Colorado State Rams (4-7) vs Utah Utes (5-3)
4:00 p.m. MT | Greater Zion Stadium
Colorado State enters the contest coming off three straight wins at home after holding Cal Poly 13-9 and Boise 13-8 for the weekend.
The Rams will face University of Utah in their first game of the weekend in St. George, before taking on Utah Tech. Colorado looks for a repeat after a 15-9 win at home last year. Currently Colorado holds a 18-game win differential with a 23-5 all-time series record.
Latest Results (CSU): CSU 13 || BOISE 8
Latest Results (UTAH): UTAH 17 || UTAH STATE 8
On the Foco Front
Colorado State enters their contest against Utah after getting back on track after winning their past three contests, most recently against Boise State, in a 13-8 win.
Starting strong, the Rams held the Broncos 2-0 throughout the first quarter, as they maintained control at the faceoff X winning 60% of the faceoffs.
Leading the offense was Mason Daly (#18) who scored four goals and added an assist. Tanner Marsh (#91) helped the Rams secure goals with two assists and added a goal in the third quarter.
Colorado previously struggled in the second quarter, but turned it into a strength, having six goals in the quarter, giving them a six-point lead heading into halftime. A lead the Broncos couldn’t match.
Leading the Plays
Points Leader – Attacker Jack Rego leads the Rams offensively with 44 points and 30 goals this season.
Assists Leader – Midfielder Ryan Menard maintains his lead with 18 assists and 19 goals.
Ground Ball Leader – Faceoff Specialist Max Hall currently leads the team with 59 ground balls, picking up a goal and assist this season.
First-Year Talent – Midfielder Brandon Krause has stepped up over the past three games, going from no collegiate points to scoring hat tricks the past weekend now with eight goals on the season.
Utah on the Field
Utah enters the matchup with momentum after a 17-8 win over Utah State at home, improving to 5-3 on the season.
In March, the Utes picked up a strong statement win over No. 18 Oregon, edging out a 12-11 victory. In that game, Utah took late control, scoring seven goals in the third quarter.
Offensively, Utah has averaged 40 shots per game with a total of 98 goals this year. The team produces around three goals per quarter, being most effective in the fourth, where they’ve scored 27 of their 98 goals.
At the faceoff X, Utah has a major strength, winning 119 draws compared to 92 losses. That dominance was evidence against Utah State, where they controlled 75.9% of the faceoffs.
Defensively, the Utes have also been strong, totaling 253 ground balls this season, a notable increase to last season where they had 284 total.
Overall Utah is in a similar position and record as they did last season before going 0-4 in divisional play.
The Utah Unit
Points Leader – Midfielder Joey Chabola holds 26 points this season and leads with 19 assists for the Utes.
Goal Leader – Attacker Scotty Myklebust leads with 17 goals this season averaging two goals in each contest.
In the Net – Both Utah Goalies Bronden Griner and Jasper Ford have played in the past eight games, with a combined save percentage of 49.7%.
Game Outlook
Colorado enters the weekend with momentum, looking to carry its recent offensive rhythm against both Utah teams. The Ram’s equal ability at the facebook x and balancers scoring across quarters will be a key against the Utes who thrive on efficiency and late-game execution.
The Rams will look to maintain defensive pressure, limiting Utah’s opportunities to shift momentum for themselves, especially for a team that has shown they are capable of going on high-scoring runs. The Rams will also have to show their playmaking ability offensively while sustaining the second-quarter success they’ve recently shown.
The matchup will be competitive, even though Colorado has an edge in the series, it doesn’t mean Utah will want to keep it that way.
