Texas Rides Bijan Robinson to 38-27 Win Over Baylor: Longhorns Notebook

Three key takeaways from the Longhorns win over the Bears.

The Texas Longhorns entered their matchup against the Baylor Bears with a 7-5 record and a chance to keep their Big 12 championship hopes alive for one more day.

Those hopes looked to be on the ropes at halftime, though, as quarterback Quinn Ewers struggled to end the half and the Bears capitalized to take a 19-17 lead into the locker room. 

The second half was an entirely different story, however, as Steve Sarkisian focused heavily on the run game which completely turned the tide. Ultimately, the Longhorns would take advantage of a much better second half in what was a 38-27 win over the Bears to cap off the regular season. 

Now, here are three key takeaways from the Longhorns' win over the Bears. 

Just feed Bijan

What else is there to say about Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson that has yet to be said? The best running back in college football, and a Doak Walker Award candidate, showed once again against the Bears that good things happen when you feed him the ball. 

Robinson recorded 29 carries, which he turned into 170 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 6.2 yards per carry and wore down the Bears defense in the second half. In what could be his last game as a Longhorn, Robinson went out with a bang. 

Take a bow, defense

At one point in this game the Bears had run over 20 more plays than the Longhorns and kept the Texas defense on the field. Despite that, though, the Longhorns turned in an outstanding defensive performance that was instrumental in the win. 

They held the Bears to 20 points on 280 yards of offense, with seven of Baylor's points coming off of a defensive touchdown. Linebacker Jaylan Ford showed he deserves consideration for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year with his fourth interception of the season that would lead to the touchdown that put this game out of reach. 

No "Seven-Win Sark"

When the Longhorns went 5-7 in year one under Steve Sarkisian, some wondered how hot his seat was. Then, the Longhorns put up rough performances in crucial games against TCU and Oklahoma State, and suddenly the "Seven-Win Sark" mantra seemed more relevant than ever. 

However, even when momentum was not in Texas' favor against the Bears, they bounced back and secured a win. Not only does the win keep their Big 12 championship hopes alive, but with an 8-4 record the "Seven-Win Sark" nickname is dead, for now. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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