Fort Worth, Texas — Bijan Robinson ran six consecutive runs to open the final game-cinching drive for Texas, including a first down on a hard third-down run after TCU called his final timeout. He added 13 more yards before KC Thompson took a knee on the final three snaps.
Robinson ran for a career 216 yards on 35 carries with two go-forward touchdowns and those crucial Late First Downs in a 32-27 victory on Saturday, the first Big 12 road game for the Longhorns to join the Southeastern Conference. After accepting the invitation of .
"I just knew that in order for the whole team to move on and finish the game, I had to get it down first," Robinson said.
"No. 5 kind of our football team, the epitome of patience. He was tired," said coach Steve Sarkeesian. "Thirty-five carries later, the last one was the most important who got another one first to seal the win. ... He has earned our trust."
Thompson improved to 3-0 as the starting quarterback, even as Longhorn didn't get to the end zone at the same blistering pace as his first two starts. He made 22 of 12 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
TCU (2-2, 0-1) lost their second consecutive home game and made three turnovers, the sum total of the first three games. Longhorn replaced him in just three field goals by Cameron Dicker.
Robinson was stalled on the fourth and goal with 1 to 9 1/2 minutes. The Horned Frogs then went for 99 yards in 13 plays for Kendra Miller's 2-yard TD, with 4:23 to spare, but never got the ball back.
"I was really proud of the guys who stopped them in fourth place on the goal line. I think if you want to know if kids have hearts, you're there," said TCU coach Gary Patterson. Go."
The Longhorns (4-1, 2-0) have won their last three games since losing to former Southwest Conference rivals Arkansas in Week 2. Texas will join the Razorbacks in the SEC after the 2025 season.
Sarkeesian said the emphasis is on players being mentally tough to play physically tough and deal with distractions and adversities.
"The beauty of it is when you see it unfold in a way and then you see the reaction of the players in the game, on the field, when they're tired, when they're hot, with 4½ minutes into the fourth quarter," he said. spoke. "I think the point is getting crossed."
Zach Evans, who entered the game as the Big 12's top rusher just before Robinson, was 113 yards away with a 12-yard TD after JD Spielman's game-opening 87-yard kickoff return. Spielman later had an 11-yard TD catch.
Texas advanced to a halt when Robinson powered from 4 yards to make it 23-17 with four minutes left in the first half. It came on his 16th carry, when he had already reached 100 yards for the seventh time in his last nine games.
Robinson's 27-yard TD run between defenders in the first quarter gave Texas a 10-7 first lead. When Security TJ Carter was evicted for a targeting penalty after a review initiated by Booth, for his hit that took the ball out of the hands of intended receiver Jordan Whittington from Longhorn 7 to third.
Patterson said the targeting "drifted the wind out of our sails a little bit."
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas: Longhorn had 15 TDs on 17 drives in two of Thompson's starts, with only one drive he didn't score after his two interceptions. Dicker scored a career-high four field goals (38, 38, 26 and 28 yards) after making no effort since the first half in Arkansas. Whittington had a 32-yard TD catch.
TCU: Darius Davis fumbled twice in the first half, the receiver mishandled the back end of the double handoff and later muffed a punt inside 10. Max Dugan stumbled after an indiscriminate sack by Anthony Cooke, who then corrected the rumble. Duggan, who won his first two starts against Texas, scored 28 of 20 for 182 yards, and had 33 rushing yards on 16 carries.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Texas likely will be back in the Top 25 when the new poll comes out Sunday, after being the first team out last week. The Longhorns were the preseason No. 21, and were up to 15th before the 40-21 loss at then-unranked Arkansas.
UP NEXT
Texas: The Longhorns will be about 40 miles east at the State Fair of Texas next Saturday for their annual Red River rivalry game against sixth-ranked Oklahoma.
TCU: The Horned Frogs play their first road game at Texas Tech next Saturday night.