Always looking forward.
That’s the seasonlong motto coach Jim Mora established for Colorado State football, and it becomes especially important as the team looks to settle in from the high that Week 1 brought.
Following the Rams’ 35-13 season-opening victory over rival Wyoming, bringing the Bronze Boot back to Fort Collins in front of a sold-out crowd of over 40,000 at Canvas Stadium, the focus now shifts to Southern Utah. The Football Championship Subdivison program will enter the Rams’ house Saturday looking to spoil CSU’s momentum after an emphatic start to its new era.
Less than an hour after celebrating with students who rushed the field and hoisting the Bronze Boot, Mora and the man of the night, quarterback Hauss Hejny, sat at the podium. The win meant a lot to both of them, but one point was made clear — there are many weeks of meaningful football left.
“We have to enjoy this for 24 hours, and then we need to get to the next challenge,” Mora said. “I will see (the team’s) personality when they come back in this building on Monday. Can we refocus? Can we put this one behind us and the emotion of it, and get on to the next task and next challenge? That’s what good teams do.”
Mora has emphasized the importance of looking forward to the next week since the beginning of fall camp, and — despite Southern Utah’s FCS status — CSU wants to ensure it doesn’t fall back into bad habits following a Week 1 win that told a different story from last season.
“That one’s behind us,” Mora said. “We’ve watched the film as a staff and with our players, so now it’s learn, apply, adjust and now it’s all about the next opponent.”
The Thunderbirds out of Cedar City, Utah, are 1-1 entering this week after a close 28-21 loss against FCS titan Montana followed by a 47-42 victory against Weber State. Southern Utah ran all over the Wildcats this past weekend, accumulating 368 rushing yards in their matchup.
Led by running back Floyd Chalk and quarterback Will Burns, the Thunderbirds present a unique challenge for Mora and his staff.
“They run a unique triple-option scheme,” Mora said. “It’s very hard to prepare for; their quarterback is tough and he makes really good decisions. They’ve got excellent running backs; they’re physical up front. … They’re very well-coached and the receivers get down the field a lot.”
CSU’s defense will match up against a unique scheme this weekend, and they have plenty of momentum to build off of. The unit forced four Wyoming turnovers Saturday, which included three interceptions and a forced fumble, while allowing no points after the Cowboys’ initial scoring drive of the second half.
The linebackers were flying across the field, the secondary played their part and the defensive line had Wyoming QB Tyler Hughes on his heels all day — something that could present a challenge to a run-heavy Thunderbird team.
“We need to just be able to adjust a little bit quicker,” Mora said. “Defensively, we had a couple things early. We had some missed assignments, some missed tackles — so once again (we will be) continuing to emphasize the fundamentals and the basics of our execution.”
As for the offense, things began to click primarily in the second half for the Rams — and it looked excellent in the pass game. Hejny had five passing touchdowns, three of which went to wide receiver RJ Vick, and Vick may be one to emerge early as a primary target of Hejny’s.
“Let me tell you what (Vick) did better than the three touchdown catches — his blocking was outstanding down the field,” Mora said. “So when you combine the production that he had in the pass game with the way he blocked and helped the people around him, that made for a really great performance by him. Those are the things that people don’t see and don’t notice.”
Hejny, who wasn’t announced as the starting quarterback until hours prior to kickoff Saturday, was praised by Mora for his ability to come in as the starter and perform. In just one game, Hejny is proving the exact reason he was brought to Ram country.
“How down to Earth he was, unassuming and how he let his actions show who he was,” Mora said when asked what initially impressed him about Hejny. “He didn’t come in here loud and obnoxious, and ‘I’m this,’ and ‘I’m that.’ … He came in and he said, ‘I’m going to let my will prove who I am.’ That’s what good leaders do.”
With a resounding win to open the Mora era, Colorado State has seemingly turned the page on this new chapter, hopefully leaving the sour taste of 2025 behind them. With a 1-0 record on the books, Mora said he welcomes the heat a dominant start brings.
“The more targets the better, because the more targets means that you’re having some success,” Mora said. “So (we) try to get as many targets on our backs as we can. We won’t run from them — that’s for sure.”
Reach Devin Imsirpasic at sports@collegian.com or on social media @DImsirpasic.
