content? Sign up for Ram Report here for weekly CSU sports updates!
