Sep 43 min read

Ultimate Takeaways From Texas Longhorns' Dominant Victory

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns continued to roll off the momentum of last year's College Football Playoff appearance with a 52-0 win over Colorado State on Aug. 31, starting the season 1-0 for the sixth straight year as they enter the Southeastern Conference.

The Longhorns dominated the game and even got to rest their starters in the second half ahead of their heavily-anticipated trip to No. 10 Michigan to face the defending champion Wolverines (1-0) at the Big House.

Here are a few takeaways from Texas' season-opening win.

1. Longhorns Are Contenders

The SEC's top teams had an impressive weekend, and Texas' performance was one of the best. The Longhorns defense held Colorado State to just 192 total yards and forced 2 turnovers, while the offense scored on almost every possession.

Yes, there are greater challenges ahead, particularly in conference play, but the way Texas played last Saturday should set the Longhorns up nicely for the long run—especially with a favorable schedule that only includes two currently ranked matchups that will not require Texas to leave its home state.

2. Running Game Is No Problem

Many questioned the affect injuries to CJ Baxter and Christian Clark would have on the Texas offense, especially after star running back Jonathon Brooks left for the NFL. However, the Longhorns' running game did not miss a beat as it ran for 190 yards and three scores on the day.

Freshman Jerrick Gibson ended up as the team's leading rusher, while Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner handled most of the carries in the first half. Blue led all SEC running backs in avoided tackle rate over the weekend and appears poised for a breakout year despite briefly leaving Saturday's contest with an injury.

3. Retooled Offense

Similarly, the Longhorns had to replace much of their production in the passing game, and if Saturday's play was any indication, they have another elite passing attack. Junior quarterback Quinn Ewers was 20-of-27 passing for 260 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception, and looked every bit like a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.

Transfers Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden each scored at least 1 touchdown in their team debuts, and others like sophomore Johntay Cook II and tight end Gunnar Helm stepped up as well.

4. Defense Is Still Stout

As mentioned above, the Longhorns shut out the Rams and held the CSU offense to less than 200 yards. What's even more impressive is the Rams had just 74 passing yards despite having a future Mountain West Conference legend and NFL hopeful in Tory Horton.

Defensive tackles Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat were critical players along the defensive line for the Longhorns last season and left massive shoes to fill. While no single player in particular stood out because of the blowout, Texas' defensive line continued its recent trend of dominating on the defensive front. They did allow a 100-yard rusher, but the longest run CSU had on the day was 13 yards.

5. Manning Madness

Ewers is still the Texas starting quarterback, but Arch Manning is the most popular backup quarterback in the country. Manning entered the game for the second possession of the second half and immediately completed a 40-yard pass to Cook II to set up another Texas touchdown.

The redshirt freshman led two scoring drives and completed 5-of-6 of his pass attempts for 95 yards and a score to Bolden. Madness will break out in Austin, Texas whenever he assumes the full-time starting job. Hopefully, he's equipped to handle it.