Texas' Bijan Robinson Ignites Spark In Record Offensive Day
For those still wondering if there’s a quarterback battle brewing in Texas, you can stop the argument now. The Longhorns have their man in Casey Thompson and it’s his job to control the offense accordingly.
However, the offense was never designed to be run through a quarterback.
For Texas’ offense to be at its best, it starts at running back. Low and behold, Bijan Robinson’s breakout day played evident against Texas Tech’s defense for three-quarters of action.
“We have a saying,” Thompson said following a 70-35 win. “Stay behind No. 5 and let him carry us. He’s doing a good job of that.”
READ MORE: Game Log: Texas Dominates Tech 75-35
Remember last week against Rice when Robinson tallied over 100 yards before halftime to go along with three touchdowns? Some believed that the was the peak of his play.
Instead, it could be the start to consistent outings ending with the triple-digit mark in yards before the start of the third quarter.
Robinson’s day began with a 38-yard touchdown reception from Thompson. A short wheel route led allowed him to get the edge over the Red Raiders (3-1, 0-1) defender. From there, it was an easy waltz into the end zone.
“When I’m breaking tackles and making people miss downfield,” Robinson said, “I can just feel the energy of the team grow.”
Missed tackles were a common occurrence. Robinson averaged 7.6 yards per run. He dazzled with both speed, agility and vision that had the Red Raiders tripping over their own mistakes. By halftime, it was near the same result as last week.
Instead of three touchdowns, it was just one. The total yards, however, were 191.
READ MORE: Casey Thompson is Longhorns’ Man in the ‘Arena’
“He’s electric, he makes everyone excited whenever he’s getting a carry, he’s so much fun to be able to block for,” Texas (3-1, 1-0) offensive tackle Derek Kerstetter said.
Make no mistake, Thompson’s five touchdown day did not go unnoticed. Passing for 303 yards and connecting with six different receivers propelled Texas to its largest point total in 16 seasons.
But again, Sarkisian’s offense isn’t designed around a certain style of quarterback. It is, however, built for the success of a certain type of runner. Robinson fits the mold to the T.
And when Robinson is thriving, so are his teammates in the backfield. Roschon Johnson tallied two touchdowns on 13 carries. Keilan Robinson, a “spark plug” type running back, needed four carries for 42 yards and a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to seal the record.
When the Red Raiders’ defense was able to contain Robinson for a play, no worries there. Thompson would take shots downfield, connecting with new go-to receiver Xavier Worthy for a pair of touchdowns over 20 yards.
Consistency from Robinson early means consistency for Texas. Maybe the Horns need to write that down for future reference?
READ MORE: Sark: Longhorns "Still Have Work To Do"
“When we start fast, start early and if I have the opportunity to do that for my team and get us going, then I feel we’ll have a pretty good day on the field.”
Sarkisian, who became a household name at USC, remembers when the Trojans played in a gauntlet of the former Pac-10. The team trusts its run game, led by Reggie Bush.
It’s who Robinson mirrors his game off of. It’s why he dons the No. 5 jersey.
Maybe one day in the future, he’ll join the hallowed fraternity that one college player is selected for each season and call Bush a Heisman brother forever.
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