Texas Football head coach Steve Sarkisian has been named a semifinalist for the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Wednesday. It’s the second-straight season Sarkisian has been selected as a semifinalist for the award. Sarkisian was also tabbed a finalist for the honor during the 2023 season.
Sarkisian has led the Longhorns to an 11-2 record, an SEC Championship Game appearance and its second-consecutive College Football Playoff appearance. Texas has back-to-back 11-plus win seasons for the first time since 2008-09 and is one victory shy of the program’s fifth 12-plus win season in program history (2005, 2008, 2009, 2023). The Horns sport an 11-game true road game winning streak – the longest active streak by an FBS team. Since the start of the 2023 season, Texas is 23-4 with only four losses against AP top-12 opponents. In Texas’ last 30 games, the Longhorns are 25-5 with their only five losses also to AP top-12 opponents.
Under Sarkisian’s guidance, Texas’ offense ranks No. 13 in the FBS in passing offense (281 ypg), 15th in team passing efficiency (154.92), 16th in completion percentage (66.3 percent), 18th in total offense (445.4 ypg) and 25th in scoring offense (33.6 ppg). The Texas offense has rushed for over 100 yards in 11 of 13 games and three different Longhorn running backs have each registered at least one 100-yard effort. Through 13 games, Texas’ offense is averaging 6.2 yards per play. UT is averaging 164.4 yards on the ground per game and 4.5 yards per carry with 21 rushing scores. The Longhorns have scored on 34 passing touchdowns.
Junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., a unanimous first-team All-America selection, became the first Longhorn to win both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in the same season. It marked the second-straight year, and fifth time overall, the Longhorns have claimed the Outland Trophy with defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat earning the honor last season. Texas is the first school to claim back-to-back Outland Trophies since Nebraska won three in a row in 1981-83, but UT is the only program to have back-to-back Outland Trophy winners on both sides of the ball.
Junior QB Quinn Ewers Ewers, a second-team All-SEC performer and finalist for the Manning Award, has completed 233-of-352 passes (66.2 percent) for 2,665 yards and 25 touchdowns while averaging 242.27 yards per contest in 11 starts. A finalist for the Manning Award, Ewers sits 17th in the FBS in passing touchdowns (17), 23rd in completion percentage (66.2 percent), completions per game (21.18) and points responsible for per game (14.4). Ewers boasts a 24-game passing touchdown streak – the longest active streak by an FBS quarterback and the second-longest streak in program history behind Colt McCoy’s program-record 29 games. The Southlake, Texas, product ranks third and fourth in the program’s record book in passing touchdowns (61) and passing yards (8,321).
The Longhorns boast one of the nation’s most elite and dominant defenses in 2024. Texas leads the FBS in turnovers gained (28) and passing yards allowed (143.1 ypg). In addition, UT 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 Longhorns 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.
Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron, who has also earned consensus first-team All-America praise, became the program’s third Jim Thorpe Award winner this season. Barron is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the nation, consistently playing multiple positions in the Texas defensive backfield, while providing leadership as a fifth-year veteran. Through 13 games, the Austin, Texas, native leads the Longhorns in interceptions (5) and pass break-ups (9) to go along with 47 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. Barron paces the SEC and ranks third in the FBS in total interceptions this season.
