The 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl puts the Pac 12 against the Big 12 as the No. 20 Texas Longhorns (6-3) take on the Colorado Buffaloes (4-1). The showdown between former conference foes kicks off at 9:00 p.m. ET Tuesday at the Alamodome in San Antonio and will be televised on ESPN.
These teams haven’t met since Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac-12 following the 2009 season. Texas leads the all-time series 11-7, including five straight wins from 2004-09. The Longhorns beat Colorado 70-3 in the 2005 Big 12 Championship Game, and Colorado won the 2001 Big 12 Championship Game 39-37. They have met in one other bowl game, with Texas winning the 1975 BlueBonnet Bowl 38-21.
Colorado Looking to Run
In five games this season, the Buffaloes have averaged 218.4 yards per game on the ground with 46 rushing attempts per contest. Jarek Broussard leads the way on the ground with 813 yards, three touchdowns and a 6.3 average yards per carry. Quarterback Sam Noyer has five rushing touchdowns and 191 yards at a 4.2 yards per carry.
Noyer has completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,000 yards in five games. He has six touchdowns but five interceptions. The five touchdown passes have gone to six different receivers, with only Brenden Rice having more than one score through the air. Rice, son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, has six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns.
Wideout Dimitri Stanley leads the team with 249 yards on 16 catches, while Vontae Shenault has 17 catches for 193 yards. Carson Wells and Nate Landman lead the defense with four sacks each, and four different Buffaloes defenders have an interception.
Texas Rides With Ehlinger
The 6-3 Texas Longhorns go as far on offense as quarterback Sam Ehlinger takes them. In nine games this season, Ehlinger completed 60.1% of his passes for 2,406 yards. The senior had 25 touchdown passes and a career-low five interceptions while also rushing for 392 yards and eight touchdowns. In his career at Texas, Ehlinger has accounted for 126 total touchdowns while passing for 11,276 yards and rushing for 1,908.
Ehlinger has more rushing attempts than any Texas running back this season. Bijan Robinson has 76 carries for 520 yards and three scores, while Roschon Johnson has 70 carries for 386 yards and five scores.
Ehlinger’s top target on the season is wideout Brennan Eagles, who has 28 catches for 569 yards. Eagles has five receiving touchdowns, two less than Joshua Moore, who has 25 catches for 386 yards.
Alamo Bowl Betting Line
The Texas Longhorns are (-8) against Colorado in the neutral site game. The total is 63.5 points, and the Buffaloes are +250 moneyline underdogs.
Texas is 3-5-1 ATS this season, and the over is 6-3 in their nine games. Meanwhile, Colorado is 4-1 ATS, and the over is 3-2 in their five games. Colorado ranks 18th in the nation in rushing, but the Texas defense is 113th in the country against the run.
If Colorado can control the clock and keep the ball away from Ehlinger, they can keep this game close.
FREE PICK: Colorado Buffaloes (+8), Under 63.5 points (-110)
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