Steve Sarkisian reflects on Bijan Robinson's impact, injury

Texas lost far more than a game to Kansas on Saturday, which already put Longhorns fans in misery — in the process of losing, Steve Sarkisian on Monday clarified that Texas also lost star running back Bijan Robinson for the rest of the season with a dislocated elbow.

Robinson had 14 carries for 70 yards in Texas’ 57-56 overtime loss to Kansas, while adding another three receptions for 48 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. He’ll finish the season with 1,127 rushing yards on 195 attempts, plus 11 rushing touchdowns. Not only was he Texas’ leading rusher, but Robinson was also No. 2 on the team with 26 receptions, taking them for 295 yards and four touchdowns (also Texas’ second-highest tally).

Losing Robinson means losing the bulk of Texas’ offense in 2021. Sarkisian on Monday explained just how devastating the news can be, both on and off the field.

“Bijan, I’ve said all along: who he represents as a human being, as a person, is even better than what everybody gets to see on Saturday on the field,” Sarkisian said. “This guy embodies what a true champion looks like, he’s a tremendous teammate, he’s a great leader, he’s got unbelievable work ethic and oh, by the way, he’s really talented. And I think we saw all of that here for the first ten games of the season.”

Robinson, a true sophomore, suffered injuries in consecutive losses; however, his injury against Iowa State wasn’t nearly as serious. During Texas’ 30-7 loss to the Cyclones, Robinson — who hardly looked like himself, fumbling twice — took a tough hit and stayed on the ground before entering the tent, then the locker room. Sarkisian said the injury in the Iowa State game was nothing more than a “stinger.”

One week later, in Texas’ upset loss to Kansas, Robinson tried stiff-arming a Jayhawks defender and fell to the ground in pain. He eventually went to the locker room. This injury, a dislocated elbow, will end his 2021 campaign.

“He’s a warrior, he wants the ball, he wants the opportunities to get the ball in his hands, whether it’s in the run game or the pass game, and we want him to get healthy,” Sarkisian said of Robinson. “We want him to get himself back because I think he’s primed for a big-time junior season.”

A native of Tucson, Arizona, Robinson was a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 2 running back in the class of 2020, via On3 Consensus. A 6-foot, 214-pound running back, Robinson was a physically imposing threat in 2020, despite being a true freshman. He played in nine games, starting in six, racking up a team-high 703 rushing yards and four touchdowns to go along with 15 receptions, 196 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.