FORT COLLINS — CSU Rams football coach said Monday that he’d “be surprised” if star wide receiver Tory Horton plays this weekend’s game against UTEP.
“I don’t believe Tory will play,” Norvell said during his weekly news conference, “and (he) probably shouldn’t have played last week.”
Horton, a 6-foot-2 senior and one of the top wideouts in Mountain West history, played in the Rocky Mountain Showdown against CU — a 28-9 Rams loss — while clearly hobbled by a groin injury he’d suffered in a win over UNC the weekend prior.
Norvell had said the Monday prior that he expected Horton would play against the Buffs, especially given the stakes of the rivalry, and the stakes of its being the first CU-CSU game at Fort Collins since 1996.
The California native caught just two balls for 24 yards, his lowest yardage total in a game since a loss at Utah State (20 yards) last Oct. 7.
“It wasn’t his night to play,” Norvell said.
CSU (1-2) resting Horton against the Miners (0-3) could put the Rams stalwart in line for two weeks of rest, as Norvell’s team has a bye weekend next.
Horton started the season with eight receptions for 96 yards over the Rams’ first two games — a 52-0 loss at Texas and a 38-17 win over Northern Colorado at Canvas Stadium. The 6-foot-3 pass catcher also returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown against UNC but ultimately exited that game in the third quarter after tweaking his groin.
The injury appeared to have occurred after he caught a ball near the sideline, attempted to juke a defender and pulled up lame. He limped a couple of steps before going down in pain on the CSU sideline.
Horton is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Rams. He followed Norvell to Fort Collins after playing his first two seasons under him at Nevada.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.