LARAMIE – Neither side of the Border War produced any bulletin-board material for the other on Monday.
 
Jim Mora played in the Apple Cup as a defensive back and linebacker at Washington.
 
During Mora's time at UCLA, he posted a 3-3 record against cross-city rival USC. In his NFL days, his Atlanta Falcons went 3-3 against NFC South rival New Orleans.
 
But the first-year Colorado State head coach didn't have a lot to say about facing Wyoming on Saturday at Canvas Stadium (4 p.m., USA).
 
Mora would not reveal who his starting quarterback will be against the Cowboys. CSU's roster doesn't even list the heights and weights of its players.
 
"It is my experience, that the best thing you can do with any game, so that you avoid ups and downs during a season that you see with teams, is to keep it about us and not about the things that we can't control, the noise that's outside," Mora said. "I've been involved with some pretty significant rivalries, and I've always felt like the best thing we can do is just be the best that we can be on that day.
 
"And in order to be the best we can be on that day, it's about focusing on the process each day leading up to that day, taking care of what we can control, not worrying about the things we can't control, and just going out and playing good, sound, fundamental, disciplined, tough, hard-nosed, smart football."
 
Jay Sawvel released a depth chart ahead of his Monday press conference, but there are still plenty of positions with "or" between the names, as UW's third-year head coach wants to see key positional battles at cornerback, wide receiver and elsewhere continue this week.
 
There is no secret about who will be behind center for the Pokes. Tyler Hughes will be charged with executing new offensive coordinator Christian Taylor's game plan.
 
Following last Saturday's evening practice, the William & Mary graduate transfer was burning the midnight oil in the High Altitude Performance Center.
 
"There weren't any Saturday night plans for Tyler Hughes," Sawvel said. "His plan was involving video. He's very, very talented. He's going to be very, very excited to play. Now what we've got to do is make sure that we channel all that the right direction."
 
These two rivals have officially headed in different directions from a conference standpoint.
 
The Rams will be playing their first game as a member of the Pac-12. The Cowboys are one of four remaining founding members of the Mountain West.
 
The two programs were able to schedule this meeting as a non-conference game, continuing an 81-year streak of consecutive seasons in which they have played.
 
"There's a lot of people in college football today that have to make up a rival, or they have to create a rival," Sawvel noted. "We don't, and they don't. I think that's a big thing."
 
CSU leads the all-time series, which dates to 1899, 60-52-5. UW has a 47-33 edge since the end of World War II and has won eight of the last 10 meetings.
 
Since the Bronze Boot was introduced into the rivalry in 1968, the Cowboys have a 32-26 advantage, including last year's 28-0 win over the Rams in Laramie.
 
This will be the first Border War to open a season since 1964, when UW prevailed 31-7 at War Memorial Stadium. CSU defeated the Pokes 33-0 in 1923, the last time the two teams opened a season against each other in Fort Collins.
 
Since Mora and Sawvel are wisely holding their cards close to the vest, here is how two of the greatest coaches to roam the sidelines in the series described the importance of the Border War.
 
"I coached against a few guys at Wyoming, and they were all good people. But all of the sudden the gun goes off, and the seniors run over to get the Boot. As a coach, you're happy for them, but the real celebration comes when you get into the locker room," Sonny Lubick, who posted an 11-4 record against UW from 1993-2007, said in the Border War book. "Beating Wyoming down here my last game, as a staff we were all on the hot seat at that time. To see our team play that hard, which they did all year, was good to see."
 
Paul Roach's Pokes beat CSU three times by a combined score of 124-64 from 1987-89. Then undefeated and 19th-ranked UW lost 17-8 at Hughes Stadium in 1990, which stung Roach during his final season.
 
"It was never difficult to get up for the game," Roach, who died in 2023, once said of playing the Rams. "But it was awful difficult if you lost."
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
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