The concept of the Bowl Game continues to have legs and it's the attraction of playing unfamiliar opposition that makes it special.
This coming weekend at the CRAA Fall Classic there will be two Bowl Games, with Kentucky facing Colorado State in the Mint City Bowl in one of them.
Fun Fact: Charlotte, NC, the host city of the Fall Classic, is called the Mint City because it was the home of the first branch of the US Mint (branching out from the original Mint in Philadelphia), opened in 1838.
Colorado State battled through a tough Rocky Mountain Conference fall under new Head Coach Jone Naqica. They logged wins over Wyoming, Utah State, North Texas but dropped their first three decisions, to BYU, Air Force, and Colorado.
"Starting off against BYU showed the standard for us," said Naqica, former USA 7s captain. "That was an eye-opener for the players and for me also. But we progressed after that and improved every game. The important thing is we held ourselves together."
The players are excited to play, added Naqica, if only to get out of Fort Collins and take a trip to the East Coast.
"To play someone we don't know and don't see, we can't wait," said the coach.
Leading the way for CSU is Sam Masterson, the flyhalf who was coached by Naqica when he was in the EIRA program in high school. He has grown, physically and in terms of rugby knowledge, and Naqica said "he's put in the work to make himself better."
Daniel Trump, who plays in the back row or at center, leads by example and the young players feed off his intensity and effort level. And Mason Kreiter in the back row is a bull in a china shop. Prop Trice Scroggins, hooker Ryaln Palmer, and lock Aiden Wilson have continued to develop.
The Rams will take on a Kentucky Wildcats team that went 4-0 in SCRC action and has shown continued improvement, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
