Bohls: Jonathon Brooks wows, but Texas' rushing attack too often underwhelming in win

What started out as bland Saturday night quickly became bizarre.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers threw a touchdown pass to a 308-pound nose tackle, of all people.

Texas got a couple of key runs for first downs from a wide receiver-turned-running back-turned wildcat quarterback.

And featured back Jonathon Brooks, after three sluggish quarters, finally broke loose for a 61-yard gain in the fourth to set up a touchdown in a game in which no one was certain Texas would ever go ahead to stay.

But ultimately the Longhorns did on Xavier Worthy's 44-yard score, and they even extended their lead on Ewers' keeper, set up by Brooks' run, for a big sigh-of-relief, 31-10 victory over a pretty good Wyoming team. It was a disconcerting outcome mostly because of a largely unimpressive run game.

It’s been a lingering problem. It hasn’t cost UT a victory, but it’s unsettling enough to wonder if that facet of the game could eventually prevent the Longhorns from reaching their ceiling.

For now, however, Texas can point to a 3-0 record for the first time since 2012. And after a night when Ewers wasn’t ever really in sync — throwing for just 131 yards but with no turnovers for the third straight game — the Longhorns know they can win with great defense and explosive plays. And they now know they can finish, with their second straight 21-point fourth quarter.

Those are not small details, but the types of things that can overcome a whole heck of a lot of shortcomings.

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And Steve Sarkisian has enough tricks up his sleeve to keep defenses off balance. Namely, a couple of big runs by Savion Red, who can be big this season in short-yardage situations in the wildcat, and the 1-yard touchdown pass to nose tackle Byron Murphy II.

Otherwise, the ground game was, well, grounded for the most part.

Texas still has to prove it can run

“There was some frustration,” said Brooks, who had a career-best 164 yards, “but our offensive line played a hell of a game. We’ve been there before, and I knew (the big run) was coming.”

At least on one play. And he had a nifty 20-yarder on the last play of the third quarter.

That said, until proven otherwise, it seems Texas just can’t run the ball effectively with any degree of consistency. It didn’t in the opener against Rice. Didn’t in Tuscaloosa against Alabama. Didn’t at home against a Mountain West Conference team in Week 3.

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The Horns ranked 90th out of 133 FBS teams in rushing entering the week and probably won’t climb much after a 185-yard effort helped along by Brooks’ gasher. It was a lackluster effort for most of the game.

But Texas could run when it had to Saturday, much as it did when it milked the final seven minutes-plus of the upset of Alabama.

Taking advantage of his opportunity

The Longhorns have to take a lot of satisfaction in that. And in Brooks’ hard running as he carried the load in the absence of true freshman CJ Baxter, who sat out with a foot injury with next week’s Big 12 opener at Baylor looming.

Brooks, a sophomore from Hallettsville, was magnificent in the fourth quarter, when he broke off that long run on a quick hitter. He’s a very sound running back, but the best back in the stadium was Wyoming’s Harrison Waylee. The transfer from Northern Illinois, hurt for the first two games, made his Cowboys debut and had a run even longer than Brooks' when he burst through the right side for a 62-yard sprint and a touchdown on the fifth play of the game.

On the visitors’ other 61 plays, they managed only a field goal.

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But the rushing attack can’t infuse a lot of confidence on the part of the fan base, even if the coach doesn’t seem worried. “I’m OK; I’m OK,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian took solace in the fact that Wyoming made a major tweak to its defensive game plan and slanted its defensive linemen in a way that could confuse Texas' offensive linemen and clog the running lanes. He added that for the second time in three games, an opponent showed “an absolute different defense than they put on tape.” He took that as a compliment that opponents would drastically alter their defenses to fit Texas.

Compliment or not, the defensive strategies have largely held Texas at bay.

Start slow, finish strong

Through three quarters against Wyoming, the Longhorns had just 88 yards on the ground. They powered their way to 97 in the fourth quarter, which was impressive. And necessary.

“We had to find a way to dig deep,” right tackle Christian Jones said. “They were slanting up front a little bit, and we had to get our eyes up.”

More: Big plays from Barryn Sorrell help turn tide as Texas football pulls away from Wyoming

Texas might not get its ranking up beyond where it sits, but it had plenty of company from college football heavyweights who also struggled to scratch out wins Saturday.

Never mind that the Cowboys were picked sixth in the Mountain West Conference because they had already bested Texas Tech this season and gave Texas all it could handle before a packed audience at Royal-Memorial Stadium. But the 101,777 appreciated what’s becoming Texas’ second nature, and that’s the ability to make big plays and finish in the fourth quarter. Even if it can’t run all that well.

Who knows? Murphy insists he was a heck of a running back in high school and has, well, if not the best hands on the team, “one of the best.”

And has Sarkisian designed any running plays for him?

“I wish,” Murphy said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas' Brooks caps underwhelming running attack with brilliant runs