Colorado State’s defense unraveled fast on Saturday, and Jim Mora Jr. didn’t wait long to make a move.
In a 56-point outing by Oregon State that ended in a 30-point loss for the Rams in Fort Collins, Colorado State switched defensive play-callers in the first half. Tyson Summers was relieved of that duty and replaced by Kenny McClendon, who sources told CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz will take over as the Rams’ new defensive coordinator.
Summers didn’t remain on the sideline after the change. He left and did not return.
“Tyson was relieved of his playcalling duties,” Mora told reporters after the game. “He left the field and is no longer with this football program.”
The move came mid-game, a rare coaching shakeup in the middle of live action. Summers started the afternoon on the sideline handling the defense, but once Mora made the switch, he was gone.
USA Sports sideline reporter Dalen Cuff said on the broadcast, via The Coloradan, that “co-defensive coordinator Kenny McClendon is calling the plays on the defensive side of the ball and has been since about midway through the first quarter. Tyson Summers, the normal DC and play-caller, has not been on the sideline since the first quarter.”
Colorado State’s defense didn’t show much sign of a reset after the switch. The Rams allowed 14 points in the first quarter, then gave up 21 in the second and another 21 in the second half as Oregon State kept piling it on.
And this wasn’t just a one-game problem. Colorado State entered the week ranked 129th nationally in scoring defense, giving up 34.3 points per game, and that number is only set to climb after surrendering 56 to the Beavers.
Mora, in his first season at Colorado State after leaving UConn, clearly decided he’d seen enough. The message was simple: the defense needed a new voice, and he wasn’t waiting until the final whistle to make it happen.
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