Contain Horton Outside and Wreak Havoc Inside - Key Matchups vs. Colorado State

CodyCarpentier · 2024-08-28T08:17:06-0500

Key Matchups vs. Colorado State

Manny Muhammed, CB, and Jaylon Guilbeau, NB - Texas vs. Tory Horton, WR

Tory Horton (6’2 190lbs) can work across the formation both in the slot and outside. Against Colorado in 2023, he was lined up on Travis Hunter a few times on his way to an 18-target game. Of those 18 targets, Horton had 10 receptions on Drive/Shallow Crossing routes within 2 yards of the Line of Scrimmage as well as 2 Bubble Screens, behind the line of Scrimmage. Colorado State wants to get Horton in space and allow him to utilize his deceptive stride and Elite Catch radius.

Horton not only saw 10+ targets in 9 of 13 games in 2023 for the Rams but averaged one punt return opportunity per game, averaging 14 yards per and scoring 2 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Horton played 29% of snaps in the Slot in 2023.
Of 17 team interceptions in 2023, 7 were thrown when targeting Tory Horton. That’s the 2nd most in College Football, behind LaJohntay Wester at FAU.

Alfred Collins, DT, and Vernon Broughton, DT vs. Jacob Gardner, C, and Drew Moss, G

In 4 years of College Football, Center Jacob Gardner has nearly 3,000 career offensive snaps, Gardner followed Head Coach Jay Norvell to Colorado State in 2022 after spending two seasons at Nevada. Drew Moss is expected to play Right Guard this season after focusing on Right Tackle for three seasons, he played 853 snaps in 13 games last year. I’m looking for this Texas Defensive Tackle group as a whole to create pressures early and cause Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to get out of the pocket and get rid of the football early, when given time in 2023 his completion percentage rose by 19% and his touchdown to interception ratio flipped. 3 TD, 7 INT while Pressured and 19 TD, 9 INT while kept clean

Gardner was the 76th-ranked Center in College Football according to PFF, while finishing with 0 sacks allowed and just 11 hurries, after giving up 15 sacks and 53 hurries the previous three seasons.
Drew Moss was the 65th-ranked Tackle in College Football according to PFF, giving up just one sack against Hawaii
Fowler-Nicolosi finished 233rd out of 359 passers in Pressured Passing Grade. (Behind Blake Shapen, Jeff Sims, and a touch ahead of Houston’s Donovan Smith)

Colorado State Injury Report, per HC Jay Norvell

1) Jaxxon Warren, Starting TE
- Season Ending Shoulder Surgery
- Junior College Transfer that had a "Great Fall Camp" at 6'8 240 lbs, Norvell talked about high hopes for Warren "like guys we have had in the past". Colorado State has graduated multiple Tight Ends to the NFL over the last few years (Trey McBride, Dallin Holkner)
- Formerly Northern Texas in 2023 before transferring to Navarro JUCO.

2) Nuer Gatkuoth, Starting EDGE
- Turf Toe (Week to Week)
- 6'3 235 lbs
- Finished 2023 with 1 sack, 7 hits, and 21 hurries while causing 29 pressures.
- The Athletic Freshman All-American First-Team in 2023.