Colorado Football's 5 Keys to Winning the Mountain West Championship This Season

The crisp autumn air bites at my cheeks as I settle into my usual seat at Folsom Field, the worn plastic cold even through my jeans. It’s a late October practice, not a game day, but the sense of anticipation is just as palpable. Below me, the team runs drills, a synchronized chaos of gold, black, and silver. I’ve been coming to these practices for a decade, watching seasons of hope and heartbreak unfold on this very turf. And this year, something feels different. There’s a new energy, a quiet confidence I haven't seen in a long time. As I watch the quarterback launch a perfect spiral fifty yards downfield, it hits me: this could be the year. This could be the season we finally piece together Colorado Football's 5 Keys to Winning the Mountain West Championship. It’s not just a fan's desperate hope; it’s a tangible blueprint I see being executed right in front of me.

It all starts with that arm, the one belonging to our new transfer, Jake "The Rocket" Ramirez. I remember the last time we had a quarterback with this kind of raw talent. It was back in 2018, a season that started with so much promise. We had a deal with destiny, or so we thought, a pact with the football gods that this was our year. But that deal has since expired and ran its course, ending in a heartbreaking overtime loss to Boise State that kept us out of the conference title game. We’ve been chasing that feeling ever since, trying to recapture a magic that faded. But Jake is different. He’s not trying to recapture anything; he’s here to build something new. His connection with his primary receiver, sophomore speedster Marcus Jones, is almost telepathic. In last week's scrimmage, they connected on a 65-yard touchdown with such ease it looked like a walk in the park. That’s key number one, right there: an explosive, reliable passing game that can strike from anywhere on the field. Without it, you’re just playing for field position, and in the Mountain West, that’s a losing strategy.

But a great offense is nothing without a defense that can get the ball back. And that brings me to the second key, something I’ve been screaming about for years: generating a consistent pass rush. I love watching our defensive line this year. They’re mean, they’re hungry, and they’re deep. We have six, maybe seven guys who can legitimately get after the quarterback, led by senior captain David Miller. Last season, we averaged a paltry 1.8 sacks per game. This year, through just the first four games, we’re already averaging 3.5. That’s a monumental leap. It changes everything for the secondary, giving them a fighting chance against the prolific passing attacks we face in our division. I saw it firsthand against Nevada; Miller sacked their quarterback on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble we recovered. That’s the kind of momentum-swinging play that wins you close games in November.

Of course, you can’t talk about winning a championship without talking about the guys in the trenches. The third key is so simple, so fundamental, yet so often overlooked: winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Our offensive line, which was a revolving door of injuries last year, has finally found some stability. They’ve only allowed four sacks all season, and they’re opening up running lanes that just weren’t there before. Our running back, the powerful junior, Tyrone "The Bus" Jackson, is reaping the benefits, already racking up over 450 rushing yards. I have a soft spot for a dominant run game; it’s old-school, it’s physical, and it demoralizes an opponent in a way that a 40-yard pass sometimes doesn’t. It controls the clock, it rests your defense, and it’s the backbone of any championship-caliber team, especially when you’re playing in the thin air of Colorado where fourth-quarter stamina is everything.

Now, here’s the part that most analysts miss, the fourth key that I believe is our secret weapon: special teams. It’s not sexy, I know. But I’ll never forget the 2019 game against San Diego State where a blocked punt returned for a touchdown was the difference-maker. Our special teams unit this year is electric. Our kicker, freshman sensation Liam O'Malley, has a leg of pure steel. He’s 8 for 8 on field goals this season, including a 52-yarder that would have been good from 60. And our return man, the shifty cornerback Alex Chen, is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. He’s already got one punt return touchdown, and I’d bet my favorite jersey he gets at least two more before the season is over. In a conference as tight as the Mountain West, where games are often decided by a single score, these hidden yards and easy points are an absolute necessity. You can’t just be good on offense and defense; you have to be great in all three phases.

Finally, the fifth and most crucial key is the one you can’t quantify with stats, but you can feel it in the stadium: belief. The collective heart of the team and the fanbase. The ghost of that 2018 season, that expired deal with fate, used to hang over this program like a cloud. You could see the players tighten up in close games, almost expecting something to go wrong. But this squad is different. There’s a swagger, a resilience. They came back from a 14-point deficit against Air Force, a game we would have absolutely lost last year. The coaching staff, led by the unflappable Coach Evans, has instilled a genuine belief that they can beat anyone, anywhere. As a fan, that’s infectious. It makes you stand a little taller, cheer a little louder. It’s the final piece of the puzzle. It’s the understanding that the past is just that—the past. That old deal has expired. A new one is being written right now, on this field, by this team. And the terms of this new deal have just one goal: holding up the Mountain West Championship trophy under the bright lights of Allegiant Stadium in December. I, for one, can’t wait to see them sign on the dotted line.