A cold day in Lawrence, but Horns are red-hot: Our takeaways from Texas' win over Kansas

In what has been an up-and-down, rollercoaster-type of season for Texas, Saturday's dominant performance over Kansas was definitely one of those up, not down, games. One week after that ploddingly ugly 17-10 loss to TCU, Texas bounced back in a big way with a career game from Bijan Robinson and a second straight defensive gem. It was very cold and very windy in Lawrence, but the Longhorns were red-hot as they blew by the Jayhawks.

Our takeaways from Texas' 55-14 win:

Bijan Robinson for the Heisman?

No, Bijan Robinson won't win the Heisman Trophy. His 29-yard effort against TCU and his team's 7-4 record have taken care of that. But how about the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back? It's hard to argue after his huge afternoon: 25 carries for a career-high 243 yards and four touchdowns. And this, one week after a glum 12 touches against TCU.

Robinson entered Saturday a mere 11 yards ahead of TCU's Kendre Miller for the Big 12 rushing crown, but now has a comfortable cushion. Miller had only 41 yards on 10 carries in TCU's 29-28 win at Baylor. Robinson on Saturday slid past Earl Campbell and Joe Bergeron for fourth place on UT's single-season TDs chart. He's one score away from Cedric Benson for third place. And he passed Vince Young and moved into a tie with Chris Gilbert on UT's all-time rushing list, with 3,231 career yards.

Next Friday may be the last time you see Robinson playing at Royal-Memorial Stadium, so enjoy it.

Quinn Ewers: game manager

Quinn Ewers took a step back in the game plan, as the Longhorns seemed more than comfortable pounding the Jayhawks with their running backs, and Robinson (25-243-4), Jonathon Brooks (11-108-2), Keilan Robinson (5-15 with a receiving TD) and Roschon Johnson (7-34) responded. Even Jaydon Blue got some action.

Texas finished with 427 rushing yards. Ewers was a quiet 12-of-21 for 107 yards and a touchdown. And he took only one deep shot, a 40-yard incompletion to Xavier Worthy that Worthy could have, maybe even should have, caught.

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This is looking like an SEC-worthy defense

Think about it. Texas shut out Oklahoma, kept the Longhorns in the game against Alabama, shut down TCU and threatened to pitch another shutout Saturday against the Jayhawks, who managed their points against Texas' backups and reserves.

Kansas entered this game No. 17 nationally in points per game, No. 29 in total offense and No. 18 in rushing. The Jayhawks managed two fourth-quarter touchdowns against Texas' backups, 346 yards of total offense and 104 rushing yards.

Ford, Jahdae Barron and the defensive front are really on an impressive run. They're all over the place, making plays. Ford had another interception in the first half, Barron nearly had a pick-six and had a handful of important tackles, and the pressure from the front hurried Jalon Daniels all day.

Three big plays from today's win

Kansas' costly penalty: Trailing 17-0, Kansas went from a big Jalon Daniels-to-Jared Casey touchdown pass on fourth-and-1 from the 12 to a missed 34-yard field goal because the touchdown was called back by an illegal receiver downfield penalty, turning it into a fourth-and-6 situation from the 17.

Jaylan Ford's critical tackle: On the play before that fourth-and-1, Ford stopped Mason Fairchild one yard short of the first down at the 12 on a third-and-8 play. That forced the fourth-and-1. Had the Jayhawks gotten that one more yards, perhaps that would have indeed become a 17-7 game.

Bijan Robinson's second score: After Xavier Worthy's 22-yard punt return set Texas up at Kansas' 28, Robinson scored from 17 yards off the left side, helped by a clearing backfield block from Ja'Tavion Sanders, to put Texas up 14-0. It was a sigh-of-relief type of lead that provided some confidence after last week's TCU performance.

Texcetera

Kansas State beat West Virginia in Morgantown to remain all alone in second place in the conference standings. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, which has the tiebreaker advantage over Texas, play this evening. So the Longhorns need to beat Baylor and hope that Kansas upsets Kansas State next week, and that Oklahoma State either falls tonight in their Bedlam matchup or next week at home against West Virginia. If those three things happen, Texas will make it to the Big 12 championship game for a rematch with TCU.

Up next for Texas: vs. Baylor next Friday, 11 a.m., either on ABC or ESPN, stay tuned

It'll be Senior Day for the Longhorns, who also will still be playing for a possible spot in the Big 12 championship game. Baylor, the defending conference champions, are coming off a 29-28 heartbreaker earlier today against No. 4 TCU.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bijan Robinson's career day, Texas' tough defense stomp Kansas