Texas Football: 3 weapons Sarkisian can use to expose Arkansas

Bijan Robinson, RB

Turning the attention to the ground game, and there’s obviously plenty that Sark and the Longhorns can do to get star sophomore running back Bijan Robinson to beat this Arkansas defense. Texas used Bijan as a threat in the passing game, a game-breaker on the ground, and as a stout blocker in the win over Louisiana.

Bijan truly did it all for the Longhorns over the weekend. He was the team’s top-graded blocker (even including the offensive linemen), and registered well over 100 yards after contact and yards after the catch combined. Bijan also forced 10 missed tackles from an otherwise stout Louisiana defense and raked in nine first downs.

In the regular season opener, Bijan specifically registered more than 175 total yards from scrimmage (7.3 yards per touch) and two total touchdowns.

If there was one spot where Rice actually found success on the ground against this Arkansas front seven, it was running off the center and the left guard. Rice registered 64 of its 87 rushing yards on the day (and 45 yards after contact) running off those two spots on the line.

In the last three games for Bijan, he’s registered more than 350 rushing yards (more than 250 yards after contact), forced more than 15 missed tackles and registered three rushing scores running of those two spots on the line. It’s clear where Bijan can do a lot of his damage against the three-man front of the Hogs next weekend.

Make no mistake, this is a good and pretty experienced Razorbacks defense led by a capable defensive coordinator in Odom. But there was nothing that Arkansas saw since the middle of last season that is anything like what Bijan brings to the table for the Longhorns. Bijan’s Heisman odds vaulted up to the best of any running back in the country this week for a reason.