2012 Colorado State Football Season Overview

Nc State Football Jersey, The Colorado State Nc State Football Jersey Rams have been to just one bowl game over the past six years. They had a record of just 3-9 for the third straight season in 2011. As a result, Steve Fairchild was fired and was replaced by new head coach Jim McElwain. McElwain should be a great addition to this program as he was the offensive coordinator of Alabama and went to two national championships with the Tide.

With 15 starters and 40 lettermen returning, McElwain has the opportunity to parlay this job into Nc State Football Jersey something bigger and better in the future.

Offense

The offense struggled last season, averaging just 21.4 points and 351 total yards per game. McElwain and new offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin will turn this team around offensively. They have seven starters returning in 2012.

Quarterback Pete Thomas has decided to transfer to NC State after completing 61.7 percent of his passes for 1,607 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. With him gone, the quarterback position will be decided on between redshirt freshman Conner Smith, McElwain recruit Craig Leonard or sophomore Garrett Grayson. Conner Smith is the most talented of the trio and will likely take the starting job.

At running back, the Rams return their best offensive player in Chris Nwoke, who led the team with 1,130 yards on 5.7/carry with nine touchdowns last season. He earned second-team All-MWC honors and should have an even bigger impact in his junior season with a new scheme. Redshirt freshman Dorian Brown and Texas A&M transfer Mister Jones are capable backs as well.

Returning at the receiving corps are the top three pass catchers from 2011in junior TE Crockett Gillmore, senior WR Lou Greenwood and sophomore WR Thomas Coffman. Senior WR Marquise Law was the star of the spring and will likely be inserted into the starting line-up as a result.

After being injured all year last year, senior T Joe Caprioglio is expected to return healthy. The team Nc State Football Jersey now has four returning starters and 64 career starts along the offensive line. The other three starters coming back are second-team All-MWCC Weston Richburg, second-team All-MWC G Jordan Gragert and sophomore T Ty Sambrailo. With all these starters coming back, it is almost a given that this unit will be even better than it was a year ago.

Defense

They have eight starters and eight of their top 10 tacklers coming back from last season. As a result, this unit should have the biggest improvement from a defense that yielded 31.3 points and 413 total yards/game in 2011. Colorado State must find a way to be more physical up front after giving up 234 yards and 5.5/ carry on the ground last year.

The Rams now await the fate of junior NT Colton Paulhus and first-team All-MWC DE Nordly Capi after appealing their expulsions in April. Should they succeed with their appeal, this team will be even stronger on the defensive line as they also welcome back sophomore DE John Froland, senior DE CJ James and junior NT Calvin Tonga.

The linebacker corps will be the Rams bread and butter on the defensive side in 2012. This unit returns its #1 and #2 tacklers in second-team All-MWC OLB Shaquil Barrett and senior James Skelton, respectively. Senior OLB/DE Broderick Sargent is expected to come back after losing all but one game last season due to injury. Sophomore ILB Max Morgan is also expected to start after gaining valuable experience last year.

With five of their top eight defensive backs returning at the secondary, the Rams should be much improved over last year. They also have three starters coming back in senior SB Shaq Bell, senior CB Momo Thomas and sophomore FS Austin Gray.

Mountain West Prediction - 5th Place

The Rams seem to be headed in the right direction as they hired a very capable coach in Jim McElwain, and they have the most experienced team in the Mountain West coming back with 15 starters. They may have a tough road schedule to face in Boise State, Wyoming, San Diego State and Air Force, but the Rams have the opportunity to turn the tables at home with New Mexico, UNLV, Hawaii and Fresno State all being winnable games. They could very well go to a bowl game for the first time since 2008 and finish the Mountain West with a 4-4 record.