Line: Texas by 13 1/2.
Series Record: Texas leads 9-7.
Last meeting: 2005, Texas won 70-3 in Big 12 title game.
What’s at Stake
A win in the Big 12 opener. A Texas victory sets up a big showdown next week with No. 1 Oklahoma in Dallas. A Colorado win makes the Buffaloes serious contenders to win the Big 12 North.
Key Matchup
Watch the trenches when Colorado has the ball. Texas has 14 sacks in the past two games, and the Buffs are trying to protect QB Cody Hawkins with an offensive line missing tackle Ryan Miller. He broke his leg last week in a loss to Florida State.
Players to Watch
Texas: QB Colt McCoy. Who else? McCoy is having a stellar season, completing 80 percent of his passes and throwing for 14 touchdowns. He’s also the Longhorns’ leading rusher with 278 yards and four TDs while averaging 8.2 yards per carry.
Colorado: RB Rodney Stewart, if you can find him. The Texas defense might have trouble spotting the 5-foot-6, 175-pound freshman who has run behind his big blockers for 349 yards. Stewart’s early success has stolen the spotlight from freshman Darrell Scott, a top national recruit.
Facts & Figures
Texas and Colorado waged a fierce recruiting battle for Scott and UT’s loss looms large. McCoy is leading Texas in rushing in part because the Longhorns haven’t found a go-to tailback. … Texas outscored its first four opponents 198-43. … The Longhorns have been ranked in the top 10 in each of the last five meetings with Colorado. The Buffaloes’ only victory in that stretch came in the 2001 Big 12 title game.
