Colorado State vs. Texas football predictions: Can Quinn Ewers start his Heisman campaign?

hey everybody this is a long confidential for Tuesday August 27th I'm Danny Davis the Austin American statesman as always joined by Cedric golden joined by Thomas Jones how are youall doing as we record this podcast we are two days away from the Taco Shack Bowl here in Austin where the mallum knights will face the Anderson Trojans and the kickoff to the Austin area football scene we are 3 days away from the first Friday Night Lights across the state and we are 4 days away from the kickoff of the tech of the Texas football season Colorado state will be in town on Saturday afternoon over at Royal Memorial Stadium if you're watching at home it's on ESPN if you're watching the stadium drink water it's going to be it's GNA be a little toasty over there but we're going to be not all they're gonna be drinking Daniel yes sir but um when when that game kicks off 243 days will have passed since Texas walked off the field in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl after making their first ever appearance in the um college football playoffs although that season didn't end as Texas fans wanted it to there's a lot of hype there's a lot of Hope going into this season Texas ranked fourth in the AP pres preseason poll fourth in the coaches poll second in the SEC preseason poll even though Texas just moved in that conference so first up is Colorado State five and seven the Rams were last year 32 and a half Point underdogs on Saturday so I don't think I'm going to ask anyone to pick a Colorado upset even though Florida state knows what can happen if you're caught caught napping but said we'll start with you for this Texas team what does a successful season opener look like on Saturday three things you blow them out that's number one you show college football that the Longhorns are worth that lofty preseason ranking number two Quinn yours has to look every bit the part of a Heisman Trophy candidate because with the games they've got coming up this is the one where he can really show his stuff and I think I think that the Colorado state is Taylor Made for him defensively behind that great offensive line so that that's number two along with the two that's 2A 2B is get Arch Manning some run he's going to need some run because Quinn yours hasn't played a full season of football since the 10th grade so the odds are he might get hurt this year and you want to get Garrett Gilbert to and not in a big game when your backup's not ready so get Arch some run and number three most important um don't get anybody else hurt yeah they can lose another running back they they don't need to lose any more Frontline guys it's so G season hasn't started and they're down to running backs so they need to stay healthy and and blow them out get Quinn some get Quinn big numbers Arch some run stay healthy those are my three TJ yeah I said it's absolutely right especially with the health you you know you're G to get a lot of guys playing um they'll cover they're they're gonna cover that spread oh give me a score TJ what's up give me a score if they're covering cover let's say let's say 4910 let's say that what they need to do now I disagree with said here I don't think Quinn needs to have a big game I think he needs to have an efficient game with about 150 yards passing and that running game needs to show that it can move the ball get about 200 250 yards rushing then that'll a lot of concerns it'll lease a lot of concerns about CJ baxer being out by Christian Clark being out and it'll show that you know what we're more than just you know one guy or two we can plug anyone back there get behind that offensive line run the ball I want to see a good running game and I want to see him stop the pass because as we'll talk about in a minute Colorado state has a weapon downfield a big time weapon one of the best receivers UT will play this year and we'll see if they can slow down T Horton look if Texas wants to do what Texas says wants to do which is make a deep playoff run that's 15 16 games in this football season um they are going to need to have depth and this is a perfect game to test that depth especially before Michigan next week and then you have two more kind of games UTSA and ULM where you can get a lot of players to play and let's not forget the fact that it's going to be in like the '90s on um maybe the hundreds I don't know what the exact weather report is on Saturday so get a lot of guys playing don't get injured and just give some of those second third string guys some reps so they can they can contribute down the road whether it's they need to contribute because of injuries or because Texas wants to throw you know six re six seven receivers out there in a rotation or multiple running backs just get some feet wet don't get too hurt Quinn does not need to be playing in the second half we don't need Quinn throwing for 400 yards against Colorado State to contend for a Heisman Trophy like his Heisman moment's gonna come next week or against Georgia or in the SEC Championship game if he's going to win the Heisman Trophy it's not going to happen in week one against the Rams so get a lot of guys reps get out without any injuries although you can't really plan for no injuries but just get a lot of a lot of players playing time and start to establish that depth you will need throughout the season as you had to go through an SEC schedule and then go through a playoff schedule because it's going to be a long way and you're going to need a lot of a lot of bodies but as Thomas alluded to the running game going to be probably the biggest question going this season because the injuries and trying to replace Jonathan Brooks who's who is now with Carolina Panthers sub's going to toss it out there TJ will let you go first who leads Texas in rushing on Saturday we know it won't be CJ back or Christian Clark but who who leads the team in russan on Saturday I'm I'm telling you I mean Jaden Blue's gonna have great year you know he is the starter I am all over this freshman