AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Longhorns are on a late-season stampede toward the Big 12 title game. And given how things are unfolding around them and a sudden resurgence on defense, they like where they stand. Now if only quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s throwing shoulder will hold up.

Ehlinger ran for a touchdown and passed for another before leaving with an injury after a hard hit late in the second quarter, and No. 13 Texas smothered Iowa State freshman quarterback Brock Purdy in a 24-10 victory Saturday night that pushed the Longhorns a big step closer to a berth in the league championship game.

Texas (8-3, 6-2, No. 15 CFP) is in second place in the Big 12 and can get to the title game with a win at Kansas next week. Texas hasn’t won the Big 12 since 2009. The Longhorns have won eight games for the first time since 2013. And lurking out there are potential title-game rematches of Texas’ wildest games of the year: a 48-45 win over Oklahoma and a 42-41 loss to West Virginia.

Texas can even get to the title game if it loses to Kansas, but Oklahoma beats West Virginia and Iowa State beats Kansas State next week. Texas isn’t ready to talk about those scenarios yet.

The Cyclones melted under the pressure of their biggest Big 12 game in years. Iowa State started the game with the same “win and get in” title game hopes Texas did. But the Cyclones’ title hopes were dashed with the loss as the potential tie-breaker scenarios would freeze them out.
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Iowa State hosts Kansas State.