Bijan Robinson Dominant, Texas Routs Colorado in 2020 Alamo Bowl

Texas is the back-to-back Alamo Bowl champion, knocking off Colorado 55-23 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The win gave the No. 20 Longhorns (7-3) seven wins for the fourth consecutive year under head coach Tom Herman and dropped the Buffaloes to (4-2) after a shortened Pac-12 season. CU hasn't won a bowl game in four attempts since 2004's Houston Bowl victory over UTEP.

Still, Tuesday marked the first postseason game for the program since it dropped the 2016 Alamo Bowl and provides a foundation for first-year head coach Karl Dorrell after Mel Tucker abruptly left to take the same job at Michigan State in February.

Tuesday's contest was also the first meeting between the two former Big 12 rivals since 2009, when the Longhorns defeated the Buffs, 38-14.

Texas now leads the all-time series 12-7.

Notable Performers

Casey Thompson, QB, Texas Longhorns: 8-of-10, 170 yards, 4 touchdowns

Sam Ehlinger, QB, Texas Longhorns: 10-of-16, 160 yards, 1 touchdown

Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Longhorns: 10 carries, 183 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 catches, 37 yards, 2 touchdowns

Sam Noyer, QB, Colorado Buffaloes: 8-of-23, 101 yards, 2 interceptions

Jarek Broussard, RB, Colorado Buffaloes: 27 carries, 82 yards, 2 touchdowns

Thompson, Robinson Lead UT To Victory

Say hello to Texas' new savior at quarterback: Casey Thompson. Don't forget about his running back, Bijan Robinson, either.

The two are poised to become the face of the Longhorns program—and by virtue, two of the faces of college football in general—after eye-opening performances in the Alamo Bowl.

Thompson was forced to step in after starting quarterback Sam Ehlinger suffered a shoulder injury late in the first half that knocked him out of the game. That brought out Thompson, who had previously attempted just 19 pass attempts over his first two years in Austin.

The result was electric as the Oklahoma City native quickly started racking up yards and points.

Five of Thompson's first 10 passes went for more than 10 yards with three touchdowns of 23 yards or longer punctuated by a 73-yard missile to Kelvontay Dixon at the start of the fourth quarter. That brought out third-stringer Hudson Card to finish out the game and avoid risking any further injuries to the Longhorns' latest star QB.

But Thompson was only half of what made Texas' offense so dangerous.

Robinson was the other side. Why he wasn't getting the ball more was the only question worth asking.

The freshman from Arizona finished the first quarter with 104 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on just seven touches. His first carry in the second half went for 66 yards and set up a Longhorns touchdown on the next play.

There was no greater display of Robinson's skills than what he mustered on that two-tackle-breaking run in the third quarter.

With the two underclassmen stars ready to dominate at Texas, Herman's club may find itself in the national spotlight for all the right reasons.

Buffs Glimpse Future At QB

This probably was not how Brendon Lewis imagined his college career would begin. The true freshman from Melissa, Texas, hadn't taken a snap all year. The last game of the year had other plans.

With his team's offense sputtering through the first third of the game, Coach Dorrell turned to his backup to get the ball moving downfield. Temporarily, at least, it seemed to work. Lewis threw a 26-yard dart to Dimitri Stanley on 3rd-and-long for his first pass attempt and took the Buffaloes down to Texas' 2-yard line.

It took four tries once CU got to the end zone, but it was eventually able to cross the plane for its first score of the day.

Lewis went on to split time with senior starter Sam Noyer the rest of the way, finishing 6-of-10 with 95 yards.

It's at least something Dorrell can build on.

After Tucker decided to leave Colorado, Dorrell has dealt with challenge after challenge since taking the job in February. Getting four wins—especially over the likes of UCLA, Stanford, San Diego State and Arizona—is a feat in itself.

Now his program has its first trip to a bowl game since 2016, a dual-threat quarterback with at least three years of eligibility left and the foundation for a winning culture in Boulder.

The Buffaloes may still be searching for their first postseason victory since the 2004 Houston Bowl, but they got plenty out of Tuesday night's performance.

What's Next?

The Longhorns enter the offseason with the No. 17 overall recruiting class in the nation for 2021, according to 247Sports, with one 5-star and eight 3-star recruits. It's the No. 2 class in the Big 12 behind only Oklahoma, which ranks No. 9 overall. Colorado, meanwhile, ranks No. 9 in the Pac 12 and No. 54 overall.