Texas and Colorado will play in the 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl. The game takes place on December 29 at 8:00 p.m. in the Alamodome.
Designated the away team and occupying the east sideline, Texas returns to San Antonio for the second year in a row. The Longhorns led by Head Coach Tom Herman, in his 4th season leading the Longhorns, will look to defend their crown as Valero Alamo Bowl Champions and maintain Herman’s perfect record in bowl games.
The Longhorns are led by fourth year quarterback and 2109 Valero Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP Sam Ehlinger who has produced 2,788 yards of total offense and 33 total touchdowns this season. His 202 points responsible for are the third-most in the country, and he also ranks third in points responsible for per game (22.4) and eighth in passing touchdowns (25), while leading the Big 12 in those categories and total offense (309.8). His running mate on offense, freshman Bijan Robinson, has 679 total yards and three touchdowns since taking over the starting role.
This will be Texas’ 57th bowl game appearance, second only to Alabama (72) in NCAA history. The Longhorns are 30-24-2 all-time in bowl games, tied for the nation’s fourth-most bowl victories.
Designated the home team and occupying the west sideline, the Colorado Buffaloes return to the Valero Alamo Bowl for the first time since 2016. The Buffaloes are led by Head Coach Karl Dorrell, who is in the midst of an impressive inaugural season in Boulder. He is the first first-year head coach to take over the Colorado program starting the year unranked and coaching the team into the national polls.
The Buffs have far exceeded expectations, with many in the media projecting them to finish at the bottom of their division in the Pac-12 South. The offense is led by running back Jarek Broussard who has 813 total yards with a 6.3 yards per carry average this season. They are quarterbacked by senior Sam Noyer, who played safety in four games for the team last year, who has six passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in only five games this season.
The defense is led by a pair of outstanding linebackers, nicknamed “The Dynamic Duo” these two have been a terror for opposing offenses all season. First is Butkus semifinalist ILB Nate Landman, who paces the team with 53 tackles. His running mate OLB Carson Wells leads the team in sacks with 4.5
#20 Texas (6-3) and Colorado (4-1), who once were both members of the Big 12 Conference, will be meeting for the first time since 2009. Texas leads the all-time series with an 11-7 record.
The Longhorns will be playing in its fifth Valero Alamo Bowl, their most recent appearance was in last year’s game where they defeated #11 Utah 38-10. They have also appeared in our game in 2013, 2012, and 2006. The Buffaloes are making their third appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl, playing in our game in 2016 and 2002.
The 2020 Valero Alamo Bowl will be the sixth year of a conference agreement to match the #1 Big 12 and #1 Pac-12 teams outside of the CFP selections. The conference agreement started in 2014 and was extended last year to go through the 2025 college football season.
The Valero Alamo Bowl will kick off on Tuesday, December 29 at 6:30 p.m. CST. Tickets are available at www.alamobowl.com or the Alamodome Box Office.
Graphic Courtesy: Valero Alamo Bowl