Colorado State head coach Jim Mora Jr. confirmed that defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was replaced as the team’s defensive play caller during the first half of their brutal 56-26 blowout loss to Oregon State on Saturday night. It wasn’t a post-game decision, folks, this thing went down mid-game, and reporters on the scene noted Summers didn’t even come back to the sidelines. Talk about an immediate change.
The Blowout That Broke the Rams’ Backs
You saw the score: 56-26. That’s not just a loss, that’s a defensive collapse of epic proportions. Oregon State shredded Colorado State’s defense for a staggering 727 yards of total offense on 71 plays. Their QB, Braden Atkinson, was practically perfect, going 30-of-34 passing for 413 yards and slinging five touchdowns. And if that wasn’t enough, the Beavers also tore up the ground game, rushing for 291 yards as a team on 36 carries. When your defense is giving up those kinds of numbers, something has to give, and apparently, for Colorado State, it gave during halftime. Kenny McClendon stepped in to take over the defensive play-calling duties, and CBS Sports is reporting he’s officially the new defensive coordinator.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Defense in Crisis
This wasn’t some isolated bad game. This Colorado State defense has been a mess. Heading into Week 5, they were already ranked a dismal 129th out of 138 teams in scoring defense, letting up an average of 34.2 points per game. But it gets worse. They were somehow allowing 7.4 yards per play. Seven point four! That’s just unsustainable. That kind of defensive performance is why they’re now sitting at a disappointing 2-3 record. This change, while abrupt, clearly stems from a systemic problem that’s been festering.
A Quick Exit for Summers
Tyson Summers had been with Colorado State since 2025. He was the defensive coordinator under Jay Norvell in 2025 and even served as the interim coach after Norvell got the axe midway through that season. This year was his first working alongside Jim Mora Jr., who took over as head coach at the end of the 2025 season. Summers had a long history as a defensive assistant before coming to CSU, including a two-year stint leading Georgia Southern back in 2016 and 2017. But none of that mattered Saturday night when the defense just couldn’t stop Oregon State.
Now with Kenny McClendon officially taking over as the new defensive coordinator, you gotta wonder what this means for the Rams’ season. Can they turn around a defense ranked 129th in the country, or is this just the start of a longer rebuild? They’re sitting at 2-3, and that D needs a serious overhaul.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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