Lessons from Lubick endure

When Steve Fairchild became Colorado State's football coach last year, he refused to watch video of last season's games.

If he was going to fairly evaluate the returning players from Sonny Lubick's final team and if he was going to declare each position open, Fairchild would make sure he did so with an open mind.

"We knew it was up to ourselves, and that made it fun," quarterback Billy Farris said.

Fairchild's approach made it clear that times had changed in Fort Collins and this would be his program -- not a replica from Lubick's successful reign.

Change doesn't guarantee better times are ahead. Results must follow, and even though Lubick's tenure came to a sad and disappointing end, Fairchild knows he has a tall task in following a Colorado State legend.

"We've got some work to do," Fairchild said. "We're a ways away as a program, but I think we've got the staff in place, the plan in place. And I'm pretty confident we can get Colorado State back to be one of the elite teams in the Mountain West."

Fairchild draws on lessons he learned as part Lubick's staff. He was there at the beginning with Lubick in 1993, coaching the quarterbacks until 2000 and serving as offensive coordinator the final four seasons before heading to the NFL as an assistant.

Colorado State went from one of college football's worst programs to a Western Athletic and Mountain West conference power and gained national recognition by being ranked three times in the season-ending polls.

But the Rams began to falter in 2004, finishing each of the past four seasons without a winning record. The 2005 team went 6-6.

"There's not a player on our team that's had a winning record," Fairchild said.

As the program headed downward, Fairchild built his resume. He was the running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2001 and 2002, offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams from 2003 to 2005 and the offensive coordinator of the Bills in 2006 and 2007.

So Colorado State turned to its former quarterback to bring back the program and make it relevant once again.

Colorado State (2-2), which opens conference play at 11 a.m. PDT Saturday at home against UNLV (3-2, 0-1 MWC), is experiencing mixed results so far in Fairchild's first season.

The Rams' most impressive game was a 28-25 victory over Houston on Sept. 20, but they struggled to a three-point win over Sacramento State and were blown out by Colorado and California.

Even if improvement isn't immediately apparent, the players didn't have to wait to see a change. All they had to do was step on the practice field, where the tempo picked up several notches over where it had been in 2007.

"It's like an NFL tempo," said wide receiver Rashaun Greer, a Mojave High School graduate.

The 50-year-old Fairchild also demanded more discipline and accountability.

It reminded Farris of his days at Woodlawn High in football-mad Baton Rouge, La., where practices were intense.

"When Coach Fairchild coaches at practice, he stays on our butts," Farris said. "He's constantly on us. I'm used to that. I like it because it keeps us on our toes."

So maybe the Rams are on their way back.

Fairchild won't lay out a timetable for when victories again will be expected and the Rams will be closer to the top of the Mountain West standings than the bottom.

It's a smart move by Fairchild not to get ahead of himself. Lubick has half-jokingly said that since the field was named after him in 2003, winning became much more difficult.

It's not so easy now, either.

"I see very clearly where we are and where we need to go," Fairchild said. "I'm not sure how long it's going to take, but we're certainly headed in the right direction."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.