Rise and shine Coug fans! Our wait is over—the 2023 football season gets underway today with WSU’s opener at Colorado State. We’ve endured an offseason that saw the Cougs left behind (along with Oregon State) as the rest of the Pac-12 members decided traveling across the country all season long was way worth it. Wonder what the athletes think!
Anyway, now the games begin and we can start talking about actual football played on the field. We here at CougCenter are busy human beings with lives, jobs, responsibilities, etc., so your normal preseason preview wasn’t available. Here’s the Spark Notes version:
- WSU’s offense is intriguing and it could be downright exciting and explosive.
- But that all hinges on the performance of the offensive line.
- The linebackers are a mystery, and the defense, while it has some solid names, is still a question mark.
There you go. Now you’re smarter than when you opened this post today.
As you prepare for today’s 4 p.m. PT kickoff, let’s get to know Colorado State—a little bit about the school and a little bit about the football.
Colorado State University
Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post
City: Fort Collins, Colo.
Land Grant? Yes
Enrollment: 26,062 undergrads, 7,299 graduate students
Obscure National Ranking: “Bee-Campus Certified” (Also: “Top 20% College Food in America”
Canvas Stadium
Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Opened: 2017
Naming Rights: Canvas Credit Union
First Game: Aug. 26, 2017 vs. Oregon State
First Win: Aug. 26, 2017 vs Oregon State (58-27)
Capacity: 36,500
Familiar Face
We noted this last year, but former Coug Ayden Hector will be in the Colorado State secondary. As you might recall, Hector came to WSU under ominous circumstances and eventually found himself in trouble before leaving after one season.
Local Connection
Colorado State quarterback Clay Millen hails from Snoqualmie and attended Mount Si High School. Millen found himself in the arms of the Cougar defense last year quite a bit. Also, was there ever another time WSU played Colorado State with a Washington native under center for the Rams? I can’t quite remember. Huh. I guess not.
Go Cougs.