Texas Football: Best Single Game Rushing Performances in the BCS Era

The Longhorns didn't get the memo.

Unlike most of the other teams in the Big 12, Texas has decided to go to a run-first rather than pass-happy style of offense.

With nearly 900 rushing yards in their last two games, the Longhorns are doing a good job of establishing the physical, aggressive identity that Mack Brown envisioned a few years ago.

It's not the sexiest brand of football for people to watch, and Texas fans may have gotten used to a lot of passing and little running over the past several years, but good old smash-mouth football can win just as many games as a quick, spread offense can.

In fact, Texas has had some great running backs over the years, with several of them winning awards and breaking NCAA records.

Here are some of the best rushing performances by Texas players in the BCS era.

Hodges Mitchell Against Kansas in 2000

In a game in which the Longhorns trailed a subpar Kansas team 16-9, Hodges Mitchell decided to take over the game and lead the Longhorns to victory.

Along with some help from Chris Simms, who did a good job of spreading the ball around, Mitchell bulldozed through the Kansas defense to rush for 264 yards on only 37 carries.

He helped the Longhorns score the game’s final 42 points, highlighted by an explosive 35-yard touchdown run.

Mitchell would lead the Longhorns to nine wins, with the season ending in a loss to eighth-ranked Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

Cedric Benson Against Kansas in 2001

In a dominating 59-0 victory, Cedric Benson ran for 213 yards, setting a Texas freshman record.

Benson seemed to be clicking on all cylinders against the Jayhawks, finding lots of open spaces and powering through the Kansas defense with ease. He scored three touchdowns and had 213 rushing yards in less than three quarters of play.

Imagine how many yards Benson could have had if the Longhorns had let him play the entire game.

The win moved Texas to 9-1 on the season and kept them fourth in the BCS standings.

Unfortunately, the Longhorns' national title hopes would go down the drain after losing to Colorado in the conference championship game.

Texas would have to settle for a Holiday Day Bowl victory over Washington to close out their season.

Jamaal Charles Against Nebraska in 2007

If there is a definition of domination in the fourth quarter, then Jamaal Charles was it in this game.

Nebraska led this game 17-9 in the final quarter, when Charles decided to take over.

He had 216 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with explosive runs of 25, 40 and 86 yards.

Charles ended the game with 290 yards rushing, and the Longhorns squeezed out a tough win over the Cornhuskers.

It was the fourth highest rushing total in Texas history, and the most yards ever against the Cornhuskers.

The game put Charles over 1000 yards rushing on the season, and it also gave Mack Brown his 100th win with the Longhorns.

Vince Young Against Oklahoma State in 2005

In one of the biggest and most significant comebacks in Texas history, Vince Young ran for 267 yards to help lead the Longhorns to a 37-28 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Longhorns came into the game with a 7-0 record and ranked second in the BCS standings behind USC. They were huge favorites against a Cowboys team that had yet to win a conference game.

The Cowboys weren't buying all the hype though.

They came out firing, and took a 28-12 lead into halftime, making it seem like they would ruin Texas’s dream of playing for a national championship,

Vince Young decided he couldn't let that happen.

On one of the first drives of the second half, Young had an 80-yard scramble for a touchdown, which sparked a rally in which the Longhorns would score 35 unanswered points to close out the game.

Including his 239 passing yards, Young’s 506 yards on offense set a school record for total offense in a game, but even more importantly, his performance kept the Longhorns on pace to play for a BCS national championship at the end of the season.

Cedric Benson Against Texas A&M in 2003

Passing the 1000-yard rushing mark for the third consecutive season, Cedric Benson ran for 283 yards and four touchdowns in guiding the Longhorns to a 46-15 victory in College Station.

Benson had such a great game against the Aggies that it went down as the most rushing yards ever by any running back against Texas A&M.

The game was highlighted by an explosive 50-yard touchdown run and a 35-yard run down the sideline for the final Longhorns score of the game.

Benson also got his 41st rushing touchdown during this game, making him second all-time in the Texas record books.

Ricky Williams Against Iowa State in 1998

Having broken many NCAA records and having won many awards while he was at The University of Texas, including a Heisman trophy, Ricky Williams pretty much did everything other than win a national championship.

His best performance came during his senior year.

Williams’ 350 yards rushing against Iowa State is a school record that still stands today, not to mention that he also found his way into the end zone five times during the game.

With a burst of uphill power and lightning quick speed, Williams had his way with the Cyclones, punishing a defense that had no idea how to contain the bulky running back. 

Williams also had another 300-yard rushing and six-touchdown game later in the season against Rice, along with several other outstanding performances the rest of the year.

In Mack Brown’s first year at Texas, Williams led the Longhorns to a 9-3 record and a victory over Mississippi State in the Cotton Bowl.  

Vince Young Against USC in 2005

The granddaddy of them all.

No Longhorns fan will ever forget a game in which Vince Young penciled himself in as one of the all-time Texas greats by rushing for 200 yards in leading the Longhorns to their fourth national championship.

Young just made all the right calls when they were needed.

In a play that is forever cemented as one of the best in Texas history, Young’s scramble for a touchdown on fourth and 8 with seconds remaining gave the Longhorns a sensational comeback victory over a great USC team. 

Adding 267 passing yards to his stellar rushing performance, Young proved in this game why he is one of the best college football players of all time, and why he should have won the Heisman trophy instead of Reggie Bush.

It’s not often that a quarterback makes the list of best rushing performances in a school’s history, but Young had such an impact on the game with his feet that he earned the right to be mentioned as part of this illustrious group twice.

Honorable Mention

1) Ricky Williams' 318 yards against Rice in 1998

2) Colt McCoy's 175 yards against Texas A&M in 2009

3) Hodges Mitchell's 192 yards against Rice in 1999