Quinn Ewers threw three touchdown passes as No. 4 Texas needed a quarter to get its high-octane offense warmed up in a 52-0 win against Colorado State on Saturday in Austin, Texas, in the season opener for both teams.
In just over three quarters, Ewers was 20-for-27 passing for 260 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. The Texas’ offense compiled 545 total yards while the defense held Colorado State to 192 total yards and 11 first downs. It was the first season-opening shutout for Texas since 2004 and the first time the Rams have been shut out in 11 years.
After a punt on their first possession, the Longhorns scored on seven of their next eight drives. It started with a 3-yard touchdown run by Quintrevion Wisner that capped a four play, 64-yard drive at 9:36 in the first quarter to give Texas a 7-0 lead.
On the Longhorns’ next possession, as Ewers escaped the pocket, his pass was tipped by Rams defensive lineman James Mitchell and intercepted by Chase Wilson with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Texas’ defense forced another punt. Rams punter Paddy Turned bobbled the snap, decided to run and was stopped short of the first down. Texas took over on the Rams’ 31-yard line and settled for a Bert Auburn 45-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.
Colorado State would go three-and-out which led to a seven-play, 70-yard Texas scoring drive where Ewers hit on all four of his passes and tossed a 1-yard score to Matthew Golden to make it 17-0.
Jahdee Barron intercepted a pass from Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi and returned it 30 yards to set up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Ewers to Isaiah Bond for a 24-0 Texas lead. The Longhorns scored once more before the half ended as Ewers hit Golden for an 11-yard score and Texas went up 31-0 at the break.
On its first second-half possession, Texas scored on a 5-yard run by Jerrick Gibson and the afternoon was over for Ewers. Arch Manning entered in relief and his first pass was a 40-yard completion to Johntay Cook II.
Two plays later, Manning scrambled from the pocket and flipped a short pass to Silas Bolden, who dove into the end zone for a 5-yard score and a 45-0 Texas lead. Another Colorado State punt set Texas up with a short field, and Manning led an 11-play, 55-yard drive that he ended with a 1-yard QB sneak to give Texas a 52-0 lead with 10:10 left in the game.
–Field Level Media