Sonny Lubick

I think there are a lot of games here on the back half of the schedule, even on the road that don't feel that daunting, right? Like I'm not saying these are the types of games where you should be Big hockey going in, you know, puffing at your chest because, frankly, CSU hasn't earned that right over the last decade.

You've got to prove that this team can be different like it was under McIlwain, like it was under Sonny Lubick all those years ago.

But it's not like you're going into Tuscaloosa or something, right? And even the top teams, for the most part, Boise, you get at home.

Fresno on the road is tough, no doubt.

Really, for about a five, six, seven-year stretch there, the Rams always kind of had a super dynamic one-two punch.

That run game and stout defense, a big part of what allowed Sonny to be so successful all those years.

Does feel like the run game's finally getting a little bit of traction for CSU this year, but defensively, it's rough.

And the

And it turned out to be legit.

It was actual plays that Texas Tech ran in that playbook.

game jay black says i don't understand why we struggle on defense for the past decade it seems maybe more what is the issue players coaches dude this is something that this is something that i've talked about for a long time now jokingly but ram life r-a-m-l-y-f-e that that is the ram life there are so many things you can point to where csu on paper in the moment seemingly made a good decision and it just completely backfired the results for whatever reason And I'd say it kind of tongue-in-cheek, but also with the way that CSU handled the whole Sonny Lubick final season, I still think it's just shameful that they fired him.

Kind of feels like we've been paying the price for that for basically two decades since.

But I think at, at the end of the day it comes down to the results, and the results have not been good enough.

And unfortunately, the defensive side of the football basically post Lubick is one of the biggest reasons the Rams have never been a, a true threat to, you know, win the league.

When, when CSU was, you know, at its peak under Sonny Lubick, sure you had plenty of great guys on the offensive side.

But think back to, you know, that defensive line in 1994 and, you know, all, all the greats that we had come through the program, the Sean Morans of the world.

You know, the, the Joey Porters and Clark Hagans and, and that's just a few.

What have been the high points? I mean, I think about Earl Bruce.

I think about Sonny Lubick.

I'm just wondering, as you look over the arc of your own history that you've seen and observed, Colorado State football in particular, what have been the memorable eras and teams that you were part of?

You know, I'd say there's, Mike Brooks, I'd say there's a couple things.

And in my mind, in my 54 years, the best player I have ever seen at Colorado State is Mike Bell.

He was a defensive lineman, second Lombardi trophy in 1978, drafted by the Chiefs, unbelievable player, and a good person.

And I think, you know, what I would say to both of you is what made it special for me, Mike and Brooks, Sonny Lubick, who may or may not be at the game, he's 89 years old.

And good gracious, I hope I look like that at 89 if I live that long.

Well, we're coming back.

We've got a couple more minutes here, and then it's going to be off to San Diego for the Plymouth Holiday Bowl, where Sonny Lubick and his Rams, fresh off the WAC championship, will try to knock off Larry Smith's Mizzou Tigers.

Should be fun.

And welcome back to our bowl kickoff special.

It's the Plymouth Holiday Bowl, the 20th annual Plymouth Holiday Bowl.

Our matchup tonight from the WAC, the Colorado State Rams at number 17, from the Big 12, the Tigers of Missouri at number 20.

You saw Larry Smith, Colorado State head coach Sonny Lubick, as hard as work right now as

well.

They shut them out, right? So when you look at that unit, I, I just say to myself, they did this with a pair of 250-pound defensive tackles in Hambone Anthony Hamlet and Erick Miller.

I mean, that's one of the greatest jobs of coaching I've ever seen by Sonny Lubick.

Because it's not like he had Jerome Brown and Warren Sapp inside the middle.

He, they had to piece that together, and it was all about speed.

One said, Pete Carroll is your new coach.

And the other said, Sonny Lubick of Colorado State is your new coach.

Good morning, good afternoon, everyone, and I thank you all for coming.

Before we start, let me briefly say some things about the hiring process of our new head football coach.