A lot has changed since these two teams met in 2019.
The most obvious is Colorado State has a different coach, swapping Mike Bobo for Steve Addazio. The Addazio era has been anything but smooth, as Colorado State, one of the most successful Group of Five programs of the past three decades, has floundered.
The Rams are 1-5 under Addazio, and backsliding. In the 2021 season opener, they lost by three touchdowns to an FCS school (South Dakota State). This is not the same team that lost in a thrilling 41-35 shootout to Toledo two years ago.