Rarely does a 45-17 loss provide any feeling of hope, but Colorado fans were starved for it in September 2022.

Even as the Buffaloes fell to 0-4 to start that season with four defeats of an average of 31.5 points and the looming firing of Karl Dorrell, there was a feeling that it wouldn’t be this bad forever.

It was, partly, due to freshman quarterback Owen McCown.

Generously listed a 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, the son of longtime NFL quarterback Josh McCown, Owen was never supposed to play that season. But instability at the position caused CU to turn to a 19-year-old who wasn’t physically ready to play Power 5 football.

Yet, McCown went out there anyway for his first career start and looked the part, throwing 258 yards and a touchdown that went to his buddy Jordyn Tyson, another freshman who looked like a future star.

If anything, being around guys like Tyson and the rest of that 2022 freshman class is what McCown misses the most. For a brief few months, they felt like they were the future in Boulder.

“Chase Sowell, Jordyn Tyson, those were some of my roommates and guys I’ll know, probably, for the rest of my life,” he told The Denver Gazette this week. “We were in the indoor (facility) there, and me, Chase, and Jordyn would work out (together) all the time. You could just see (Tyson) was different, had a little bit more explosiveness. We’d go play rec basketball, and he was dunking from the free-throw line.

“The timing of it all, you get to college and you get so close with your guys because it’s your group and your class.”

But that period in McCown’s life was short-lived — as it was, too, for Sowell and Tyson, who will actually return to Boulder this season with Iowa State and Arizona State, respectively. 

A few months later, after Deion Sanders was hired and quickly declared his intention to clean house, both with the roster and the coaching staff, McCown was one of a few dozen players who entered the transfer portal and left campus. He hasn’t been back in Colorado since — but that changes this weekend.

Everything that Buffs fans thought McCown could be three years ago, he is now. He’s an established starter for UTSA, and when the Roadrunners take on Colorado State (7:30 p.m. FS1), McCown will do what he once envisioned when he first arrived in Boulder: beat the team up in Fort Collins.

“It’s definitely exciting,” McCown said. “My favorite thing about Colorado was the scenery, the mountains there. Just the nature part of it, I really enjoyed it. Never got to go up to Colorado State during my time (at CU), so (I’m) definitely looking forward to it.”

Now in year two as the starting quarterback for a UTSA that’s regarded as one of the best at the Group of Five level, McCown is tasked with leading the Roadrunners to their first conference title since moving to the American Athletic Conference in 2023. 

“It’s his team,” UTSA coach Jeff Traylor said before the start of the season. “Owen would never say it that way, but you could just tell by the way he has respect in the locker room that everybody knows he’s the guy.”

To McCown, that starts with execution on every single play — and it’s because of a game last year against Tulsa that still haunts him to this day.

UTSA was up big late in the first half, 27-7, and with a chance to really put the nail in the coffin with a drive inside the 30-yard line. A first down run went for nine yards and set up what seemed like an easy conversion. But three straight plays went nowhere, and UTSA turned the ball over on downs. 

Though they led by 28 points at halftime, the Roadrunners wound up losing 46-45 after a miraculous comeback by Tulsa. Even three points on that drive McCown still vividly remembers would’ve been enough to avoid a disastrous loss.

“At the time, we thought it was no big deal because we were up so big, but it came back to bite us in the end,” McCown said. “It’s just that kind of detail and level of execution, knowing every play matters.”

That’s how he’s viewing this week’s game in Fort Collins. After losses to in-state opponents Texas A&M and Texas State in the first two weeks of the season, McCown is eager to prove UTSA is still an AAC title contender — and that starts this Saturday night in a state he once called home.

“(Colorado State) kinda has the upper hand, preparation-wise. They’re coming off a bye, so they’ve had two weeks to prep for us now, and we’re the opposite,” McCown said. “We’re gonna play this game and then go into a bye (week), so obviously it would be 10 times better to win a game and have momentum going into a bye week and then conference play. That starts with execution on every little play.”

