Much has changed since BYU and Colorado State last faced off back in 2010.
It was the final season the Cougars and Rams were conference foes, having played together for nearly a century in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Skyline Conference, the WAC and the Mountain West.
Now, BYU is a Big 12 title favorite and College Football Playoff contender, while Colorado State is a recent addition to the new-look Pac-12.
For Rams head coach Jim Mora, the Cougars’ rise offers a “road map” for helping his program make a similar leap into greater national relevance.
“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 told reporters Monday. “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 (at BYU).”
Mora spent 25 years in the NFL before making the transition to college in 2012, where he served as head coach at UCLA and UConn prior to landing in Fort Collins this season.
In addition to defeating Kalani Sitake’s Cougars back in 2016 at UCLA, Mora has observed BYU from afar for decades, even working with program legends Jim McMahon and Ty Detmer in the NFL.
“He’s as big as most linebackers in the country. He’s incredibly bright, he makes great decisions. He can make every throw on the field and he can extend plays with his legs.”
— Colorado State coach Jim Mora on BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier
“They were always a little bit of an underdog,” Mora said of BYU. “Well, they’re not the underdog anymore. I always felt like they were disciplined and tough, like they are now. They played football the right way, like they do now.
“It’s just that in those (earlier) days, there was just a little bit of an underdog feel to (BYU), and now they’re a powerhouse.”
Mora’s arrival at Colorado State has produced the Rams’ first 2-0 start since 2011, having handled rival Wyoming 35-13 in Week 1 and pummeling Southern Utah 58-24 this past Saturday.
But No. 11-ranked BYU will be Colorado State’s tallest task of 2026, as Mora raved about Bear Bachmeier, LJ Martin, Legend Glasker, the Cougars’ offensive line and the rest of their offensive talent.
“He’s as big as most linebackers in the country,” Mora said of 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 throwing 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.”
Much like so many other opposing coaches who match up with BYU, Mora had plenty of praise for Sitake, who he now looks to defeat this weekend just as he did in 2016.
“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. They’re not going to do things to hurt themselves. They’re going to be sound defensively. They’re going to be physical and run the ball offensively.
“I’ve watched their film, they’re about as complete a team as you’ll find in the country. 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 continued, “It’s going to be a great challenge and it’s going to be one that we look forward to. Like I said, we will fight like crazy.”
