Ramsey: Fairchild's plan for CSU: Rams tough

Last week, Colorado State football coach Steve Fairchild was talking about the power structure of Mountain West Conference football.

"Definitely the top teams are TCU, BYU and Utah," Fairchild said. "...Those are the teams that year in and year out are going to make a run at the conference championship."

Fairchild paused before taking a look at yesterday.

"That's the way we were in the '90s," he said. "We were the team."

And that's where Fairchild wants to return.

From 1994 to 2002, a mighty college team resided in Fort Collins. Sonny Lubick rolled in from the University of Miami and transformed the Rams to a regional power.

CSU won 79 games, lost only 32, finished in the Top 20 three times and won six conference titles.

Then - poof - the good times vanished. The Rams won only 17-of-47 games from 2004 to 2007, which inspired CSU leadership to force Lubick's exit.

Fairchild is similar to Air Force's Troy Calhoun. Calhoun played quarterback at AFA. Fairchild played quarterback at CSU.
Calhoun left a cushy job as Houston Texans offensive coordinator. Fairchild served as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator.

Calhoun replaced Fisher DeBerry, a beloved legend who had fallen on hard times. Same scenario for Fairchild when he followed Lubick.

Calhoun did not return to his alma mater to lead a team that hovered outside the Top 25.

Neither did Fairchild.

He has big aspirations, and a strong, wise ally in this quest. Fairchild speaks often with Lubick, who has returned to campus to work as director of community leadership for the College of Business.

Fairchild worked alongside Lubick as an offensive assistant from 1993-2000. He considers Lubick his foremost football mentor and a close friend.

When CSU contacted Fairchild after Lubick's departure, he quickly called Sonny. He wanted no part of the job without Sonny's blessing.

Lubick told Fairchild not to worry. He offered his blessing and offered to help in any way he could.

Fairchild takes advantage of Lubick's offer. He often calls the old coach and asks a simple question:
"How would you do this if you had the chance to do this again?"

Fairchild talks with respect for the MWC's lead trio, but Utah will almost certainly take a tumble from last season, and BYU's weak defense makes it vulnerable.

TCU is wickedly powerful and beyond reach. The Horned Frogs' defense is frightening, and the offense is efficient enough to win games.

If you're looking for an underdog team to sneak past Utah or BYU, think about the Rams.

The CSU offense should be mighty. The team boasts a massive, experienced line and the best receiving duo in the conference.

But Fairchild faces problems with the offense that can't be solved by conversations with Lubick. Everything is in place for a powerful attack, except the two most crucial pieces.

He needs to find a quarterback and a lead running back.

Grant Stucker and Jon Eastman tangled for the QB job in the spring, but neither emerged as the winner. John Mosure, Alex Square, Michael Connor and Jonathan Gaye lead Fairchild's legion of tailbacks.

Fairchild was not overwhelmed by any of the candidates in the spring.

The turnaround has begun. In Lubick's final season, the Rams won only three games. In Fairchild's first season, the Rams won seven.

Still, it's clear he wants more. Fairchild has his eyes on the good days of the '90s.

"We need," he said, "to get back there."