Despite the anticipation, Texas football’s No. 4 team must concentrate to play up to par against Colorado State.

For Texas football heading into the 2024 season, avoiding a hangover from their previous season’s success is paramount. In his fourth season as head coach, Steve Sarkisian has more expectations than ever before.

Texas has its highest preseason rating since 2009 as it begins this season rated fourth in the initial AP and Coach’s polls. Nick Saban, the former renowned head coach of Alabama, selected the Longhorns to play the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game as they begin their first season in the Southeastern Conference.

The group will need to tune out not just the outside expectations but also the distractions of game day. It’s not just Texas’ first SEC game; it’s also the 100th anniversary of football games at Texas Memorial Stadium, home of Darrell K. Royal. In addition, Texas will commemorate the 2024 Paris Olympians and celebrate their victory in the Learfield Directors’ Cup on Saturday.

Sarkisian remarked, “There are a lot of really cool things happening this season.” When you consider all the great teams, players, and coaches in the moments that have happened at the stadium, “of course, the 100th anniversary of DKR, which is a tremendous honor to be the head coach to play in the 100th season here.”

In spite of this, Texas is already under siege. The pass defense, the weakest aspect of the 2023 Longhorns, will be put to the test right away.

The Colorado State Rams will also be bringing a potent air-raid offense to Austin on Saturday. According to official NCAA statistics from 2023, Texas’ pass defense was ranked 113th overall and allowed over 254 yards per game through the air. The Rams lived up to the label “air raid,” finishing seventh out of 133 FBS schools in 2023 passing attempts per game.

Sarkisian declared, “We’ve got a very tough opponent.” “Colorado State’s coach Jay Norvell has done an excellent job of rebuilding that program.” Although there were several close games that could have gone any way, they were five and seven last year.

With multiple additions from the transfer site, the Texas secondary will have its work cut out for it. Tory Horton, a graduate wide receiver, is one of the most exciting players in the country that the Rams add to their roster. With over 94 yards and an average of eight receptions per game the previous season, Horton led the Mountain West in receiving yards per game. His role in head coach Norvell’s air-raid offense is crucial.

Senior defensive back Michael Taaffe said of Harrison, “He’s long, he’s fast, he has really good routes, and then he goes up and gets the ball.” “Wherever the receivers can make a play on the ball, that’s where (the) quarterback places it. As a result, it presents a great task for us secondarily. Last year, they ranked among the top 15 in the nation for passing.

Sarkisian has highlighted Horton’s offensive and special teams threat. Horton made his name as a potent kick returner last season when he returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

The Texas offense is anticipated to be playing at full tilt, even though Horton and the Rams will put the pass defense to the test early. Quinn Ewers, the junior quarterback who is returning for his third season as the starting quarterback, led Texas’ attack, which finished the 2023 season averaging over 477 yards per game, ranking them seventh nationwide. The explosive Longhorns attack is anticipated to score in line with the 415 yards per game average that the Rams’ defense allowed them to score.

For Saturday’s game, both offenses will be on full show, but Colorado State’s game plan—throwing the ball a lot—will need to be stopped by a revamped Texas secondary.

Examining the Rivals: Two Players to Keep an Eye on from Colorado State.

Although Colorado State’s Mountain West record of 5-7 last season does not tell the whole story. The Rams had a 3-3 record in one-possession games, including a Boulder, Colorado, overtime loss to in-state rivals Colorado. If Colorado State had won another game by one possession, they would have qualified for the bowl. The fact that Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell regularly spreads the field with four or five wide receivers to stretch the defense makes his attack a true air raid. The players in charge of the air raid system as well as the defense backs in Texas, who were by no means the best group on the club the previous season, will put them to the test.

In his first season as a starter, redshirt sophomore quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi was only sacked 12 times in 470 pass attempts, indicating that he thrived on short routes and quick dropbacks last year. The Rams’ hopes of hanging with the Longhorns on Saturday will depend on their ability to stop bad offensive plays. Colorado State’s defense was weak last year, especially against the pass. Although Fowler-Nicolosi had a good 2023 campaign, the Longhorns may have issues on Saturday against his two outside playmakers, one of whom Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian recruited.

Winfield Armani Prior to Sarkisian’s second season with the program, Winfield, a redshirt sophomore from Lewisville, Texas, switched his commitment from Texas to Baylor. But after making little progress with the Bears, the former four-star prospect decided to move to Colorado State during the 2024 offseason. Sarkisian still regards Winfield with great respect and acknowledges the external threat he may present. “We’re familiar with Armani. We brought him in, and he made a commitment to this place a few years prior,” Sarkisian stated. “The addition of him is helpful for them.”

Taller, longer-framed prospect at outside receiver with a long stride. Use space in a lean build to add some mass. lengthens stride, which increases vertical field-stretching ability and builds speed downfield. Can get quicker off the line more consistently, but he can accelerate effectively for a larger wideout and exhibits the necessary top-end speed to be a big-play threat. Excellent output for a sophomore. faces fierce competition compared to the high school level (Texas 6A). can increase abruptness to optimize route running skills and separation ability. will also aid in more effectively utilizing DBs during breaks. Prospective wide receiver in the top major leagues with the ability to make an impact at the P5 level. Potential for the NFL Draft is part of the long-term ceiling.”

Winfield will get his chance to compete at the university level this season, but Texas supporters are hoping he won’t have a breakout game in Austin on Saturday.

Horton Tory The Rams’ top receiver from the previous season, Tory Horton, is another weapon that Texas will need to neutralize. With over 1,100 receiving yards in each of the previous two seasons, Horton was Fowler-Nicolosi’s top target and was named to the first team of the Mountain West in 2023.