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In comparison to the team that’s sharing its stadium on Saturday in the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats, which has nearly 30 players in the transfer portal, Colorado State’s six departures are small potatoes, but they’re impactful voids.

Colorado State will not have second-team All-Mountain West linebacker Buom Jock, who leads the Rams in tackles (100). CSU’s top wide receivers, Caleb Goodie and Jamari Person, both entered the transfer portal earlier this month.

Goodie, who transferred to Cincinnati, leads the Rams with 436 yards, while Person has the second-most receptions (36). In October, Colorado State lost receiver Tory Horton, a two-time All-Mountain West First-Team selection and CSU captain, to a season-ending leg injury. Goodie, Person and Horton combined for 1,226 snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Now the Rams are expected to heavily rely on senior receiver Dane Olson, who has 16 catches for 304 yards and a touchdown in 33 games in his CSU career, and redshirt sophomore Armani Winfield, who Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell said “is a really good player.� The 6-2, 205-pound Winfield played his first two seasons at Baylor, then transferred to CSU, where he posted a career-high and team-best 37 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns.

“All the young kids are going to get a chance,� Norvell said after Colorado State’s practice at Kino Sports Complex on Thursday. “We’re excited about all of those young receivers. They’re athletic and they just haven’t gotten as many opportunities as some of our older kids. We’re excited to see them play well this game.�

Another potential breakout receiver for Colorado State could be freshman Jordan Ross, who played in the Snoop Youth Football League growing up in Los Angeles.

“He’s a talented (and) young freshman,� Norvell said of Ross. “He’ll get his opportunities. He’s done a really nice job every time he has played. His role will be a lot bigger for Saturday. We’re excited. He’s one of our guys for the future and he’s like a lot of great players from L.A. He’s a young and athletic guy that can do a lot of great things.�

Ross has 139 offensive snaps under his belt in his first season at Colorado State. Goodie, Person and Horton were “great players� to learn from this season, said Ross.

“They always held my head high when I felt low,� Ross said. “They were leaders for me, especially as a young guy.�

For Ross, playing in the Snoop Dogg ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl is “an opportunity to step up to the stage and perform with the talent that God gave me. That’s just how I feel,â€� he said.

The Rams aren’t the only ones dealing with players leaving the program for other opportunities.

Miami is feeling the pinch of the portal, too.

The RedHawks have lost , including four key starters. Receivers Javon Tracy and Reggie Virgil were first- and second-team , respectively. Cornerback Raion Strader also was a first-teamer. Will Jados started all 13 games this season at left tackle.

Virgil and Jados are headed to Texas Tech. Tracy is transferring to Minnesota. Strader is bound for Auburn.

Miami coach Chuck Martin said the four players stand to make about $2.5 million in NIL at their new schools.

“I feel bad that we lost some good players in the portal. I’m happy for those kids. They got very lucrative contracts to leave,â€� Martin said Thursday after Miami’s practice at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium. “But I don’t feel bad for the kids that have been waiting to play. That’s why they came here. They came here to play football.â€�

Martin said his expectation for their replacements is “that they compete their tails off.�

“Your time comes at different times,� he said. “This is their time.�

The expected substitute starters are Drew Terrill at left tackle; Kam Perry and Cole Weaver at receiver; and Toney Coleman Jr. at cornerback. Terrill and Perry are redshirt sophomores; Weaver is a redshirt freshman; and Coleman is a true freshman.

Terrill, Perry and Weaver each have one career start. Coleman has none.

“Either you go out there and you’re a guy, or you’re not,� Martin said. “It’s not like, ‘Well, he’s young, he’s inexperienced.’ No. Players play. Good players are good players. So this is an unbelievable opportunity for those kids.

“It’s pretty cool. Your first chance is at a bowl game in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, so we’re excited to see what they can do.â€�

Rush week

Martin believes the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl will be decided “in the trenches.â€�

He had high praise for CSU’s rushing offense and defense. Both units rank sixth in the Mountain West Conference — but could have been higher if the regular season had ended differently.

CSU was held to 87 and 84 yards, respectively, in its final two games vs. Fresno State and Utah State. Before that, the Rams had averaged 187.6 yards per game on the ground.

CSU surrendered 296 rushing yards in the season finale vs. USU (a game the Rams rallied to win 42-37). That was more than double the defense’s average yield in the first 11 games (142.2).

“Offensively, they really run the ball,� Martin said. “Everything starts with the run. The run sets up the pass.

“Defensively, they’re really good at stopping the run. They’re a really good tackling team. They’re really physical.

“They’re really good on both sides of the ball up front. It’ll be a tall task for us.�

Miami ranked eighth in the MAC in rushing offense (129.0 yards per game) and third in rushing defense (136.9) entering Thursday’s bowl games.

Extra points

• The most notable element to Miami’s team “is just how solid they are,â€� Norvell said on Thursday. Added Norvell: “They’re a well-coached team, they don’t make mistakes and they play great together. They won seven straight at the end of the (regular season). ... That’s a credit to their coaching and their team and seniors by the way they ended the season.â€�
• Norvell said, “It’s an honor to be here in this game and be here in this city to represent Colorado State and play another team from a great conference. It’s a privilege and it’s something these guys will remember for the rest of their lives. When they get to be old like me, they won’t care much about the sweats and all of the things they did, they just want to know that they won the game. ... Only six teams in the history of our school have ever won bowl games, so they can really separate themselves from the rest of the pack by winning.â€�
• Norvell, on his blue car mechanic-inspired shirt that he wears to practice: “It’s just a reminder that we’re going to work. We’re a blue-collared program and we roll up our sleeves and go to work every day. It’s a reminder of what practice is all about.â€�
• Martin said his team has enjoyed the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl experience so far. The RedHawks arrived Tuesday and spent Christmas in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. They’re staying at The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa. “Amazing is an understatement,â€� Martin said. “The resort is probably the nicest place I’ve ever stayed.â€� Both teams were headed to Old ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ on Thursday evening and will participate in a downtown pep rally Friday evening.
• ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium will have a different look for the bowl game. The center of the field features a giant Snoop Dogg ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Bowl Presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop logo. The end zones and out-of-bounds areas also have been repainted. Snoop Dogg signage has been affixed around the lower bowl.