The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 1/1 Football’s Banks, Hill earn SEC weekly honors
10.14.2024 | Football
The junior left tackle was selected as the Southeastern Conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Week while the sophomore linebacker earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas football junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. was named the Southeastern Conference's (SEC) Offensive Lineman of the Week while sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. garnered Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors from the league, the conference office announced Monday. It's Banks' second conference weekly honor and Hill's first of the year.
The duo played a big role in No. 1/1 Texas' 34-3 win over No. 18/16 Oklahoma on Oct. 12. With the victory, Texas has started the season 6-0 for the first time since 2009.
Banks, who entered the season on the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award preseason watch list, was the highest graded player on an offensive line that paved the way 406 total yards, including 177 on the ground 229 in the air in the win. Banks did not allow a sack or a quarterback pressure from his left tackle position, while the line only gave up one sack against an Oklahoma defense that ranked fifth in the nation in sacks (3.6 per game) entering the game. The Humble, Texas, product helped the UT offense average 5.9 yards per rush, gain 177 net rushing yards and 189 gained rushing yards against a Sooner defense that entered the game allowing only 105.6 rushing yards per game. Texas recorded 222 yards of offense (113 rushing/109 passing) and averaged 10 yards per play during a 21-point second quarter. The Longhorns' 259 points through six games are its most since 2005 (274) while Texas has scored at least 30 points in every game this season, including three 50-plus point performances.
Hill compiled 11 tackles (seven solo), two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one pressure in Texas' win. Notching his second double-digit tackling effort of his career and season, Hill had his second career forced fumble while matching his career highs in tackles with 11 and sacks with two while tallying a career high 3.5 tackles for loss. It was Hill's fourth-straight game with a sack and his 10th with a tackle for loss. Hill's forced fumble came with less than two minutes to go in the first half and Texas leading 14-3. The Longhorns recovered it at the Sooners' 43-yard line and scored on the next offensive play on a 43-yard run to extend to 21-3. His first tackle for loss came prior to that in the second quarter as Oklahoma faced a 3rd-and-2 near midfield, which forced a punt. His next tackle for loss came on the first drive of the third quarter on 2nd-and-3 and was the first of consecutive no gains to force another punt. His first sack came on the first drive of the fourth quarter with the Sooners facing a 1st-and-20 at their 43. It added a loss of six yards to that, and two plays later he secured his second sack on third down for a loss of two yards to force another punt. Hill's quarterback hurry was also impactful as it helped hold Oklahoma to a field goal on their third possession of the game by forcing an incompletion on 3rd-and-6 after they had reached the Texas 23-yard line. That helped ensure a team defensive effort that kept the Sooners out of the end zone for the game. The Texas defense has allowed just 38 total points through six games, its fewest since 1964 (30). The Longhorns lead the nation in both scoring defense (6.3) and total defense (229.7) and rank second in pass efficiency defense (91.40), passing yards allowed (126.0) and red zone defense (.571).
This week, Texas faces No. 5/4 Georgia at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 19, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game will broadcast on ABC with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline) and Katie George (sideline) on the call. ESPN's College GameDay will be on the University of Texas campus for the 10th time on Saturday. The show will air for three hours from 8 to 11 a.m. CT, hosted by Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and other ESPN personalities.
