AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns bounced back from a brutal loss at Arkansas by blanking the Rice Owls, 58-0, Saturday night at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Casey Thompson started his first game as the Longhorns' quarterback after he was initially named the backup to Austin native and former Lake Travis star, Hudson Card.
Bijan Robinson ran for three touchdowns in the first half and Texas rebounded from a humiliating loss a week earlier. The Longhorns rushed for 427 yards after managing just 256 total yards in a loss at Arkansas that knocked Texas out of the Top 25.
"I love the way that, obviously, we were able to run the football," said first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. "All four backs ran really well."
Robinson scored on runs of 6, 7 and 62 yards and finished with 128 on 13 carries.
"Bijan, obviously, is the leader of that room," said redshirt junior quarterback Thompson. "Him and Roschon [Johnson], they're hard workers, and I just think that room has an incredible competitiveness and spirit."
Roschon Johnson broke four tackles on a 72-yard scoring romp as Texas built a 44-0 lead by halftime. He finished with 112 rushing yards and one score.
"I think we're both playmakers, and once we get the ball in our hands, we can make something shake," said Johnson when asked about leading the running game alongside Robinson. "So, I think that was displayed tonight, especially."
In the second half, fans got to see the depth of the Texas running back room, starting with junior Keilan Robinson, who carried the rock just five times but rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown.
"[Keilan] has been a great addition for us," said Sarkisian. "He's just got the right mentality, and then he was like a rocketship on the touchdown run. He looked great."
After Robinson, freshman Jonathon Brooks got some time to shine. Brooks rushed nine times for 63 yards and got his first collegiate touchdown.
"Yeah, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Jonathon Brooks," added Sarkisian. "I thought Jonathon ran the ball really well tonight."
Meanwhile, Thompson finished his first collegiate start by completing 15 of 18 passes for 164 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He just kept talking about the rushing attack postgame, though.
"Those guys went over 400 yards, which is unreal, and we used four running backs," said Thompson. "So that's good to see. The running back is definitely the heart and core of our team. They're really good guys."
Next up, Texas will host Texas Tech on Saturday, Sept. 25, to open Big 12 play. The game will air live on KVUE starting at 11 a.m. CT.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: