The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 4/4/3 Football’s Kwiatkowski named Broyles Award finalist
12.11.2024 | Football
The Texas defensive coordinator was named a finalist for the 2024 Broyles Award, which honors the nation’s top assistant coach.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Football defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski has been named a finalist for the 2024 Frank Broyles Award, the Broyles Foundation announced Wednesday. The award honors the nation's top assistant coach.
Kwiatkowski has spearheaded a dominant Longhorn defense this season, which leads the FBS in several statistical categories and has limited some of the country's top offenses. Texas finished the regular season 11-1 overall for the second-consecutive year while sporting a 7-1 SEC record and earning an SEC title game berth as first-year conference members. The Longhorns have had one previous winner of the Broyles Award in offensive coordinator Greg Davis in 2005.
Under Kwiatkowski's tutelage, UT leads the nation in turnovers gained (28) and passing yards allowed (143.1 ypg). In addition, Texas ranks No. 2 in the FBS in scoring defense (12.5 ppg) and team passing efficiency defense (95.19) while sitting third in passes intercepted (19) and total defense (249.5 ypg). The Horns also rank fifth nationally in first down defense (196), sixth in third-down conversion percentage defense (30.6 percent), seventh in red zone defense (71.4 percent), 12th in team tackles for loss (7.3) and 15th in rushing defense (106.4).The Horns' have given up just four passing touchdowns through 13 games, which ties for the fewest in the FBS and shares the program's single-season record for fewest passing touchdowns surrendered in a season (1972). UT shut out opponents in the first half in three of the last four games to cap the regular season – all conference opponents.
In terms of total offense, the defense has held 12 of its 13 opponents to under 300 yards with the lone exception being Florida with 329. It even limited two teams to under 200 yards in Colorado State (192) and ULM (111). The Longhorns shut out the Rams, while the game against the Warhawks marked the first time since 2009 an opponent had fewer than 60 yards both rushing (57) and passing (54). Even in Texas' two defeats of the season against Georgia, the defense allowed only 283 yards to the Bulldogs with 17 of UGA's points coming off of Texas turnovers in the first meeting, while it allowed even fewer total yards the second time at 277 with just 136 passing. Meanwhile, only two opponents have passed for more than 200 yards in Michigan and Kentucky and none more than 211, while eight were limited to under 150 – Colorado State (74), UTSA (132), ULM (54), Mississippi State (144), Oklahoma (148), Florida (132), Arkansas (149), Texas A&M (146) and Georgia (136). In the rushing game, only one team has gone for more than 150 yards, while the defense has held five teams to fewer than 100 yards – Michigan (80), ULM (57), Oklahoma (89), Arkansas (82), and Kentucky (21), while Texas A&M had just 102.
Texas has seven games this season with multiple passes intercepted, its most games in a single season since recording seven in 2009. Eleven different defenders have registered interceptions, led by Jahdae Barron (5) and Andrew Mukuba (4). Barron, a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy, logged two interceptions against No. 5/4 Georgia on Oct. 19, becoming the first Longhorn with two interceptions in a single game since 2019. Texas picked off the Bulldogs three times – its most against an AP Top-5 ranked team since having four against No. 2 Oklahoma in 2002. Barron also picked off Georgia in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter at the SEC Championship, collecting his third interception against the Bulldogs this year.
The Longhorns have gained 28 turnovers (19 interceptions, 9 fumbles recovered) – the most in the FBS. UT also leads the nation in opponent passing yards per attempt, limiting opposing teams to just 5.10 yards per attempt. Texas is also the only team in the FBS to hold opponents to under nine yards per completion (8.61).
The Longhorns have forced at least one turnover in 21-consecutive games, including eight-straight games forcing multiple turnovers.
The Horns finished the regular season as the best team in the FBS at getting defensive stops and preventing points under Kwiatkowski's direction. Texas sported a nation-leading 81.8 percent stop rate and allowed the fewest points per drive in the country (0.86).
In Texas' 17-7 win at No. 20/19/20 Texas A&M on Nov. 30, the Aggies were curbed to just 244 yards of total offense and were forced a pair of turnovers. Texas A&M was denied an offensive touchdown and held to its fewest points at home since a 2002 loss to Virginia Tech. Texas restricted A&M to 102 rushing yards, as well. Aggie running backs did not record a rush longer than five yards in the game.
As a team, the defense limited Arkansas to 231 total yards on Nov. 16, 149 passing yards and 82 rushing yards with the total yards and passing yards being their lowest outputs of the season, and the rushing yards the second lowest. The Razorbacks entered the game ranking fifth nationally in total offense (483.6), 11th in passing offense (292.3) and 32nd in rushing offense (191.2).
In the 34-3 win against Oklahoma on Oct. 12, it became just the second time the Sooners had been held to under seven points in a game over the past 15 seasons – both occasions happened against Texas. After racking up 6.0 sacks vs. Mississippi State on Sept. 28 and 5.0 sacks vs. Oklahoma on Oct. 12, it became the first time the Horns have recorded 5+ sacks in back-to-back games since 2015.
Texas will be making its second College Football Playoff appearance in as many years after earning a No. 3 ranking in the CFP poll and the No. 5 overall seed. The Horns will host No. 13/13/16 Clemson at 3 p.m. CT Saturday, Dec. 21, inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in the CFP first round. The game will broadcast on TNT with Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (color analyst), Taylor McGregor (reporter) and Laura Rutledge (reporter) on the call. The first-round winner will advance to the CFP Quarterfinal at the 57th Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and face the Big 12 Champion and No. 4 seed Arizona State at Noon C.T. on Jan. 1, 2025, in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will air on an ABC/ESPN platform.
