No Bijan Robinson, Big Trouble For Texas In Baylor Loss
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had to make the call. An early lead could slip away in an instant. Settling for a Cameron Dicker field goal felt like a cheap option.
Texas' offense is at its best when the ball is in the hands of running back Bijan Robinson. The Longhorns needed a yard to extend their lead over Baylor by 11. On the play before, Robinson was knocked down at the 1-yard line following a pass from Casey Thompson.
Trust your best player, Sark. Give to Robinson and prosper.
Robinson bullied his way for the yard against Baylor's front seven. Texas extended its lead and the first half struggles moving the ball on the ground looked over. Robinson was grinding, meaning Texas was in business.
So, what happened? Robinson regressed. So did the offensive line. And the storyline that never seems to end of second half defensive deterioration lives on.
Texas (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) scored only 10 points in the second half, while No. 16 Baylor (7-1, 4-1) ran off 21 unanswered points to give the Bears the 31-24 victory at home.
New week, same story.
This is a trend that Sarkisian just can't break. The Horns start fast offensively. The defense gets a turnover or two. Halftime arrives and things are looking bright.
Then, it all falls apart. Turnovers, touchdowns and tears follow from the "All Gas, No Breaks" crowd on the Forty Acres.
It happened in Dallas against Oklahoma. It happened at home against Oklahoma State. And when McLane Stadium went rocking, Texas couldn't come knocking.
The loss of Robinson, though? That's new.
Robinson entered Waco averaging more than 130 yards per outing. Even against defenses like Oklahoma State and Arkansas, he moved the ball efficiently. Then again, Baylor's Dave Aranda is well-versed in limiting running backs with Robinson's skill set during his time with LSU.
Najee Harris ring any bells?
Robinson averaged 2.1 yards per play in the first half. He rushed for a season-low 15 yards through the first 30 minutes. His longest run of the day came on a 9-yard play in the third quarter.
The Bears' defense came ready for No. 5. Only Thompson had a run longer than 10 yards all afternoon. In the end, Robinson tallied just 43 yards rushing and an average of 2.5 per run.
Despite the lack of efficiency on the ground, Sarkisian never changed his gameplan. Keilan Robinson had one play from the line of scrimmage. Roschon Johnson rushed four times for 17 yards. Juan Davis, the freshman from Fort Worth, had a pickup of three.
Texas couldn't move the ball on the ground, forcing Thompson to pass. In most cases, one could argue his day was fine, going 23 of 38 for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
On four different occasions, balls were dropped by wide receiver Marcus Washington and Joshua Moore, including one just before halftime that would have been a touchdown. Washington dropped a 42-yard pass that would have set Texas up in Baylor's red zone on the final drive.
Thompson continued to build his connection with freshman receiver Xavier Worthy, finding him on the second drive for a 67-yard touchdown. The two almost made magic again, but Thompson had an overthrow. Another time, Worthy dropped a crucial fourth down conversion.
What else was Texas to do? Try running it for gains of four yards? Two? Negative yards?
Texas is all but eliminated from the Big 12 title race as it returns to Austin. Three losses means much more chaos would have to happen, plus they must win out. The biggest game left for Baylor and Oklahoma State is against the Sooners.
The Sooners could lose both and still be in the running for the title.
Robinson, however, takes a double loss Saturday. Up in East Lansing, Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season and scored five touchdowns on the way to a 37-33 win over No. 6 Michigan.
The Heisman Trophy usually doesn't feature two running backs at the ceremony in the Big Apple. Walker's performance gives him the advantage over Robinson entering Week 10.
When Texas moves the ball with Robinson, they stand a chance. In three straight games, opposing defenses have swallowed up the Longhorns' top player for the final 30 minutes.
Outside of one drive, Baylor minimized Robinson's role for all four quarters. And just like the Oklahoma state schools, it ended in the Bears' favor.
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