Tag: college football season opener

Getting to know Texas Longhorns Week 1 opponent Colorado State

Get to know the Texas Longhorns 2024 college football season opener opponent, the Colorado State Rams.

Colorado State is a member of the Mountain West Conference, and its nickname is the Rams. CSU is a public land-grant research university, similar to Penn State and Michigan State.

It is located in Fort Collins, an hour’s drive north of Denver. However, let’s discuss the Rams football team heading into their week-one matchup with the Texas Longhorns.

The Colorado State football program’s third-year head coach, Jay Norvell, has an 8-16 record and is in charge of the Rams. Some Longhorns fans may know him because he was the 2011–2014 Oklahoma Sooners co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach before becoming the Texas Longhorns wide receivers coach in 2015. He became Nevada’s head coach from 2017 to 2021, and shortly after that, he took the head coaching job at CSU.

Last season, the Rams went 5-7 and missed out on a bowl game due to their season finale loss at Hawaii. They lost two road games by three or fewer points last season, as well as losing to their top rival Colorado on the road in double overtime.

This season, Coach Novrvell and the Rams appear to be heading in the right direction. They have the second highest recruiting class in the Mountain West, according to 247 Sports for the 2023 and 24 classes, as well as getting a commitment from a four star recruit like Dagan Myers.

Heading into this season, the Rams are predicted to finish fifth in the Mountain West in the media preseason poll. Players selected by the media for the preseason All-Mountain West offense team for Colorado State include wide receiver Tory Horton and offensive lineman Jacob Gardner. On defense, the media selected defensive back Jack Howell and linebacker Chase Wilson.

The top player on the Colorado State roster is Horton, whom some consider to be one of the best wide receivers in all of college football. Center Gardner anchors the offensive line for the Rams as CSU hopes to improve their run game this season. At quarterback for Colorado State is Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Although he threw for an impressive 3,460 yards (fourth-most in a season at CSU) and 22 touchdowns (fifth-most in a season at CSU), he also threw for 16 interceptions during the previous season.

Howell, a defensive safety for the Rams, anchors the Rams secondary. He is entering his third season and, according to some, can win the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024. Dom Jones also solidifies a strong secondary for the Rams, as a cornerback who had two interceptions last season and looks to increase that total this year. The leader of the Rams defense is Wilson, who is a redshirt senior linebacker and is a captain of the football team as well.

On special teams, the Rams kickers did not have outstanding seasons in 2023 but solid ones. The field goal kicker, Jordan Noyes, was 15-19 on field goals and was ten for ten from 39 yards and in.Β  CSU’s punter is Paddy Turner, who averaged 43.3 yards on his punts last season and, like Wilson, is one of the team’s captains this season.

Colorado State preseason rankings vary across different publications, such as ESPN ranking them 105 in their power index rankings and the NYTimes/Athletic having them ranked 86.

The game against Colorado State in the Longhorns season opener should go well for Texas, as they should win this game by four touchdowns or more, according to many media outlets. It is a home game against a decent group five opponent, unlike Oklahoma, which is playing Temple and will not be tested in their season opener, or Texas A&M, which is playing No. 7 ranked Notre Dame and is being challenged right out of the gate, the season opener for the Longhorns is a good in-between game to open their season.