Colorado State University moved to 2-0 in the West DIA after an impressive 30-26 defeat of the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

CSU now leads the West DIA and is the only team not to have suffered a loss.

“We feel awesome about how we’re playing,” said CSU Rugby club president Daniel Hyatt. “We know there’s always room for improvement, But we’ve got a good elite side with a lot of depth, with some good veteran team leadership.”

The guy who is probably CSU’s best player, capped USA 7s player Ben Pinkelman, isn’t even playing for the team - he’s had shoulder surgery. And yet, they are playing some inspired rugby under Head Coach Justin Mort. Pinkelman is helping at practices, and Hyatt said it’s starting to come together.

“We’ve got a new playing style and we’re starting to figure it out,” said Hyatt. “We’ve very excited for it. Against Air Force we just played fluidly and as a team. When we didn’t play that way, Air Force jumped on us.”

Despite making small errors through the game, CSU held on to win it, and lay claim to being the top team in the conference, so far.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with the Rams taking an early 5-0 lead and the Zoomies tying it up. CSU nudged ahead with a penalty, and then another try, but Air Force replied with a converted try to make it 15-12.

In the second half, Colorado State punished an Air Force yellow card with two tries and a 27-19 lead. Air Force scored to cut the lead to 27-26, but a drop goal finished the game off for the Rams.

Hyatt praised a team effort, but added that prop Jared Beerlire is playing some superb rugby at the moment.

“He may be undersized, but he’s one of the best props in the entire nation,” said Hyatt.

Center Liam Wynne also had a big game. But a key addition has been former Michigan standout Joel Conzelmann. After graduating from Michigan, Conzelmann had a year of eligibility left and is attending grad school at CSU. His reading of the game and his composure has been impressive. He was the one with the drop goal at the end of the game which ensure Air Force needed a try to win it.

Also on Saturday, Colorado rebounded from last week’s loss to CSU with a 28-21 victory over a tough Utah State team. An early try from fullback Nicholas Sinclair got the Buffaloes going, and Caleb Marks added a try midway through the first half. Utah State didn’t get on the scoreboard until the second half, but tries from prop Grayson Jones and wing Ben Hirschman, with Jared Reich converting the first two tries and conversions also from Eli Mackay and Chris Nelson, put CU up 28-7. Utah State finished strong, and CU will be wondering about how their subs bench struggled to hold the line. Two tries put USU within a score, but that was it.

So with the season 40% done, CSU has defeated what looks to be their two toughest opponents, and that puts the Rams in a commanding position, with Utah State next week, Wyoming two weeks after that, and then New Mexico November 5.