Texas hasn't give up a 100-yard rusher yet, but faces a 1,000-yard RB in Jamal Roberts

Texas Longhorns linebacker Brad Spence (14) tries to make a tackle against Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) in the first half at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 12, 2026. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman) Texas football hasn't given opposing running backs much room to breathe this season. The Longhorns allow 102.4 rushing yards per game, which ranks 24th nationally.That's fine. Texas has boasted a top-20 run defense in each of the past three seasons under former defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, but Will Muschamp's bunch this year is actually allowing fewer rushing yards than Texas did in both 2024 (109.6 ypg) and 2025 (103.9 ypg). There hasn't been a 100-yard rusher against Texas since Mike Washington Jr.'s 105-yard effort last season against Arkansas. Florida's Jadan Baugh, who's averaging just over 100 yards per game, is the only player flirt with triple digits against the Longhorns:• Texas State: Torrance Burgess Jr. 12 carries for 34 yards; Jaylen Jenkins 6-34• Ohio State: Bo Jackson 19-74 • UTSA: Will Henderson III: 10-38• Tennessee: Desean Bishop: 11-34• Oklahoma: Lloyd Avant 10-72• Florida: Jadan Baugh 25-91• Ole Miss: Makhi Frazier 6-47• Mississippi State: Fluff Bothwell 17-49"I would probably give us a 'B,'" said senior linebacker Rasheem Biles, who docked the defense a few points because of Baugh's performance. View this post on Instagram A post shared by hookem.com (@hookemdotcom)Missouri has two top rushers in Ahmad Hardy, Jamal RobertsUP NEXTNO. 10 TEXAS VS. NO. 19 MISSOURIWhen/where:  11 a.m. Saturday in Columbia, Mo.TV/radio:  ESPN; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 105.3 FM (Spanish).The No. 10 team in the Associated Press poll, Texas will face a stiff test this weekend when it travels to No. 19 Missouri. There are just three players who have reached 1,000 rushing yards already this season, and Missouri's Jamal Roberts is one of them. Ahmad Hardy, who led the SEC in rushing last year, recently returned to the Missouri backfield after missing the first seven games of the season as he recovered from a gunshot wound.MORE:Why can't the Longhorns protect Arch Manning from being sacked?TEXAS FILM STUDY:Why can't Longhorns protect should-be star QB?Neither Hardy nor Roberts has been overlooked on the Texas scouting report. On Monday, Longhorns linebacker Justin Cryer said Roberts is "someone who not only was a replacement guy, but someone who stepped up and has been one of the best backs in the country." Defensive tackle Hero Kanu argued that Hardy during the 2025 season was "the best back in the league.""Ahmad can break a ton of tackles, he's elite at it," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "Roberts is a little bit shiftier that way. Maybe not always looking and hunting for contact, but can make you miss. They're both tough, hard-nosed runners and they're committed to the scheme."Sarkisian credited Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and his outside-zone run scheme for the Tigers' success on the ground. Missouri has ranked higher than 40th in rushing offense just once since Drinkwitz took over ahead of the 2020 season, but the Tigers have produced four 1,000-yard rushers and three Doak Walker Award finalists under his tutelage."He believes in running the ball, and that hasn't changed," Sarkisian said. "Whoever the quarterback's been, whoever the coordinator's been, they believe in running the ball. He's had different defensive coordinators. He's had different offensive coordinators. At the end of the day, they run the ball, and they're a tough football team. And this team's no different."Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at Texas hasn't give up a 100-yard rusher yet, but faces a 1,000-yard RB in Jamal Roberts.