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WACO, Tex. — There wasn’t nearly enough water in the Brazos River for Baylor to spring an upset Saturday against fast-starting Texas at Floyd Casey Stadium The Horns’ most balanced offensive showing of the season opened the floodgates in a 47-14 deluge that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
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The 35th anniversary season of Baylor’s Miracle on the Brazos stunner of Darrell Royal’s Longhorns saw Colt McCoy make history instead. The Texas QB raised his career mark to 42-7, tied with Georgia’s David Greene atop the FBS all-time list.

McCoy’s numbers (22-of-34 for 181 yards) were solid, yet may not be eye-popping enough to give him a spike this week in the Heisman race. Yet, the story-line heading into this one was Texas coach Mack Brown’s determination to establish a running game with RB Cody Johnson logging his first start of the season. The sophomore responded with 109 yards on 19 attempts, both career bests. It was the second time in Johnson’s career that he eclipsed the century mark. There’s just a different sound when Johnson rumbles with the rock: it’s the plastic-on-plastic, bone-on-bone crunch of old school football. It also sounds like Texas may have finally settled on a featured back.

“Our point of business this week was to run the ball,” McCoy said. “Cody is a workhorse. Cody is a guy who will fight for yards and he’s never going to make negative yards. You can get him running down hill and it wears down the defense.”

Offensively, the final tally reveals 224 rushing and 187 passing yards for the Horns in a game that was decided by halftime. It’s the type of balance, however, that Texas needed not-so-much for a Saturday in Waco but in anticipation of a January ni ght in Pasadena. The Horns are now three wins shy of a BCS title birth. “Our offense will be really, really good if we continue to be balanced,” Brown said. Brown’s defense is already really, really good — just ask Baylor QB Nick Florence. The freshman turned Missouri into road kill last weekend en route to Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. This time, he faced college football’s top-ranked defense that padded its resume by notching three INTs, three sacks, a safety, a fourth-down step and by allowing just six rushing yards.

Here’s a telling stat: Baylor accounted for 68 yards on its opening drive but had just 37 net yards at halftime. Texas’ first-team defense, which only played one series in the second half, allowed just 41 total yards on 37 plays.

In fact, Cody Johnson would out-rush Baylor with his second carry just two minutes into the mismatch. Johnson collected 30 yards on four carries against Baylor’s six-man front on Texas’ opening drive. The big play, however, was Dan Buckner’s diving grab down the middle, good for 22 yards. It put Texas in prime real estate at the Baylor six and set up the game’s first score. McCoy faked to Buckner and waited for Jordan Shipley to slip from the outside across the middle to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Mixing pass and run, Florence press-screened his team to the shadow of the Longhorn goal post on his opening drive

“We were a little out of sorts on the first series with all their screens,” defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said. “We didn’t cover down and leverage the ball as well as we needed to. We’ve had that issue in a couple of games. It’s something we’ll get fixed.” Then, on third-and-goal from the four, RCB Aaron Williams went airborne on a fade intend for IR Ernest Smith for his second pick of the season. “The game turned right there,” Brown said. “We dominated the game from the beginning.” Following a Texas punt, Baylor had two shots at moving the chains by picking up one yard at their own 44. Both times, backup MLB Dustin Earnest blew up the play, including a fourth-down stop of Florence on a quick snap. “We got caught short-handed on fourth-down a few weeks ago at Oklahoma State when they jumped into with a quick-tempo,” Brown noted. “Our defensive coaches had our guys prepared. Baylor jumped into it with a quarterback sneak and we made a great stop.” A leaping Shipley collected 21 yards along the Baylor sideline on third and five, punching the ticket for Texas’ second trip inside the Red Zone in three possessions. Johnson barrled in on 1st-and-goal from the six, knocking FS Jordan Lake off his heels, to make it 14-0 with 1:56 left in the opening frame. Terra Williams returned Justin Tucker’s KO 35 yards to mid-field but, on second and six, blitzing LCB Chykie Brown blindsided Florence for a nine-yard sack to snuff the drive. Texas coaches pronounced Tre’ Newton “well” earlier this week following the concussion he suffered September 26 against UTEP. The RS-freshman gave Baylor NB Mike Hicks a healthy dose of shake-and-bake when, on second and two, found a hole wider than Big Bertha just off right tackle. His 45-yard scoring scamper was the longest of his career and pushed the Longhorn lead to 21. Newton was the game’s second-leading rusher with 80 yards on seven totes.

“He looked like his old self,” said offensive coordinator Greg Davis. “He has really good patience when he runs the ball. He was able to make the free sfaety miss and then he went and put it in. He’s a guy who can make yards when there’s not anything there.” Texas took over at the Baylor 29 when Kenny Vaccaro got a piece of a punt that netted just 16 yards. A pair of defensive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties — Baylor fans are still booing — spotted the ball at the Bear seven. McCoy faked a bubble screen and hit Shipley (who moments earlier lay motionless following a wicked collision just inside the 20) in the left corner of the end zone to make it a 28-0 runaway.

Texas’ defense forced a three-and-out when DE Lamarr Houston threw Florence for a six-yard loss. Shipley returned Derek Epperson’s punt 26 yards to the Baylor 43. A pair of Johnson runs netted 23 yards before a roughing the passer penalty set up first and goal from the nine. A personal-foul face mask penalty was tacked on to Johnson’s seven-yard rumble and, from the one, he notched his second rushing TD of the half.

The only question, with a 35-point lead, is when Texas’ defense would get a score. The answer came on Baylor’s next series. Sam Acho swatted the ball from HB Terrance Ganaway on an ill-fated option toss, resulting in a scrum-for-possession in the back of the Baylor end zone. Justin Akers out-wrestled Chykie Brown at the bottom of the pile, but chalk up a safety for General Muschamp’s troops. The Horns converted the gift into a 41-yard Hunter Lawrence FG with three ticks left until intermission. The 40-0 blowout prompted an early exodus from the Green-and-Gold section of Floyd Casey Stadium. (The Baylor faithful, presumably, headed to the nearest watering hole for a double-shot of Dr. Pepper. Or, perhaps to ask forgiveness for a team guilty of five personal fouls in the second quarter alone.) Backup QB Garrett Gilbert checked in with 1:21 remaining in a scoreless third quarter. His appearance followed Emmanuel Acho’s first career INT, but Texas quickly returned the favor with Newton’s fumble just inside the Baylor 20. Now, the only remaining plot line was if Muschamp could empty the bench and still preserve the shut-out. Backups-to-backups were on the field for Texas when Baylor drove to midfield. That’s when DE Eddie Jones stepped in front of a Florence pass for a 58-yard pick-six to push the lead to 47-0.

“We had to adjust some things to what they were doing with their screen game to get our ends up the field,” Muschamp said. “Eddie has good ball skills and made a great play.” Baylor tacked on a pair of scores in the final 5:30, much to the chagrin of Muschamp. “That was not good,” Muschamp said. “It was not a good service to our first crew.” Even so, Texas served notice it was on target for a title shot by starting 10-0 for just the third time in 26 seasons.

INJURY REPORT: Backup CB Ben Wells suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. He left the field on crutches and a wrap on his right ankle.