I was going to wait to post this in our previews for the game Sunday but I couldn't believe this number. Maybe I have missed it between all the articles I have been reading but last season, Colorado State ranked dead last in defensive sacks with .69 per game. Of their nine total sacks, four came against Houston and Sacramento State. No sacks were registered against the Buffaloes.
It gets better. The Rams were 102nd in the nation against the run a year ago giving up 191 yards per game.
The Rams lose two of their best front seven players from a year ago in LB Ricky Brewer due to suspension and DE Tommie Hill to graduation. Hill also led the team in sacks with three.
Colorado State's front seven in 2009 is listed as follows. Many didn't start games necessarily although they were listed as playing games:
RE Ty Whittier - 6'5" 264 pounds / Junior - backed up by two freshmen - played in 13 games last year, 18 tackles, no sacks
DT James Morehead - 6'6" 320 pounds / Senior - backed up by underclassmen - played in all 13 games last year, 10 tackles, 1 TFL
NG Guy Miller - 6'3" 288 pounds / Junior - played in 13 games, 18 tackles, no sacks
LE Cory Macon - 6'6" 242 pounds / Junior - played in 12 games, 19 tackles, .5TFL
SLB Michael Kawulok - 6'3" 217 pounds / Sophomore -freshman backup - played in 7 games, 6 tackles, .5TFL
MLB Alex Williams - 6'2" 222 pounds / Junior - freshman backup - played in 13 games, 5 tackles
WLB Mychal Sisson - 5'11" pounds - Sophomore - freshman backup - stud of the defense, 105 tackles, 8 TFL, .5 sacks
Ty Whittier and Mychal Sisson were the only two players in the front seven to start against the Buffs. At the end of the year, James Morehead and Mychal Sisson were the only players on the 2009 team starting in 2008. I guess that is a positive if you are the Rams considering the rankings mentioned above but on the flipside, it looks like Whittier was demoted in 2008 and even with the poor performance up front last year, five of the seven players listed above where not full time starters although they were on the team and playing in games. Basically, they were not starters last year on a poor performing defensive front.
Let's hope for more of the same this year from the Rams front seven on Sunday.