FORT COLLINS — Colorado State Football Begins Spring Practices Under New Head Coach Jim Mora
On Sunday, in the shadow of Canvas Stadium, the Colorado State football team started their first of 15 spring practices with new head coach Jim Mora at the helm.
After a nearly three-hour practice session, Mora described the team’s performance as ‘average’ and emphasized that the Rams have a long road ahead to meet the standards set by him and his coaching staff.
Despite the average start, the Rams displayed enthusiasm and energy as they laid the groundwork for the upcoming season, which kicks off in September against Wyoming.
“Pretty average start,” Mora commented. “Probably what I expected, though. We always want to be trying to put pressure on these guys, create uncertainty because that’s what the game of football is about.”
Mora and his coaching staff aim to instill pressure, uncertainty, and chaos in the team as they progress through the allotted number of practices over the next five weeks.
While acknowledging the team’s long journey ahead, Mora praised the players’ attitude, highlighting their eagerness and interest in becoming a successful team.
“They want to be good players. They want to have a good football team,” Mora observed. “We’re never going to have a perfect practice. We’re never going to play that perfect game. But we can have a perfect attitude. We can have a perfect effort. We can have the desire to have perfect execution, and that’s what excites me.”
While the team comprises several transfers, there are also returning Rams who chose to stay and play under Mora’s leadership.
Offensive lineman Phillip Ocon reflected positively on the initial practice session, noting the team’s hard work and values coming to fruition on the field.
Mora emphasized the importance of demanding a lot from the players, creating chaos and uncertainty, and expecting a strong response from the team.
Looking ahead, Mora hopes to establish a team identity during spring practice that will carry over into fall camp and the upcoming season.
“We expect to win,” Mora stated. “What we need to come out of spring with is an identification of who our playmakers are, who we can count on, who we can trust, who is dependable to us as a staff, who is dependable to their teammates, who has the mental toughness to do it the way we want it done.”
