The Longhorns beat Baylor, 38-27, on Friday, keeping their chances of playing in the Big 12 championship game against TCU alive.
If No. 15-ranked Kansas State loses to Kansas on Saturday, Texas (8-4 overall, 6-3 Big 12) will play the Horned Frogs for the conference title on December 3 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Baylor won five games against top 25 teams this season but finished 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
KSU (8-3) has won the past 13 meetings with Kansas (6-5), which already has clinched a bowl berth. Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown will be played in Manhattan, Kansas, home of the Wildcats.
Kansas State is favored by 11 points. The Jayhawks are coming off last week’s 55-14 loss to Texas.
In Texas’ victory Friday, Bijan Robinson scored two touchdowns and ran for 179 yards on 29 carries.
The Longhorns relied on the ground game, running the ball 22 straight times in the second half.
Baylor led 19-17 at halftime over Texas.
WHAT TO KNOW
— After falling behind 9-0, quarterback Quinn Ewers led the Longhorns on a seven-play 75-drive in the first quarter. He scored on a 3-yard run to put Texas on the board.
— Texas’s Jaylan Ford caught an interception in the fourth quarter, making his fourth of the season. It tied the school record for interceptions by a linebacker.
BY THE NUMBERS
— Baylor sacked Ewers five times. He nevertheless completed 12 of 16 passes for 194 yards.
— The Longhorns have won three of their last four games under coach Steve Sarkisian.
— DeMarvion Overshown had 14 tackles for the Longhorns.
WHO SAID?
— Robinson said after the game, “We understood that we had to run it down their throats, because the pass game wasn’t working so well in the first half.”
— Sarkisian echoed the theme, suggesting, “In the end, the story of this game is about resiliency. Continuing to fight, and fight the right way.”
Baylor linebacker Bryson Jackson expressed disappointment, “We came into this game, all the way to the end, thinking we were gonna win. So just a kick in the face. It hurts.”
NEXT UP
Baylor waits for its bowl assignment. Texas will play in Dallas for the Big 12 title or await a bowl invitation.
