The 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl features the 6-3 Texas Longhorns against the 4-1 Colorado Buffaloes. Here is the 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl Preview.
Texas Longhorns (6-3)
Texas didn’t have the season that they were planning to, but did win six games. They beat two teams with .500 records or above in West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Their losses all came to teams that made it to bowl games.
The Longhorns have one of the best offenses in the country, which scores 41.3 points per game (ranked 12th). They pass for 274 yards (ranked 29th) and rush for 183.3 yards per game (ranked 48th).
Sam Ehlinger has seemingly been at Texas for more than his four years, but is the leader of the team at quarterback. He has passed for 2,406 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions on 60.1 percent completion. Four receivers have produced over 200 receiving yards on the year. Brennan Eagles leads the team with 28 receptions for 469 yards and five touchdowns. Joshua Moore has 386 receiving yards, while Jake Smith and the Michigan-transfer Tarik Black have over 250 yards on the season.
Bijan Robinson leads the team with 520 rushing yards and also has three scores on the ground. Roschon Johnson chips in with 386 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Ehlinger is the team’s leader in rushing touchdowns with eight, but has also picked up yardage with 382 yards. Keaontay Ingram has 250 yards on the ground after dealing with injuries and is questionable for this game.
Their defense allows 29.1 points per game, which has cost them in some games this season. They give up 274.2 passing yards (ranked 114th) and 135.6 rushing yards per game (ranked 30th). Linebacker Juwan Mitchell has led the team with 59 tackles. The Longhorns will need more pass rushers to step up after their team leader, Joseph Ossai, decided to opt out of the bowl game. Cornerback Chris Brown and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown are tied for the team lead with seven passes defended. While he hasn’t led the team in any specific category, Caden Sterns has been a great safety over the course of his career for Texas. He has opted out for the rest of the season.
Colorado Buffaloes (4-1)
With the Pac-12’s COVID issues, Colorado was only able to play five games, but they were able to win four of them. They won one game over a team with a .500 record in San Diego State. They were upset in their regular season finale by Utah, who finished the season 3-2.
The Buffaloes score 29.1 points per game, ranking 61st in the country. They pass for 202.6 yards (ranked 86th) and rush for 218.4 yards per game (ranked 17th).
Colorado turned the reins of the offense over to Sam Noyer this season. Noyer had his ups and downs, but finished the season with 1,000 passing yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions on 58.4 percent completion. Dimitri Stanley leads the team with 249 receiving yards on 16 catches. La’Vonte Shenault, Laviska’s brother, had 17 receptions for 193 yards. Brenden Rice was a big play threat with six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
The majority of the carries this season for the Buffaloes have gone to Jarek Broussard. Broussard has 129 carries for 813 yards and three touchdowns. Behind him, Noyer is the only other player with over 100 rushing yards, as he finished with 191 and five rushing touchdowns.
Their defense allows 29 points per game, which makes them an average defense. They allow 156.8 rushing yards (ranked 56th) and 220 passing yards per game (ranked 47th). Linebacker Nate Landman has led the team in tackles with 53, but he will miss this game with an ankle injury. Safety Isaiah Lewis leads the team with six passes defended, while linebacker Carson Wells has the team-lead with 4.5 sacks.
Prediction
Sam Ehlinger is going to want to end his Texas career with the win. The Longhorns will put up a lot of points and Colorado will not be able to match that. Look for Ehlinger to have a big day as they send him off.
Texas Longhorns 39 Colorado Buffaloes 23
Make sure to check out our college football page for more content!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!