AUSTIN (AP) — Quinn Ewers passed for 260 yards and three touchdowns and No. 4 Texas rolled past Colorado State 52-0 on Saturday in the opener for both teams.
Ewers connected with Matthew Golden for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter, and had another strike to Isaiah Bond as the Longhorns built a 31-0 lead by halftime.
A big question for Texas heading into this season was just how quickly Ewers and Texas would find their rhythm in a passing attack that lost the top five receivers from the 2023 Big 12 championship team. Texas joined the Southeastern Conference this year.
Golden transferred from Houston and Bond from Alabama, and Ewers and his rebuilt receiving corps easily carved up the Rams. After a slow start that included a stalled drive and an interception on Texas’ first three possessions, Texas scored 24 points in the second quarter.
Ewers spread passes around 10 different receiving and had 248 yards passing by halftime. He completed 20 of 27 passes before leaving the game for Arch Manning midway through the third quarter.
Manning’s first drive started with a 40-yard pass to Johntay Cook II. It ended with Manning’s first career TD pass, a scrambling 5-yard toss to Silas Bolden, another transfer from Oregon State, that made it 45-0.
The takeaway
Colorado State: The Rams have an elite receiver in Tory Horton, but he shut down by a smothering Texas defense. Horton had five catches for 31 yards and the only deep ball thrown his way was intercepted. Colorado State did not cross the Texas 49 until the final two minutes.
Texas: Coming off last season’s appearance in the College Football Playoff, Texas has its highest season-opening ranking since 2010 and Saturday was a breeze against the overmatched Rams. The lofty ranking and expectations will be put to the test next week at No. 9 Michigan, and later when the Longhorns eventually start their first Southeastern Conference schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 28.
Up next
Colorado State: Hosts Northern Colorado on Sept. 7
Texas: At No. 9 Michigan on Sept. 7 in the first matchup between the two historic powerhouse programs since the 2004 Rose Bowl.