What Colorado State's Jim Mora Jr. said about No. 11 BYU
· Yahoo Sports
The last time BYU Cougars and Colorado State Rams squared off on the gridiron, the College Football Playoff was only a dream. Now, the former WAC and Mountain West foes meet for the first time as non-conference opponents.
BYU is the Big 12's highest-ranked team and Playoff contender, while Colorado State is trying to make an impact with a former NFL coach in the new-look Pac-12. Needless to say, many things have changed on the Front Range, but there's still respect between these two.
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For the Cougars and Kalani Sitake, this will be the second time facing Rams head coach Jim Mora Jr. The two met previously when he was at UCLA. After going back and forth from college to the NFL, the longtime coach is back in the state he grew up in. Jim Sr was coaching under Colorado legend Eddie Crowder when his son was born. Some five decades later, he'll try to lead CSU back to competing for a conference title.
“I have a ton of regard for Kalani,” Mora said. “I’ve known him for a long time, and you know his team is going to be tough. They’re going to play on the edge. They’re going to play with discipline.
Mora shared his thoughts on BYU this week. He believes Sitake's team is ready for the next level.
“I’ve watched their film, they’re about as complete a team as you’ll find in the country," Mora said during his weekly press conference. "They’re as good as anyone in the country. They’re a College Football Playoff contender. They’re ranked No. 11 for a reason and they’ve earned it.”
Mora sees the blueprint Sitake used to make BYU relevant and thinks CSU can benefit from it. The Cougars continue to take steps forward while slowly gaining traction on the national scene.
“They were a WAC team, and now they’re a contender for the College Football Playoff. Quite frankly, it’s a little bit of a road map for us here,” Mora said. “Sticking with good people, doing the right things, making good decisions, continuing to elevate in all areas of your program, which are the things that we’re doing here. It’s just a great road map.
“I have a lot of respect for Kalani. He’s tough, he’s demanding, his team can play hard. They are a reflection of Kalani that’s been established. Nothing’s been established here yet, but they have established that.”
Mora's debut season at Colorado State has given the Rams’ their first 2-0 start since 2011. They made quick work of Wyoming and Southern Utah in consecutive weeks. However, No. 11 BYU is the highest-ranked team to ever visit CSU's Canvas Stadium, now in its 10th season as the home of the Rams. This will be the biggest test for Mora's Rams so far in the 2026 season.
One of the biggest factors for the Cougars will be the play of quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Mora raved about his talent and how he doesn't play like a typical passer, which is a dangerous factor.
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“He’s as big as most linebackers in the country,” Mora said about Bachmeier. “He’s incredibly bright, he makes great decisions. He can make every throw on the field, and he can extend plays with his legs."
“Bear with his size, with the experience, with the fact that he came in as a freshman and showed the maturity that he did throw 15 touchdown passes, only turned it over seven times as a freshman and leading that team the way he did, that’s very impressive. So you gain confidence when you do things like that, and as a coach, you gain confidence in your players.”
Heading into Saturday's meeting with BYU, Colorado State is on a 27-game losing streak against ranked opponents. The Rams last win over a ranked team came in 2002, against then No. 7 Colorado in a game played in Denver. CSU's last home win against an AP-ranked opponent came in 1993 v. No. 22 BYU.
It’s going to be a great challenge, and it’s going to be one that we look forward to, Mora added. Like I said, we will fight like crazy.”
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