Staff Predictions: No 4. Texas Longhorns vs. Colorado State Rams

The No. 4 Texas Longhorns are back in action on Saturday, opening their 2024 college football season by hosting Colorado State. The heavily-favored Longhorns (-32.5 points) are playing the Rams for just the second time in program history and hope to improve their record to 2-0 against CSU following the conclusion of Saturday’s contest in Austin.

Texas will learn a lot about their team strengths, depth and areas in which they need to improve, but they must play well enough to pick up the win before turning their focus to Week 2 at Michigan. Colorado State has not produced a winning record since 2017 but there is optimism in Fort Collins for a turnaround this season, and Rams fans know an upset win over the Longhorns would be a great start.

Does Colorado State have what it takes to march into Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium and steal a win? Will the Longhorns pick up where they left off last season and continue their winning ways? The HornSports Staff gives their thoughts on how the game will play out and predictions on the final score.

Jameson McCausland (0-0)

If we rewind to a year ago, Texas was set to play Rice before traveling to Alabama in week 2. The performance against the Owls was less than inspiring, with Texas pulling out a 37-10 win that saw the Longhorns have to kick four field goals and look disjointed offensively in the first half. It ultimately proved to be a small blip on the radar as Texas won at Alabama the following week en route to an 11-1 regular season finish. This Colorado State team is likely a little better than the Rice team from 2023, but there are some similarities in the circumstances around the game, with Texas set to travel to Michigan next weekend.

Tory Horton is a stud at receiver and someone Texas should be concerned with at all times on Saturday. The Rams will have no problem throwing the ball 40+ times and seeing if they can break through a Texas secondary that was inconsistent a season ago. On defense, the Rams have a few nice individual players but shouldn’t put up much resistance for the Texas offense.

The 32.5-point spread seems about right, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Texas be perfectly content cycling through a lot of players on both sides of the ball and not getting too concerned with style points or running up the score. 

I expect Colorado State to make a few splash plays, but Texas should be able to overwhelm the Rams over the course of 60 minutes.

Score Prediction: Texas 45, Colorado State 14

Aaron Carrara (0-0)

Texas carries over a very potent offense from last season, led by preseason Heisman contender, quarterback Quinn Ewers. Colorado State had a challenging season defensively last year, finishing 98th nationally in total defense but made some offseason moves in the portal that should help them improve. I still expect Ewers to have a big day in connecting with the new wide receivers on the Texas roster before being replaced by the backups sometime in the second half.

Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi will challenge the Texas secondary in the air, particularly on his throws to the Rams’ playmaking receiver Tory Horton. The Texas defense lost several key starters and all eyes will be on Pete Kwiatkowski’s unit to see how they have overcome those losses both at the line of scrimmage and in the secondary.

As far as playing time and the roster is concerned, Steve Sarkisian mentioned they will play two and possibly even three deep in the first half. The goal for the Colorado State game is to get the win while getting as many players as possible playing time in preparation for a following week trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan and a treacherous slate of upcoming SEC games.

The Longhorns easily handle the Rams and improve to 4-0 in season openers under Sarkisian.

Score Prediction: Texas 38, Colorado State 13

Devon Messinger (0-0)

After months of waiting, the return of Texas Longhorns football is finally here. Despite a handful of familiar faces, this year’s roster features an abundance of new faces. Even so, the expectations are even higher this season and the journey starts with Colorado State.

On Saturday, expect Quinn Ewers to spin the rock early and often, incorporating multiple receivers into the game plan. Furthermore, expect a big performance from Longhorns running back Jaydon Blue, who takes over as the clear starting running back after an injury to CJ Baxter prior to the start of the season. Overall, it will be interesting to see how Steve Sarkisian manages the season opener as balances his passing attack with an inexperienced running back room behind Blue.

Defensively, my eyes are on Texas’ edge rushers who will have their first opportunity to prove to fans that they have improved their ability to bring down opposing quarterbacks. Lastly, the secondary will have a decent challenger in Colorado State’s quarterback, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who thrived when throwing to his favorite target, Tory Horton, last season.

Scdore Prediction: Texas 41, Colorado State 13

Dylan DeRaud (0-0)

Colorado State’s defense faces a tough challenge against Texas, especially after losing star DE Mohammad Kamara, last season’s Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, to the NFL. Kamara’s departure leaves a big gap in their pass rush. Without Kamara’s presence, the Rams will struggle mightily to put pressure on Quinn Ewers, giving Texas the opportunity to control the game from the start. Expect the Longhorns’ offense, led by Kelvin Banks and the O-line, to dominate early, with the run game setting the tone. This game will add even more fuel to the already blazing expectations for Texas.

Score Prediction: Texas 45, Colorado State 14.

Marc Henry (0-0)

Texas, entering the season ranked No. 4, has high expectations as they transition into the SEC. Colorado State, while coming off a 5-7 season, presents some challenges, particularly with their dynamic quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and his top target, Tory Horton.

The Rams’ defense, anchored by the tackling machine Jack Howell, will look to disrupt Texas’s offense. The Longhorns’ depth and big play potential at wide receiver give them the offensive firepower to put up points. Led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas will have a veteran presence under center in the season opener. The Longhorns will look to establish a solid ground game featuring Jaydon Blue, which should give them the upper hand. On defense, players like Anthony Hill Jr. , Malik Muhammad and Jahdae Barron are expected to be difference-makers.

Score Prediction: Texas 31, Colorado State 14

Mitch Lovell (0-0)

The Longhorns are just too much for Colorado State on a hot day in Austin. Expect the offense to go to work early and often while keeping things in the bag for Michigan. The defense will show early it’s a different unit from the 2023 defense and the secondary will have multiple takeaways.

Score Prediction: Texas 48, Colorado State 10