There are too many bounces of the football and quirks of the BCS computer for any team to count on playing the last game of the season. Colorado State, however, was able to schedule itself into the first game of the 2002 season, tonight's 5:30 kickoff at Virginia. No college game ever has been played earlier on the August calendar.
"I'm happy for this reason: We'll get all the exposure, we'll get everything we thought," CSU coach Sonny Lubick said. "To play the first game - there's something special about that."
There's also something special to CSU's athletic budget about the $400,000 guarantee for participating in tonight's Jim Thorpe Classic.
To a man, no one in the Rams' camp complained about cutting vacation a week short to open camp in late July. The Rams have had the campus almost to themselves for three weeks as they embark on the longest and one of the toughest schedules in school history, 13 regular-season games stretching from tonight to Nov. 30.
Sonny Lubick remembers his first season as CSU coach, 1993, as the most brutal during his tenure.
School, meanwhile, doesn't start until Monday.
Whether the players will be as content on a deserted campus Thanksgiving week while preparing for the Nov. 30 home finale against Nevada-Las Vegas remains to be seen.
"I guess it depends on how the season goes. We hate to think that far ahead," Lubick said. "Last year we went into the last game with a chance to play in a bowl game. That will be the challenge for the coaches, to keep those guys going."
The players' minds are clearly in the "now," although it's tough not to at least peek ahead at a rugged nonconference schedule that includes Colorado, UCLA and Louisville in the next three weeks.
"Virginia is all we have been thinking about, but in the back of our minds we are thinking about the four-game opening schedule we have," senior offensive tackle Aaron Green said. "It's pretty tough against good opponents. We really want to be a big-time program, and we feel we're reaching that level. The only way we'll get to that level is to win some games."
A year ago, the Rams finished 7-5 with a bowl victory over North Texas, and 5-2 in the Mountain West. No one is looking ahead to the Mountain West schedule, which doesn't begin until mid-October.
Virginia is the only one of CSU's first four games without some type of rivalry tag. Following are the traditional Aug. 31 hostilities in Denver against the University of Colorado and a homecoming for the Californians on the Rams on Sept. 7 at UCLA. The Hughes Stadium opener Sept. 14 against Louisville has developed into a significant rivalry between MWC and Conference USA powers.
Lubick acknowledges the difficulty of the opening month, but that doesn't concern him as much as the length of the schedule.
"I think I'd be in favor of 12 or 13 games only once every four or five years," he said.
Three years ago the NCAA announced that in 2002, '03 and '08, a calendar quirk would allow for a 12th game. This season a few teams, such as Colorado State and Florida State, play 13 regular-season games because they're playing in an August "Classic."
This is the first time Colorado State has lined up three consecutive opening opponents from Bowl Championship Conferences in this, Lubick's 10th season. The Rams haven't played three BCS opponents since 1996 when they faced Colorado, Oregon and Nebraska. That year, at least CSU warmed up against Tennessee-Chattanooga and played UNLV between the Oregon and Nebraska games.
Lubick recalls his first season as CSU coach, 1993, as the most brutal in his tenure, despite opening the season with three home games - Oregon, Air Force and Brigham Young. Trips to Nebraska and Kansas followed, and CSU was 1-5, though it had been competitive.
"We were young and beat up," Lubick said. "I looked at the schedule and didn't think we had a chance to win any of our first four ballgames. There's something to be said about scheduling."
The Rams were 2-6, and then began the turnaround under Lubick, edging New Mexico, routing UTEP and finishing with a lopsided victory at Wyoming.
Lubick said he could almost joke, "We are the UTEP of this schedule."
Virginia coach Al Groh isn't buying it.
"When we were offered the opportunity to host this game, we were offered a list of opponents," he said. "I thought Colorado State was the very best team on that list. The immediate response from the players was I wouldn't have to do much introduction of Colorado State."
In the heat of August, it's difficult looking too far ahead to holidays. Lubick noted a bowl invitation usually cuts into the Christmas holidays. The Rams will only be more than too happy to worry about more missed vacation time.
CSU offense vs. Virginia defense
The Cavs are young up front, but it's a three-man front CSU doesn't often see. Three of the top six in the rotation are freshmen. Inside linebacker Angelo Crowell is the top player on defense. The Rams won't mind if Virginia comes out with eight in the box to stop the running game. Sonny Lubick is threatening to open up the offense, and quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt has a full complement of healthy receivers. Virginia's secondary is experienced with four returning starters, led by senior safety Jerton Evans. The Cavs gave up at least two touchdowns a game to every opponent last season except hapless Duke.
If CSU running back Cecil Sapp is half as good as he looked in practice, he will surpass his 2000 form, before he was forced to sit out last year after heel surgery.
CSU defense vs. Virginia offense
Cornerbacks Rhett Nelson and Dexter Wynn will be busy all night chasing Virginia's returning ACC receiving leader Billy McMullen. Quarterback Matt Schaub, like Van Pelt, has benefited from starting status after last season's co-starter tag. Schaub is accurate (58.3 percent last season) and can get the ball to McMullen.
Virginia has a history of outstanding running backs (Thomas Jones, Tiki Barber, Terry Kirby, Shawn Moore) but will wait to see which of three talented freshmen emerge. Until then, sophomore Alvin Pearman is the starter at tailback.
The key for CSU's defense is keeping a fresh rotation to offset fatigue from the heat and humidity.
Noteworthy
The last time Virginia offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave saw Colorado State, it was on the losing end of the 1990 Freedom Bowl when Musgrave was Oregon's quarterback. No stranger to the state of Colorado, Musgrave was The Denver Post Gold Helmet winner out of Grand Junction in 1985.
He was on the Denver Broncos' roster in 1995-96, leaving the next year for the Oakland Raiders to begin his coaching career. This is Musgrave's second year on the Cavaliers' staff. Virginia head coach Al Groh does not permit his assistants to conduct media interviews. ...
Groh and Lubick have sons who are the respective wide receivers coaches, Mike Groh and Matt Lubick. ...
Lubick said he isn't looking to Virginia to expand CSU's traditional Western-based recruiting territory. "We'll be in and out," he said. ...
Virginia's exposure to the Mountain West comes from two relatively recent games against Brigham Young. BYU won the 2000 opener in Provo, Utah, 38-35 in overtime and Virginia won the previous year in Charlottesville, 45-40. CSU never has played an ACC football team. ...
The Rams are 1-0 in preseason games. Virginia is 0-3. ...
It might be difficult for both teams to avoid looking ahead a week. CSU plays rival Colorado, and Virginia makes a quick entry in ACC competition at Florida State. ...
Virginia may play as many as 10 freshmen. CSU is looking at six, all in backup capacity.
