HOUSTON - Vince Young’s day was done by early in the third quarter. It’s his legacy that keeps on growing.

Texas coach Mack Brown has already predicted Young will one day be in the college and pro football halls of fame. And if he can just get one more victory — Jan. 4 in the Rose Bowl — it would be hard to argue that No. 2 Texas ever had a better quarterback.

Young’s four touchdowns passing and running in Saturday’s 70-3 win over Colorado in the Big 12 championship game gave Texas its first league title since 1996 and moved the Longhorns within one victory of the school’s first undisputed national championship in 36 years.

Soon after the final seconds ticked off the game clock, Young clutched a red rose in the left hand and thrust it into the air.

“To me, he’s the most valuable on our team, an on any team,” Brown said. “I don’t think we’d be sitting here without him.”

Young’s record as a starter is 29-2, moving him past Bobby Layne for the Texas record for most victories by a Longhorns quarterback. Texas is 12-0 for the first time school history and the Longhorns’ 19-game winning streak is second only to the school record 30-game streak set from 1968-70.

And by throwing for three TDs and rushing for one more, Young has now accounted for 78 career touchdowns, breaking the school record of 76 set by Heisman Trophy running back Ricky Williams. He has 26 TD passes this season, tying the school record set by Chris Simms in 2002.

After a subpar performance against Texas A&M a week earlier, Young vowed he would put on a show in the city where he already was a high school legend.

“I was emotional. I was excited,” Young said. “I was looking forward to coming home.”

And while his 250 total yards weren’t the eye-popping figure some Heisman voters will be looking for, it would be hard to find a more efficient performance this season.

“I don’t really care about the Heisman right now. All I care about is winning the Big 12,” he said, adding later, “Just watch the game. I’m a leader for my teammates.”

Young made it look easy against the Buffs, accounting for 60 yards on Texas’ first drive, including 34 on two carries. The second run got Texas to the Colorado 1 before Henry Melton’s TD opened the scoring.

After a TD pass to Jamaal Charles, Young made the kind of play he’s most famous for.

With Texas stalled at the Colorado 2 after two failed running plays, Young dropped back to pass but found all of his receivers covered. Looking right, then left, Young went straight ahead, knocking down 6-foot-6, 315-pound Longhorns guard Will Allen on his way into the end zone.

“It’s so much fun to play with him and the heart he plays with,” tight end David Thomas said.

“You saw it, we had everybody covered and he takes off and scores,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. “You don’t have an answer or a solution for it.”

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Then Young went back to the air, throwing touchdown passes of 34 and 8 yards to Limas Sweed and David Thomas as Texas took a 42-3 lead into halftime in the most lopsided game in Big 12 championship history.

In Texas’ first win over Colorado, 42-17, Young had a career day passing, going 25-of-29, a mark Barnett said would be hard enough to do “against air.”

Young was nearly that good again, completing 13 of 16 passes in the first half for 176 yards and three touchdowns.

He finally left the game with Texas leading 63-3 in the third. He played two series after halftime and the second lasted only one play as Jamaal Charles ran 26 yards for a touchdown.

After watching Charles score, Young turned and jogged to the Texas sideline with his right forefinger in the air, his legacy growing one victory at a time.