The Texas Longhorns offense looked to be in mid-season form against a Colorado State team that was clearly out of their league in the season opener for both teams.
The Longhorns racked up 545 yards of total offense in a 3-hour scoring barrage and a 52-0 shutout against the Rams under clear blue skies in Austin.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw strikes to anybody he could and completed 74 percent of his passes for 260 yards and 3 TDs.
With the game well in hand, Arch Manning replaced Ewers late in the third quarter. Manning showed crispness on his passes and some improvisation when he led the Longhorns on a scoring drive.
The running back room, decimated by injuries in fall camp, stepped up big time for the Longhorns. Jerrick Gibson and Quintrevion Wisner each scored rushing touchdowns. As a group, the Texas running backs gained almost 200 yards on the ground.
The group of transfer wide receivers did not disappoint. Isaiah Bond (from Alabama) and Silas Bolden (from Oregon State) each hauled in a touchdown pass, while Matthew Golden (from Houston) caught two of Ewers’s passes for TDs. Golden also contributed on special teams adding 26 yards on kickoff returns.
The offensive line for Texas performed well, allowing just one sack on the day.
Texas now turns its attention to Week 2. The competition gets “tougher” next Saturday as the Longhorns travel to Ann Arbor to take on the once mighty Wolverines.
Michigan returns no more than 40 percent of their total production from last season’s national championship team. Texas and Michigan have met only once, a 38-37 win in the Rose Bowl in 2005.