Colorado State WR uses controversial language to turn up heat on Colorado rivalry

Monday will be the one-year anniversary of Colorado's high-intensity 43-35 victory against Colorado State during the 2023 season.

On Saturday, the in-state rivals will face each other for the first time since then and Rams wide receiver Tory Horton is ready for more fireworks.

The Mountain West reception leader (96) from last year used some controversial, strong language when discussing his team's confidence in the upcoming matchup.

"We owe them one, and that’s just something that's been sittin’ on everybody’s minds since we came back from break. We owe them," Horton, who is questionable for Saturday's contest with a groin injury, said. "I don’t feel like we left it all on the field because we should have murdered them guys. They came out with that attitude as they were on top of the world. This ain’t no Cinderella story."

Ahead of last year's clash, Colorado State head coach Jay Norvell bizarrely called out Buffaloes leader Deion Sanders for not removing his hat and sunglasses when talking to people. "Prime Time" responded by saying that the contest was now personal, and then trolling his counterpart by handing out his own line of shades (that he has through Blenders) to every Colorado football player ahead of the game.

On the field, during one of the battle's most heated moments, Rams defensive back Henry Blackburn delivered a controversial late hit on Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter that resulted in the latter suffering a lacerated liver.

The pair made up less than two weeks later in a friendly greeting after Blackburn and his family had been harassed and received death threats on social media.

As noted by Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Hunter and company entered last September's contest as 27.5-point favorites, yet nearly lost the game. The Rams led by 11 in the fourth quarter before the Buffaloes came back for a double-overtime victory.

“They came out with that attitude and thought it was going to be a cakewalk,” the signal-caller said. “They got a rude, rude awakening real quick. I think it goes to show the hype, the media train, all that only gets you so far. At the end of the day, you have to line up 11 guys against our 11 guys and we’ll find out who wants it more. We’ll see how far Instagram followers gets them.”

Horton said that despite his team's opponents having a Pro Football Hall of Famer on their sidelines, what it comes down to is the players on the field.

“The millions of followers and fans they produced and got and celebrities that jumped on their side because of who Deion Sanders is. End of the day Deion Sanders ain’t playing. It’s those players playing,” he said. “So those players better back up what they speak about.”