It seems like the Colorado State Rams got some positive pregame news ahead of their Rocky Mountain Showdown with the Colorado Buffaloes. Having been declared a “game-time decision” earlier in the day, reports suggest star wide receiver Tory Horton will play for Jay Norvell’s team on Saturday night.
What Happened to Colorado State WR Tory Horton?
According to Brett McMurphy of Action Network, Horton is “going to try to play tonight.” The Colorado State superstar had been questionable during the week after suffering an injury. While it was described as a leg injury earlier today, this later report states the Rams’ pass catcher has suffered with a groin injury.
Horton reportedly returned to practice on Friday and will take part in warm-ups ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. Despite being considered a game-time decision earlier today, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that “there’s optimism” that Horton will attempt to play. It now seems like that optimism was well-founded.
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Horton has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the nation and is an integral part of the Colorado State offense. After registering 995 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns with Nevada from 2020-2021, he followed head coach Jay Norvell to the Rams and has dominated in the Mountain West ever since.
In 2022, Horton averaged 15.9 yards per catch on his way to the first 1,000-yard season of his career. He has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns for Colorado State, tallying 16 touchdowns. However, through two games of the 2024 campaign, he has averaged just 12.0 yards per catch and tallied 96 total yards without a score.
Nonetheless, if Horton can’t play or is limited in the Rocky Mountain Showdown it will be a significant loss for the Rams’ offense. The star wide receiver tortured the Buffaloes one year ago and could stack up a huge day against a suspect defensive unit.
If Horton struggles or doesn’t see the field at all, sophomore WR Caleb Goodie is listed as the second option at the position and has 52 yards and a touchdown this year after logging just one reception for negative yardage in his freshman season. Goodie is averaging 17.3 yards per catch this year.
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