Texas' 362-pound defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat adds TD to Outland Trophy resume
Texas Longhorns defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat (93) strikes a pose in the end zone after catching a touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Ewers during the first quarter of the Big 12 Championship NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: AP/Tom Fox
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat can add a touchdown to the 362-pound senior's resume as an Outland Trophy finalist.
Sweat lined up at tight end from the Oklahoma State 2-yard line in the Big 12 championship game Saturday, and no defender followed him to the back of the end zone. He corralled the pass from Quinn Ewers in his belly, struck a Heisman Trophy pose and then went to the Texas sideline for a more raucous celebration.
The first career touchdown for Sweat — and catch, for that matter — gave the No. 7 Longhorns a two-touchdown lead late in the first quarter of their 49-21 victory over the 19th-ranked Cowboys.
The Outland goes to the nation's top lineman, offense or defense, and Sweat is the only defensive player among the three finalists. The others are Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt and Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe.
Sweat was asked during the week whether coach Steve Sarkisian owed him a touchdown because nose tackle Byron Murphy II had a 1-yard scoring catch from Ewers against Wyoming in Week 3. Sweat said he did, so Sarkisian must have been listening.
“They told me this was the game I was going to get a touchdown,” Sweat said. “And it happened.”
Texas worked on the play in practice Thursday and Friday, and Sarkisian remembered Sweat bobbling the catch one of the days. He just wasn't sure which day.
Texas defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat (93) is congratulated in the end zone by fellow lineman after catching a touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Ewers during the first quarter of the Big 12 Championship NCAA college football game against Oklahoma State at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Credit: AP/Tom Fox
When Sweat reminded him during postgame interviews that it was Friday, Sarkisian said: “He bobbles it yesterday at practice. I said, ‘Man, do not mess with me now.’”
After teammates mobbed him in the end zone following the Heisman pose, Sweat was quick to get to the sideline. Turns out, his coach had warned him about that, too.
“And then I said: ‘Don’t get a penalty. Get your behind to the sideline and celebrate on the sideline,’” Sarkisian said. “So, very cool moment.”
Sweat started laughing, and Ewers, sitting next to him, dropped his head to do the same thing when the big lineman was asked to make his case for the Heisman.
“The Heisman?” Sweat asked. “I mean, I would love to go to New York.”
“It was a nice pose, though,” Sarkisian said. “I liked the pose.”
___
Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here.
