Texas Football: 4 takeaways from Bijan Robinson’s decimation of Kansas

Jaylan Ford keeps making plays

Texas’ defense came to play this weekend. It continues to show that co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Pete Kwiatkowski and special assistant to the head coach Gary Patterson are getting it done for this defensive unit against some of the more formidable offenses in the Big 12.

In the last two weeks, Texas has held two offenses in TCU and Kansas that are otherwise averaging more than 77 points per game combined to just 31. Texas is doing a tremendous job of holding its opponents at bay on key third and fourth down plays.

And the defense is doing a fantastic job limiting the explosive plays.

But the one real difference-maker that has broken through for the Longhorns on the defensive side of the ball this season is definitely junior linebacker Jaylan Ford. The breakthrough third-year linebacker is having a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season.

Ford made yet another big play for Texas in the first half that helped to put the Jayhawks on ice pretty early on. He picked off junior quarterback Jalon Daniels for his third interception of the season. This was also the only turnover for either team in this game.

After nabbing this interception against the Jayhawks, Ford has now forced more than a half-dozen turnovers on the season. He also played well in run defense, helping Texas hold standout Kansas running back Devin Neal to just 51 yards on 13 carries. Neal had more than 430 rushing yards in the prior two games combined.

Ford is standing out for this defense is taking the entire unit to a different level, evident by the results produced by this unit in the last three games.