The No. 11 BYU Cougars will travel to Fort Collins, Colorado, to face the Colorado State Rams this weekend, revisiting an old rivalry in a matchup with deep historical roots, according to a September 17 report.
Both teams enter the contest without a loss on their schedules. The matchup will serve as the first road game of the year for the Cougars.
The rivalry between BYU and Colorado State dates back to 1922 and will mark the 70th all-time meeting between the programs. Prior to BYU's period as an independent, the teams were conference opponents in the Western Athletic Conference from 1955 to 1998 and the Mountain West from 1999 to 2010.
BYU holds a 39-27-3 all-time record against the Rams, including victories in the last seven meetings. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, who played against Colorado State twice during his playing career, said Monday that he has respect for the program and its fans due to the competitive nature of their previous games.
Colorado State is led by head coach Jim Mora, who previously served as head coach for the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams' offense has ranked 12th nationally in yards per game and 21st in points per game through the first two weeks of the season. The offense is led by quarterback Hauss Hejny and running back Mel Brown.
BYU's defense will face challenges from Hejny, who has recorded nine touchdown passes this season. The Cougars' defensive unit will also be playing without starting safety Raider Damuni, who left the season opener with a lower leg injury.
The Colorado State defense has surrendered 715 total yards through two games, with a notable weakness in the run game, allowing 174.5 rushing yards per game. However, the Rams' defense has tied for the most turnovers forced in the country with eight total.
Middle linebacker Oumar Diamonde leads the Colorado State defense with 16 tackles and two interceptions. BYU enters the game as a 17.5-point favorite. The game is scheduled for Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast on CBS and via BYU radio.
