VALERO ALAMO BOWL: TEXAS VS COLORADO

December 29, 2020

Bijan Robinson

Alamodome

Texas Longhorns

Texas 55, Colorado 23

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Bijan.

Q. You look at what Casey did, offensive line, guys on defense, a lot of freshmen in your class, was this the future of Longhorn football we saw today?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I believe so. We had a lot of young guys that stepped up in this game. Casey came in when we needed him most, made a big impact like he did. I feel that these guys made an impact in this game. What they can do leading forward in the off-season, next season, it's good to see what they did for this game.

Q. When basketball players get hot, they always say the rim looks really big. How does it feel for a runningback when you're hitting those holes?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I mean, lucky God gave me a gift to do that. I feel this O-line, how they make holes right away, just me trying to get the right read. When I see that hole open, I just have to take it. The holes close real fast, especially at this level.

You just see a little bit of a crease, I just take it, get as many yards as I can after that.

Q. What is going through your mind when you start as hot as you did, then you go four drives and you don't get any touches? What is up with the big gap there?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I really don't know. Coach Yurcich and Coach Herman, they have a specific game plan that they're trying to follow throughout the game. They might see something that a lot of us can't see. Might not involve the running game.

But, I mean, I just try to do as much as I can, do my job. I don't complain about not getting the touches or anything. I try to work as hard as I can, get blocks, go without the football, whatever circumstance happens, it just happens that way.

Q. About a year ago we were talking about expectations. Throughout the last few months, how have you handled the expectations?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I feel that it's in God's plan. It was supposed to happen this way. I feel with COVID, with the slow start sometimes, just trying to get a feel of the game. But as the season kept progressing, as I started learning a lot more, started playing comfortably, it was a blessing and good look to have going into the off-season.

I feel that everything is happening the way it's supposed to.

Q. You seem to be running with so much more confidence. How much better a back are you now than you were in September?

BIJAN ROBINSON: That is true. I feel when you start at another level, you need to get used to the speed of the game, get comfortable with the speed of the game. Everybody just gets that much faster. Even in high school when I was a freshman, it was the same thing, had to get used to everything going up to the varsity level.

When you do get comfortable as a runningback, start finding your way, start understanding the blocks before they even happen, second and third level reads, the game does slow down, you need to play however you want, comfortable, the best way.

Q. You were talking about not complaining when you don't get it, just being good without the ball. How hard is that? How do you not say, Get me back in there, get some touches?

BIJAN ROBINSON: Yeah, I mean, of course you want to get the ball as much as you can as a runningback. That's any player I feel. But me and Coach Drayton talk all the time. Coach Drayton has a system. He wants to keep everybody healthy. We have a great runningback in Roschon, too, that gets touches as well.

I just feel the system they were trying to do today worked out for the best. But I want to get the ball sometimes. But we all do. We all just need to stay in our role, play as hard as we can with or without the football.

Q. This is a new offensive line. What have the new guys done the last couple weeks? Is outside running the strength of this version of the offensive line?

BIJAN ROBINSON: They've been doing a lot. We've been trying to work up a lot of schemes. We're all young guys. We're all trying to learn different defenses, how they blitz, where everything is coming from.

I feel it's just because everything was happening a little late that we just had to stick with some other things. I feel going into the off-season when they start really learning, start getting everything down, we can do everything from running the ball inside, outside, counter, it doesn't matter.

I feel right now we're doing the best that we can in what we have.

Q. You look like the happiest dude in the world all the time. You step on the field and you're a mean runningback. What is the mentality for you when you step on the field? Attitude shift for you.

BIJAN ROBINSON: When I'm on the sideline, I'm smiling all the time. I don't know. I don't know. I even smile on the field. That's just my personality. I just love to have fun playing the game. When big plays happen and stuff, there's a smile right back on my face.

I still have the mentality I'm not trying to let anybody stop me. It's a joy. It's a gift that God is giving me to have fun and be joyful on and off the field. It's been fun. When I do step between the lines, it's go time. You just do it in love and joy.

Q. I think you set the school record for yards per carry in a season, 8.2. Your thoughts on that?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I mean, it's just a blessing to be in the conversation. It was all a buildup. I still got so much to work on. It's fun to have that kind of stat, but it's just a little thing that I got -- it's fun to have, but I got to think about the next season and try to do a lot of great more things with my guys, my teammates. But it's a blessing to have that kind of stat and I just have to keep working hard.

Q. What do you think of Roschon's touchdown run, what he did on that play?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I mean, he's a dog. We all know that. He brings that fire no matter what play he has. Just to see how he just broke those tackles, reversed the field, made people miss off of that, that's just who he is as a runningback. He's a gifted runningback as well. I enjoy playing next to him, see what he's doing on the field as well.

Q. You talked about the records, bowl game MVP. Is this what you expected out of yourself in your first year? What do you expect in the future?

BIJAN ROBINSON: I take everything day by day. Of course I want this to happen. Even if it didn't, that's just how it's supposed to happen. It's a blessing to be a part of that, to have all the MVP and all that stuff.

It's a short mind. In the future I just want to do great things for this team, do as much as I can for this team, just keep continuing to play and have fun.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.