By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Bijan Robinson ran for a career-high 216 yards with two go-ahead touchdowns and Texas won 32-27 at TCU on Saturday in the Longhorns’ first Big 12 road game since accepting an invitation to join the Southeastern Conference.
Casey Thompson improved to 3-0 as starting quarterback for the Longhorns, even without them finding the end zone at the same blistering pace as in his first two starts. He was 12-of-22 passing for 142 yards with a touchdown and an interception while under constant pressure and plagued by several drops.
TCU (2-2, 0-1) had three turnovers, matching their total for the first three games, though the Longhorns converted those into only three field goals by Cameron Dicker.
The Longhorns (4-1, 2-0) have won their last three games since losing at former Southwest Conference rival Arkansas in Week 2. Texas will join the Razorbacks in the SEC no later than the 2025 season.
Zach Evans, who entered the game as the Big 12’s top rusher just ahead of Robinson, had 113 yards with a 12-yard TD after JD Spielman’s game-opening 87-yard kickoff return. Spielman later had an 11-yard TD catch.
Texas went ahead to stay when Robinson powered in from 4 yards out to make it 23-17 with four minutes left in the first half. That came on his 16th of his 35 carries, when he had already reached 100 yards for the seventh time in his last nine games.
Robinson’s zig-zagging 27-yard TD run between defenders in the first quarter gave Texas its first lead at 10-7. That capped a 99-yard drive extended when safety T.J. Carter was ejected for a targeting penalty, after a booth-initiated review, for his hit that knocked the ball out of the hands of intended receiver Jordan Whittington on third down from the Longhorns 7.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas: The Longhorns had 15 TDs on 17 drives in Thompson’s two starts, with the only drives Texas didn’t score after his two interceptions. Dicker, who hadn’t attempted a field goal since the second quarter of the Arkansas game, made a career-high four field goals (38, 38, 26 and 28 yards). Whittington had a 32-yard TD catch.
TCU: Derius Davis had two fumbles in the first half, the receiver mishandling the back end of a double handoff and later muffing a punt inside the 10. Max Duggan fumbled after a blindside sack by Anthony Cook, who then recovered the fumble. Duggan, who had won his first two starts against Texas, finished 20-of-28 passing for 182 yards, and had 33 rushing yards on 16 carreis.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Texas likely will be back in the Top 25 when the new poll comes out Sunday, after being the first team out last week. The Longhorns were the preseason No. 21, and were up to 15th before the 40-21 loss at then-unranked Arkansas.
UP NEXT
Texas: The Longhorns will be about 40 miles east at the State Fair of Texas next Saturday for their annual Red River rivalry game against sixth-ranked Oklahoma.
TCU: The Horned Frogs play their first road game at Texas Tech next Saturday night.