Colorado State had a 7-5 record last year, including a victory over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl.

The Rams have a bowl-caliber team and are one of the favorites this year in the Mountain West Conference. But they face a difficult early schedule. Check out the first five games: at Virginia, a neutral-site game vs. Colorado in Denver, at UCLA, at home vs. Louisville and QB Dave Ragone, and at Fresno State.

OFFENSE
Colorado State's four key performers are senior RB Cecil Sapp, senior WR Henri Childs, sophomore TE Joel Dreessen and junior QB Bradlee Van Pelt.

	Rams QB Bradlee Van Pelt completed 48 percent of his passes with 14 TDs in '01.

Sapp sat out last season because of a benign tumor on his right heel. His return gives the Rams a new dimension on offense, as he's one of the top senior running backs in the country. At 5-foot-11 and 225 pounds (up from 215), Sapp is primed for a great season.

Early returns from preseason practice indicate that Sapp is not only back to his pre-injury form but also stronger than he's ever been.

Childs, who was the lead running back last year in Sapp's absence, will move to wideout. He'll work mainly as the slot receiver while also serving as backfield insurance. Meanwhile, Dreessen (6-6, 250) is one of the team's best athletes. He will play more of an H-back. Dreessen, who can run after the catch and has good hands, had 22 catches last year.

Van Pelt, the son of former New York Giants LB Brad Van Pelt, didn't throw deep much last year. He completed just 48 percent of his passes with 14 TDs and 11 interceptions. He will try to stretch the field more this season while also utilizing his running skills via the option.

Van Pelt has some good receiving options beyond Dreessen. Juniors Eric Hill and Chris Pittman both have deep speed, while senior Joey Cuppari is an effective possession receiver.

The team's biggest strength is a large and talented offensive line, led by sophomore OT Eric Pears (6-8, 315).

DEFENSE
While senior DE Peter Hogan (3½ sacks last year) is the leader of the defense, a strong linebacking corps is the strength of the D. Junior LB Eric Pauly led the Mountain West with 112 tackles in 2001, and junior MLB Drew Wood is solid.

In the secondary, the Rams lost two key components to graduation: CB Justin Gallimore and S Jason Gallimore. The hard-nosed Gallimore brothers were big-play guys who also excelled on special teams.

The Rams look to be in good shape at the starting cornerbacks, though, with junior Dexter Wynn and senior Rhett Nelson. But there isn't much depth. There will be new starters at safety. David Vickers is moving from from outside linebacker to strong safety, while free safety up in air. Junior Rashaan Sanders, a converted running back, and sophomore Landon Jones are competing for the job.

OVERVIEW
Colorado State is one of the favorites in the Mountain West, but expect the Rams to be challenged seriously by BYU and Utah. UNLV, New Mexico and Air Force are also in the mix in a conference that goes six deep.

A big plus should be an improved offense, keyed by Sapp's return and Childs at the slot receiver, a more accurate Van Pelt, the speed of Hill and Pittman, and Dreessen at H-back. Having Sapp back healthy is the most essential ingredient.

The Rams must be careful that the rigorous schedule doesn't wear them out. Besides the five tough early games (see above), the Rams have rough road games in the Mountain West: at Air Force and at Utah (both in October). But they get BYU, New Mexico and UNLV at home later in the season. It's a long, 13-game schedule that begins Aug. 22 and ends Nov. 30.