Colorado State vs UTSA Picks and Prediction for Saturday September 26 2026

The Colorado State Rams visit the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET with coverage on ESPNU. Both programs enter after difficult September 19 assignments against nationally ranked opponents, with Colorado State losing 41-23 to No. 11 BYU and UTSA falling 30-6 at No. 1 Texas. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free college football picks for more NCAAF predictions throughout the season.

Colorado State Showed Some Fight Against BYU

Colorado State’s 41-23 loss to BYU was decisive, but producing 23 points against a nationally ranked opponent provides something positive entering this matchup. The Rams now step down significantly in opponent quality after facing one of the country’s better teams.

The concern is the defense. Allowing 41 points means Colorado State needs substantial improvement when it reaches San Antonio. The Rams cannot assume UTSA’s six-point showing against Texas represents what the Roadrunners will produce against lesser competition. The difference between the Texas defense and Colorado State’s unit is substantial.

This is also Colorado State’s first significant road challenge in this portion of its schedule. The Alamodome can provide UTSA with a genuine home-field edge, so Colorado State needs to avoid falling behind early and allowing the Roadrunners to dictate tempo.

UTSA Gets a Much Better Offensive Matchup

UTSA’s 30-6 loss at Texas isn’t a result that should be evaluated in isolation. The Roadrunners were facing the nation’s No. 1 team on the road, and scoring opportunities were predictably difficult to create. Saturday’s opponent represents a much more manageable challenge.

The most encouraging matchup component is what BYU just did to Colorado State. The Rams allowed 41 points, creating an opportunity for UTSA to rediscover an offense that was largely suppressed in Austin. Returning home should also help.

The challenge is determining whether UTSA can create enough separation to justify laying points. Colorado State scored 23 against BYU and therefore cannot simply be dismissed offensively. This matchup looks considerably more competitive than either team’s Week 4 game.

Colorado State vs UTSA Picks and Prediction

Pick: UTSA -4.5 or Better

Home field provides the deciding edge. Both teams are stepping down substantially from ranked opponents, but UTSA gets that transition at the Alamodome. Colorado State allowing 41 points to BYU also creates a favorable opportunity for the Roadrunners’ offense to rebound. At anything below a touchdown, UTSA is my preferred side.

Pick: Over 51.5 or Lower

This is a matchup where both offenses should find conditions considerably easier than they did last week. Colorado State still managed 23 against BYU, while UTSA should find much more room against a Rams defense that just surrendered 41. A game in the 31-24 range is realistic enough to make the over attractive at 51.5 or below.

Final Picks: UTSA -4.5 or Better and Over 51.5 or Lower