jar Gibson I think he's one of these 205 pound guys who's really good running inside kind of like a little emit Smith type of guy I think Gibson leads him in rushing Saturday because I think we'll get the most carries I think blue will have a big first half and then probably rest up um I say Gibson tops 100 yards Saturday s your your guess is is 100 yard for the Freshman a too big of a bet for TJ to be making he's going to get about 120 oh I'm and the reason I say it is you you get out ahead of these guys and it's 35 to seven why is Jaden blue still in there EXA knowing the depth problems you can get the Freshman some run I don't know that Velton Gardner G play I don't even know if he's in town yet I don't know he might be in class I don't know um freshman's going to get a lot of run Ryan niblet is GNA get a couple nibblets at the ball he's gonna get a couple carries so like like you guys said and Daniel especially they need depth and it's a thin position so they need to get those guys totes and we know what jayon blue can do and jayon blue is going to be asked to do a lot more against Michigan than he will be against the CSU Ram so get him 10 or 11 carries get him out of there and let the Freshman cook I'm just gonna throw this out there for either you two to answer or maybe someone at home but who is the only Texas freshman to run for 100 yards in their um debut game I think it was Jamal Charles that is correct Jamal ran for 135 against Louisiana Lafayette back in 2005 it pays to be old sometimes it pays to be old I remember yeah cuz he just just like we're talking about um Jamal um they they still had this the starter in um um Selvin young and then they had romance Taylor but that game was so out of hand that they let Jamal Charles Carry the ball for most of the second half and he did not disappoint so yeah it'd be great if uh if if the young freshman this this coming weekend can do something similar that would that would bode well for sarc and Company the reasoning for jerck sounds solid to me um I think that's a a good a good um bet to place but I'm gonna go with Trey Wesner just to be a contrarian and I think it's kind of for the same contrarian Quin Travian but I think I think for the same reasons you know we know what Jaden blue is I don't think they need to give him 20 carries tomorrow or on Saturday he probably you know plays a bunch in the first half and chills in the sideline in the second half and I think uh Trey gets gets some run too so they can get his feet more wet I think has 12 career carries um on the college level so they're going to need to work him and Jerick in and maybe Tre Trey bust a couple down the sideline and that's how he edges Jerick in that category I you know in honor of the Taco Shack Bowl let's just get Colin Paige a couple couple of cares in the Anderson Trojan we've heard a lot of things about during fall Camp maybe not that that exact song but um speaking of Colorado State who's one ram we should know who is one ram that's on The Scouting Report there's one very obvious name so we're to start off with him said you can uh introduce this to Mr Tor Tory Horton Tory Horton's got got NFL ability and he's one of those guys where the quarterback Nicolosi just throws him open he can be in press coverage and they are confident that he will go up and get a 50/50 ball I mean listen to these stats guys over the last two seasons he has CAU 167 passes for 2,267 yards and 16 touchdown catches college game that's a lot over the last two seasons and he's also averaging over 14 yards a punt return so uh Sark mentioned well they're they're concerned about him in the return game as well now if te if Colorado State can't stop him Texas won't be punting much but on the occasion that they do he's a guy that they're going to have to watch the J Baron seemed to be amped up at at the prospect of going head up with Tory Holton but if PK's smart he ain't putting no quarterbacks on an island against that guy you gonna have some rolled over safeties you're gonna have to let somebody else in that a offense beat you I'll just jump in here since I'm gonna pick a receiver too um it's not Tori but um Amari Winfield is there one of their going to be one of their other two St wide receivers he was actually committed to Texas at one point during the 2022 recruiting cycle end up decommitting signing with Baylor playing at Baylor for two years played sparing didn't have any outstanding stats but he did transfer to Colorado State he's part of the rotation and if there's a lot of focus on you know Tori that opens up some rooms for for for um Amari and if he was good enough for Texas at one point he's he's a he's a talent this is a four-star kid just hasn't been able to get it together maybe this is his breakout party I'm sure he's going to be very determined he's a Texas kid to coming home going to school that he thought he was going to at at one point go to so I would say look look out for receiver number two especially if uh Tory Horton's gonna be demanding so much attention someone else is gonna stand up well a Colorado State team we know he's going to throw the ball even if uh Texas are throwing four guys and their number one receiver they're still G to throw it 40 times this weekend so I I say look out for receiver number two Thomas who who's your pick I like both those picks um look they got a they got a kid named Jacob Gardner I mean a kid he's a graduate student he's a starting center for Colorado State this guy in his time at Nevada before Colorado State and that Colorado state has started all 33 games in his career he was a tackle at Nevada he's the center now for Colorado State he's very good and we're gonna find out about Vernon Bron and Alfred Collins if they really are those replacements for T sweat and Byron Murphy in the middle they're going to get tested Saturday you know Gardner is a good player so these new defensive tackles are going to uh really open the season with with a real true test I'm going to be watching that the trenches on Saturday you I me as I mentioned the top it's been it will have