A change in communication can have practical value
Colorado State has moved defensive play-calling duties to defensive-line coach Kenny McClendon. Jim Mora remains available as a resource, but the staff wants the defense responding to McClendon's consistent voice. That can matter during a game: fewer layers between the call and the huddle can create more time for defenders to recognize formations, confirm checks and align before the snap.
The benefit should not be confused with an instant schematic cure. Colorado State allowed Texas State 503 rushing yards and 716 total yards in a 66-27 loss. No phrasing on the headset can close a gap after the snap. The transfer has value only if clearer communication helps eleven defenders play the same leverage, track the same run fits and arrive ready to tackle.
Saturday supplies an honest first measurement
The Rams are 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12 entering Saturday's home game against San Diego State, which is 3-4 and 2-1. The useful question is not whether McClendon immediately produces a shutdown defense. It is whether the operation reduces the correctable errors that let one Texas State run spill into another explosive gain.
That begins with early downs. A sound first-down fit creates a smaller menu for the offense and gives McClendon a chance to vary pressure later. A missed assignment that becomes 20 yards forces the next call to compensate, often widening the very spaces a defense is trying to protect. Alignment, eyes and tackling offer a better evaluation than the novelty of the caller.
The offense can support the transition
Colorado State's offense averages 445.3 yards per game, compared with San Diego State's 292.9. K'saan Farrar threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns at Texas State, and Durell Robinson ran for two scores. Those numbers show the Rams can move the ball, but complementary football requires possessions that rest the defense and end with points rather than quick exchanges.
A steadier offense will not absolve the defense, just as a new play-caller cannot erase missed tackles. It can, however, keep McClendon's group out of repeated short-rest situations and preserve a broader call sheet. Saturday's progress should look ordinary: the call arrives, the front aligns, the edge is set and the ball stops near its expected landmark. Colorado State needs that repetition more than a dramatic reinvention.
Sources & reporting
- Colorado State Athletics: Prepared for the Moment ↗
- Colorado State Athletics: San Diego State game week ↗
- Colorado State Athletics: Texas State recap ↗
This article adds independent analysis to publicly available reporting. We did not conduct the interviews or report the game firsthand. Report a factual error.