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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — BYU quarterback Taysom Hill ran for three touchdowns in the third quarter, hurdling a defender near the goal line on a 30-yard score, leading the Cougars to a 41-7 win over Texas on Saturday night.
BYU rolled up 550 yards rushing in a win over Texas in 2013. This time, the Cougars stuffed a Longhorns offense that started new quarterback Tyrone Swoopes behind a line missing three starters because of injury or suspensions.
The Cougars (2-0) allowed Texas (1-1) just 249 total yards.
Hill's long touchdown came on a scramble after he was almost sacked. Once free, Hill leaped over diving Texas safety Dylan Haines to get to the end zone. He also had scoring runs of 2 and 1 yard to push the score to 34-0.
Hill passed for 181 yards.
Swoopes started in place of injured David Ash and was 19-of-30 passing for 171 yards and one interception.
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The potential for a blowout was set up early in the week when Texas coach Charlie Strong announced that Ash would be out with concussion symptoms and two days later suspended starting tackles Desmond Harrison and Kennedy Estelle. That left Swoopes getting his first start behind a makeshift line that totaled five career starts.
The result was predictable. BYU pushed Texas around up front, stifling a running game that was supposed to be Texas' strength. Swoopes completed his first eight passes but early drives stalled without the ability to grind out tough yards.
Swoopes was one of the highest-rated recruits in the country in high school two years ago, but struggled badly in the spring game and couldn't push Ash — who missed 10 games last season because of concussions — for the starting job in training camp.
BYU embarrassed Texas last season with its school record rushing totals in a 40-21 win. That game got former Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz fired the next day and lit a season-long fire under Longhorns head coach Mack Brown, who was pushed out at the end of the season.
Strong came in and pointed to the rematch as a measuring stick for his program. In the offseason, he showed his new players "lowlight" films of how badly they played last year.
The stats weren't as bad this time, but the score was much worse, resulting in another humiliation, this time at home.
The Texas defense kept the Longhorns close in the first half. Hill had a long touchdown run negated by a holding penalty in the first quarter and the Cougars had to settle for a 6-0 halftime lead behind field goals of 21 and 29 yards from Trevor Samson.
Hill broke things open with his big run in the third. Sacked four times in the first half, Hill looked like he was going down for another when he moved to his left, stepped out of one tackle and took off. Haines ducked his head on the tackle attempt and Hill easily jumped over him.
BYU kept pounding Texas from there. After forcing a quick punt, the Cougars pushed the lead to 20-0 on a 16-yard touchdown run by Adam Hine. Hill later added scoring runs of 2 and 1 yards to make it 34-0 heading in the fourth.
Texas avoided its first home shutout since 1976 when Swoopes hit John Harris for a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.
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