been 243 days since our last football game I'm not counting the spring game but the last time we got to be in a Press Box do all the football covering stuff you know as journalists and doing what we do said what are you looking forward to the most on Saturday is it the is it the game is it the popping circumstance is it the Taco Deli up in the Press Box what what exactly is are you looking forward to the most on Saturday you know what I like I like when I mean I hate that walk I just hate that walk from the from the parking lot because I'm old and I got bad knees it was hard it was tough keeping up with Daniel on on the way out of the presser on Monday um I like bivo Boulevard I like the energy on bivo Boulevard I like wall toall people and we see some of our radio friends getting it done in their little kiosks and then and then invariably you get stopped by a fan or two and they're excited and and they lie and say they love reading you and um I Lie by saying I appreciate it because I'm not sure that they that they do read us but they but the fact that they stop to ask is really cool and so I like seeing the excitement of the fans um before you walk into the stadium that's that is my favorite part followed by the game of course TJ what's what are you looking forward to as we get another football season underway yeah the the energy on campus is is something unique for a season opener and I've been around campus for a long time and it's that opening game is always fun but really from a football perspective when you're playing a team like Colorado state that you're favored by four and a half touchdowns to beat I like seeing some of those true freshman get some run and get some legitimate snaps and get a chance to show their stuff you know because they may not get that much playing time in the SEC this year so this first game they're really going to have a chance to shine in some limited time so I'm looking forward to watching some of thing and going back to s's point about Bea Boulevard you know you got to tip your cap to CDC Drew Martin that whole crew just bringing the buzz back I mean I I joined this beat in 2016 and some of those games um you could have hear a pin drop even if Texas was winning it just wasn't exciting there wasn't a buzz but it helps that the team's good but also just the atmosphere and just what you know this is again we're not gonna see a drone show because it's an afternoon game but you know just what they've made these home games as they head into the SEC where we know football is King in those in those small towns you know Austin and DKR is definitely going to be going toe-to-toe with some of those SEC stadiums so that's going to be fun to see but you know our little press Corp um I know people love it when me people are sparring on Twitter and stuff like that but like our press C for the most part is a nice little Community um and I like being around my people and my friends who you know we're all chasing the same stories and we're all writing game stories and the Press Box is just a fun place to be um on on game day it's going to be a blowout so chances are said's going to be cracking some jokes starting in the third quarter and people are going to be there's going to be gossip going on and if people are going to be trying to outdo each other with whatever storage we're writing the homie edley she's going to be bringing baked goods to the to the Press Box from home so that's she's the best make make a couple stops at where wherever she stashes those and the Press Box is a fun place to be um in in on game day and I really enjoy that and I've missed it and it'll be fun to be we're not We're not gonna be quite like our our late friend Randy Rigs and get there three hours ahead of time but the moment we step in it's going to be fun the moment we leave so I'm looking forward to that on Saturday so there's some good people up there especially you know Houston Chronicle has this new columnist Kirk something or other that guy that guy's kind of a jerk old not new he is old stop it it will be a little weird that the chronicle usually sits on the opposite side of the Press Box from us it'll be interested to see if they make Kurt sit over there and he he'll be away from he's gone we'll never see him again Daniel but that's gonna bring me cookies well we'll have him we'll have him do do the cookie run but um that's going to be it for us today um sa.com throughout the week because we get you ready for the Colorado State game have lots of content lots of videos we're going have another podcast the on second thought podcast is back it'll be back on Thursday in this new rebranded form so we'll see what said has up his sleeves but you can check all that that's what I'm gonna have two of the greatest um Sports writers in the history of the Texas football beat oh oh no no I for I forgot they canceled out I'm GNA have Danny and Thomas on tomorrow we'll we'll chop it up we're g we're g talk I mean today was about the Colorado State game but we're going to talk about the season we're going to we're going to look at the schedule and we're going to see what games bother scare the long horns the most where the where are the blowouts and um and and and then we'll U whatever else Pops in our head we'll talk about because that's what we do at the Austin American statesman on longor confidential and on second thought yeah sa.com for all that I'll say it I've said it before I'll say it again check out the work by our high school guys Rick K and Colby Gordon are doing their Austin area um High School fan be sure to check out all that stuff starting on Thursday with the Taco Shack ball go go nights but that's gonna how many plugs how many plugs we G to do to I'll give him 60 because I don't know if we're gonna be having a great season over there on more plugs and points Sunshine Drive but um let's go nights let's go nights we we appreciate you all for tuning in whether whether you listen to us whether your podcast or watching us on YouTube or st.com but we'll see you next week uh Deuces enjoy the col Colorado State game