With one final look at the past, the Rams are catching a glimpse into the future.

For Colorado State football, Saturday will come with a bittersweet feeling, win or lose. On one hand, some of the really exciting recruits coach Jay Norvell has brought to Fort Collins will be on display. On the other hand, it will be the farewell tour of so many guys who stuck through the losing seasons to build a new culture at CSU.

Henry Blackburn, Jack Howell, Paddy Turner, Avery Morrow, Jacob Gardner and so many more will play their final game in green and gold against the Miami Redhawks. Every single one of these players could have entered the transfer portal and left when the Rams went 3-9 or 5-7, but none did. They instead stuck it out with a desire to build something bigger than themselves.

“That’s a goal whenever we bring in new players: We challenge them to leave this program in a better place than when they came into it,” Norvell said. “Those guys have been through a lot of hard times. They’ve had three different coaches, a lot of tough seasons — particularly the second half of seasons.” 

That hasn’t been lost on the young guys one bit. One of the things that has consistently been brought up about this year’s team is the connectedness and how much closer everyone felt like they were to one another.

Starting on day one, everyone said this season just felt different; they knew then that CSU would be capable of doing some special things. Words don’t mean anything without actions to prove them true, so every single veteran guy took it upon themself to lead by their actions.

“I hope with these younger guys — after all these older guys leave that paved the way — they don’t lose that edge,” Morrow said. “It’s really that small when it comes to winning the game, just how much more you want it. How much more you’re willing to work … than the other guy.” 

That leadership helped rebuild this program after previous ones left it in ruins. From the foundation to the furnishings, this squad has built something that toppled decadelong losing streaks, returning CSU to a place only before seen in distant memories.

Once the clock strikes zero at the end of that fourth quarter, the architects of that rebuild will be no more, but their blueprints will remain. It will be up to those younger guys to bear the torch and build their own legacy.

“Watching Jack and Henry, how they lead the team, the whole defense, Cam (Bariteau) and all of them not just on the field but in the meetings and group events we have — (that’s) the way we should lead the team,” redshirt freshman Dylan Phelps said. “It’s a great example for the younger guys to really understand. So when they leave and we have to step up, it’s not a big thing because we saw it happen for all these years.”

Fortunately, though, that doesn’t have to happen quite yet. All of the veterans get this last game, and for a lot of them, this will be the most important game they’ve had to play in. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, however, comes with some unique challenges.

In the transfer portal era, teams often lose some of their biggest pieces before their biggest games, especially Group of Five schools. CSU is no exception.

CSU will be without its two leading receivers, its leading tackler and one of its best pass rushers. While challenging, there’s a simple solution: The younger guys get to step up.

“The bowl season is almost a new season for a lot of programs,” Norvell said. “We have a lot of good young players that haven’t had much opportunity. They may get a chance to play a lot in this game, and we’re anxious to see them. I think a guy like Jordan Ross is going to play a lot. I think a guy like Owen Long will play a lot. We love those guys.”

While losing those guys will certainly hurt, one thing that still stands strong is CSU’s run game. With the MOB intact and Morrow raring to go, the newly instate ground-and-pound offense will likely be the focal point for the Rams against the Redhawks.

Morrow sits at 956 yards on the season, needing just 44 more to surpass 1,000 yards, something that hasn’t been done before under Norvell at CSU.

“I asked my running back coach at the time, Vai Taua — he’s a big hall of famer in Nevada — ‘Has coach Norvell ever had a 1,000-yard rusher?’” Morrow said. “I remember telling coach Norvell I want to be your first, so it would be really cool to take that off my checklist.”

While 44 yards should be a breeze for Morrow, the Redhawks’ run defense prior to the Mid-American Conference championship didn’t allow a whole lot of rushing yards. In that championship game, however, Ohio did rush for more than 200 yards. 

CSU will also likely have the best offensive line the Redhawks have faced all year. With how productive the Rams’ run game has been this season, the keys to victory couldn’t be in better hands. 

“I didn’t come here to lose,” Morrow said. “For me personally, I’m treating it like any other game that I’ve ever played in. Giving it my all, and just from the senior aspect, I know the young guys will follow the seniors. … We were short of our goal from the (Mountain West) championship, but we can still win a ring.”

On the other side of the field, the Miami (OH) offense is led by the Redhawks’ great Brett Gabbert. After two years in which he faced injuries, Gabbert was finally healthy to play this season. While he got off to a slow start, his production eventually ramped up in conference play. 

The Redhawks present a balanced offense, throwing the ball almost as much as they run the ball. That will be a challenge for the defense, as they still have to rush a veteran guy in Gabbert to help out the secondary while also staying committed to the run. 

“We know they’re very veteran up front,” defensive lineman James Mitchell said. “I think four or five (starting players) are either in their fourth or fifth year, so we know that we have to make them run the ball into us. But we have to stay firm in our front seven. And we know that balance — they do the same stuff a lot, and they’re very good at it.”

The final fight for glory for many Rams commences at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The veteran guys will aim to play the game of their lives, with the younger guys looking to carve out a name for themselves.

With all of the accomplishments CSU has collected this season, a bowl win for the first time since 2013 would be icing on the cake.

Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.