Texas Longhorns Back In AP Poll After Kansas Win
New week, new ranking for the Texas Longhorns.
The Longhorns are back in the Associated Press poll for the fifth time this season following their 55-14 win over Kansas. The No. 24 Longhorns will have the chance to close out the season ranked with a win over Baylor on Friday at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
Led by preseason All-American running back Bijan Robinson, Texas (7-4. 5-3 Big 12) rushed for a season-high 423 yards and six scores en route to a revenge win over the Jayhawks. Robinson bulldozed his way through Kansas' defense, totaling a career-best 243 yards and four touchdowns.
"He’s such a nice human being that sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit for the competitive spirit that he has," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said postgame. "I think that’s just what he’s made of. He’s a special person beyond a special player, but that competitive spirit sometimes gets overlooked on him.”
Quarterback Quinn Ewers rebounded from last week's lackluster 17-10 loss to No. 4 TCU. The redshirt freshman finished with 107 yards passing and a touchdown. Backup running back Jonathon Brooks tallied 108 yards on 11 touches and totaled scores.
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels returned to action for the first time since Oct. 8 after missing the past six weeks with a shoulder injury. The junior threw for 230 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, averaging 8.8 yards per throw.
Running back Devin Neal was held to 51 yards on 13 carries. As a unit, the Jayhawks (6-5, 3-5 Big 12) totaled 346 yards of offense compared to Texas' 539.
"We've got a bunch of fighters. We have a great deal of resiliency. These guys have showed an unbelievable amount of perseverance, and I told them that in the locker room," Sarkisian said. "I was proud of them. I was very proud of them for the maturity they showed in this game."
Ewers connected with running back Keilan Robinson for a 15-yard score in the second quarter. The Longhorns averaged 7.5 yards per run and 5.1 yards per pass. Linebacker Jaylan Ford picked up his third interception of the second with two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Robinson would score on a 1-yard run as time expired in the first half. Following Saturday's performance, the third-year runner pulled into a tie with Chris Gilbert for the fifth-most career rushing yards by a Longhorn with 3,231.
Robinson also tied Jamaal Charles and Roy Williams for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (39) in school history.
“I knew that I had to do whatever I could to help the team win,” Robinson said. “We knew we had to run the ball to be successful. And that’s what we did.”
A win Friday over the Bears (6-5, 4-4 Big 12) won't guarantee Texas a spot in the Big 12 title game in Arlington on Dec. 3. The Longhorns must also be cheering for Kansas to pull off the upset over No. 15 Kansas State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
TCU, which needed a game-winning field goal from Griffin Kell to defeat Baylor on the road, already clinched its spot in the Big 12 title game. The Horned Frogs (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) will close out the regular season at Jack Trice Stadium against Iowa State.
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