Tafuna didn't make CSU trip

BYU will go after CSU on Saturday without senior safety David Tafuna, who suffered a dislocated shoulder on Wednesday while fighting off a block during drills.

Tafuna did not make the flight to CSU with the team and will be replaced in the lineup by Andrew Rich, the defender who intercepted UNLV’s Omar Clayton on the last play of the game last week in LaVell Edwards Stadium.

The Rams will be without their leading tackler, strong safety Mike Pagnotta, who will have shoulder surgery this weekend, according to the local newspaper.

The absence of Pagnotta will give the Rams defense a big chore in slowing down the Cougars offense. The Rams have a safety-oriented defense and use those players a ton in the blitz packages and “inverting” the safeties for different looks in coverage.

It will be interesting to see which team is affected the most by the case of the missing safeties.

Rich had been seeing playing time prior to last Saturday and Tafuna’s absence will give him a chance to show his wares. Rich is taller than Tafuna and has similar speed. Rich is the slated backup for both Tafuna and Kellen Fowler at the other safety position.

Jeff Call and I arrived in Denver about three hours ago and after a stop at the famed Johnson’s Corners diner just outside of Fort Collins, we made our way to the team hotel where we are writing material for the paper.