The Texas Longhorns made a statement with a 52-0 shutdown season opener win against Colorado State. It was widely expected that Texas would defeat the Rams at home to begin the 2024 season but a dominant performance by the Longhorns exceeded many fans and alums expectations.
Here is a look at the five takeaways from the Texas Longhorns season opening victory over the Colorado State Rams.
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1. Longhorns dominate 2nd quarter
After the first quarter, Texas was leading 7-0 and the game was looking like it would not be a blowout victory for the Longhorns. However, in the second quarter, the Texas offense came alive. After Longhorn field goal kicker Bert Auburn made a 45-yard field goal to have Texas go up 10-0, the Texas offense began to produce touchdown after touchdown. With just under six minutes until halftime, Matthew Golden, on a pass from Quinn Ewer, found the endzone to put the Longhorns up 17-0.
Moments later, with just under two minutes to halftime, Isaiah Bond caught a 7-yard pass from Ewers to extend the Longhorns lead to 24-0. Then, just when you thought that Texas would just go into halftime with a comfortable lead, Golden catches his second touchdown pass of the day, this time an 11-yard pass from Ewers to have the Longhorns go into halftime with a 31-0 lead.
2. Dominant Texas defense
In total, the Texas Longhorns defense only allowed 74 total passing yards, denying Colorado State’s quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, who threw for over 3,400 yards last season, any opportunities to get the Rams passing game to get any momentum. The Longhorns defense limited the Rams offense to only 11 first downs, 5 for 14 on third down conversations, and did not allow Colorado State to convert any fourth down attempts.
Texas also created two turnovers, with Jahdae Barron returning an interception for 30 yards to Ram terroitory and Gavin Holmes recovering a fumble late in the game. The Longhorns rush defense limited Colorado State’s rushing attack to only 118 yards. Most importantly, they allowed zero points and opened the season with a shutout.
3. The most famous back up QB in college football played well
Yes, Arch Manning played, and he played well in the Longhorns win over Colorado State. Near the end of the third quarter, Manning completed a pass to Johntay Cook II for 40 yards to the Rams nine-yard line. Manning, after scrambling, found Silas Bolden for a 5-yard touchdown reception to put the Longhorns up 45-0.
Manning was not done for the day as he had the last touchdown of the game for Texas as he ran 1 yard for a touchdown. He ended the game completing five for six passes for 95 yards with two touchdowns.
4. Texas Longhorns looks like a team that can win the SEC
Georgia looked great in their win against Clemson in their season opener but the Longhorns looked near flawless for three quarters and dominated the entire game against Colorado State in their season opener. Texas has a very favorable schedule in SEC play, with Georgia coming to Austin and the Longhorns having only three true conference road games, one of them being in the state of Texas against the Aggies.
Texas has to play three current ranked SEC teams in conference play but the way they played in their season opener with their defense playing lights out and having a Heisman candidate at quarterback with experience is a solid pathway to challenging Georgia for the SEC title in their first year as members of the conference.
The Longhorns in their first game displayed laser focus, strong discipline, and near-perfect execution on offense, defense and special teams. This Texas team looked like they were on a mission to not only get back to the college football playoffs but to seriously contend for the SEC title.
5. Texas running game appears to be on solid ground
Many Texas fans had a sigh of relief seeing Jerrick Gibson, Jaydon Blue, and Quintrevion Wisner run the ball well for Texas against the Colorado State’s defense front seven. Their individual numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet but combined, they rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns on only 26 carries.
The news of CJ Baxter being out possibly for the entire season with an injury had some Texas fans worried about the Longhorns rushing game entering the season. However, Blue and Gibson were able to move the ball on the ground for the Texas offense, which allowed Ewers and the Longhorns passing game to thrive against the Rams secondary.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: 5 Takeaways from Texas Longhorns win over Colorado State