5 Games to Watch

No. 16 Utah vs. No. 17 Texas Tech (10 a.m. FOX)

Could this be the Big 12 title game preview? The hype has been properly building all week for this massive showdown in Salt Lake City between the two most impressive teams in the conference so far this season. The revamped Utes offense has looked the part under new QB Devon Dampier, but the Red Raiders bring plenty of firepower of their own with an average of 58 points and over 602 yards through three games. Expect fireworks at Rice Eccles Stadium.

King’s pick: Utah -3.5

No. 11 Oklahoma vs. No. 22 Auburn (1:30 p.m. ABC)

It’s the Jackson Arnold Bowl in Norman. The Auburn quarterback returns to face his old team, and it might be hard to say, but Oklahoma doesn’t really miss the former five-star recruit. The Sooners offense looks revamped with John Mateer at quarterback, and after proving themselves against Michigan two weeks ago, OU can cement its status as an SEC contender with a win this week.

King’s pick: Oklahoma -7.5

Baylor vs. Arizona State (5:30 p.m. FOX)

Could this be a ‘loser leaves town’ game? Both 2-1 and with a loss to an SEC opponent, Baylor and Arizona State could each view themselves as Big 12 contenders thanks to star quarterbacks and smart coaching staffs, but only one will likely be considered a conference title contender in a month’s time. This game will go a long way toward deciding if it’s the Bears or the Sun Devils.

King’s pick: Baylor -2.5

No. 4 Miami vs. Florida (5:30 p.m. ABC)

Rarely is a matchup against South Florida a ‘prove it’ game, but Miami made a statement last week with a 37-point win over a Bulls team that was the talk of the first few weeks of the season. It was the Hurricanes’ largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent since 2001 and now, in what could be the last meeting between Miami and Florida for quite some time, they could bury the Gators and send them 1-3, effectively ending any hopes of a successful season in Gainesville.

King’s pick: Miami -9.5

No. 19 Indiana vs. No. 9 Illinois (5:30 p.m. NBC/Peacock)

If the Big Ten is going to get four teams in the College Football Playoff again, the fourth might just come from this game. Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State are a pretty solidified top 3 in the conference, but the Hoosiers and Illini have each had impressive starts to the season and have a claim to be among the elite in the conference. That will be settled Saturday night in Bloomington, in what will be the first time these programs meet as ranked opponents in 75 years.

King’s pick: Illinois +6.5

King’s YTD record ATS: 8-7 (4-1 last week)

King’s Top 5 Heisman Candidates

1. Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech

Everyone in Boulder knew after Week 1 just how good Haynes King is. Now the whole nation knows. The Yellow Jackets have made a habit of upsetting ranked opponents in recent years (7-1 under coach Brent Key), and many of those wins have been led by King, who was the leading passer (211 yards, 71% completions) and rusher (103 yards and a touchdown) in a game that establishes Georgia Tech as a playoff contender. 

2. Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M

In a week full of impressive quarterback performances, let’s not forget Marcel Reed’s. The Texas A&M sophomore had arguably the best game of his career in what could be a season-defining win for the Aggies over Notre Dame in South Bend. Reed’s game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds showed just how far he’s come in a short time as the starter and was just one that contributed to his 360 passing yards. 

3. Carson Beck, QB, Miami

The Carson Beck everyone thought could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft entering the 2024 season is back. Still, the best version of Beck that we saw at Georgia wasn’t playing as well as Beck has to start his Miami career. He was absolutely dominant (23-for-28 for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns) in last week’s win over South Florida and he could vault to the top of this list with a similar performance against the Gators this week. 

4. Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama

Everyone was asking where Ryan Williams was in the Crimson Tide’s loss at Florida State to start the season. Well, the star sophomore reminded people why he’s one of the best playmakers in the country with five catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns (one of which was a 75-yard deep shot) in Alabama’s dominant win over Wisconsin.

5. Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia

Both of the quarterbacks from the offensive slugfest in Knoxville could’ve made the list, but only one gets on because only one won the game and that was Stockton. Tennessee QB Joey Aguilar’s three first-quarter touchdowns weren’t enough as Stockton (304 passing yards, 3 total touchdowns) made big throw after big throw, especially late in the game, as Georgia overcame a 14-point deficit to pick up a huge win in the SEC opener.