Colorado State fires defensive coordinator Tyson Summers mid-game in Oregon State rout

Colorado State head coach Jim Mora relieved defensive coordinator Tyson Summers of his play-calling duties mid-game on Saturday, and confirmed after the Rams’ 56-26 rout by Oregon State that Summers’ tenure in Fort Collins is over (Reuters, Sports Illustrated).

“Tyson was relieved of his play-calling duties. He left the field, and he is no longer with this football program,” Mora said postgame. “That is permanent.”

The change came in the first half as Oregon State piled up the yards — the Beavers led 35-14 at halftime and finished with 650 yards of total offense, 223 on the ground and 427 through the air, as quarterback Braden Atkinson went 31-of-34 passing with five touchdowns. Play-calling passed to associate head coach and defensive line coach Kenny McClendon, who Mora said will be defensive coordinator for the rest of the season.

Summers, 46, returned to Colorado State as defensive coordinator in 2025 under Jay Norvell and took over as interim head coach after Norvell was fired seven games into last season, finishing 0-5. He previously served as head coach at Georgia Southern and as defensive coordinator at UCF, Colorado and Western Kentucky.

Colorado State (2-3) opened the season with wins over Wyoming and Southern Utah, conceding 37 points in total. In the three losses since — to BYU, UTSA and Oregon State — the Rams have surrendered 156 points, an average of 52 per game. Mora, 64, was hired from UConn last autumn, where he rebuilt the struggling programme in four seasons.