Texas Longhorns College Football Pregame Quote, 12/28/2023

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Good morning. Hello. Obviously, we’re very excited to be here. Starting last January after our season got done, the guys went back to work and put in a lot of time and energy to get to this point. And obviously, very excited to be here and also playing a quality opponent who I have a history with and who the team has a history with from facing them last year. So we’re all excited to see what we can put out there on the field and see if we can play like we have played all year long.

Q. Pete, your third-down defense has been outstanding throughout this entire year. What has been the key for you guys to get off of third downs?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: It starts with we’ve made an emphasis because we weren’t as good last year on third downs, so it was a huge emphasis in the offseason through camp and all season long. And then at the end of the day, we designed the defenses and the calls. And then the guys have just done a great job of executing all year long. They understand the importance of it and, obviously, take a lot of pride in it, and the results are what they are.

Q. You began the season talking about the need for greater urgency with the team forcing turnovers. Started the year really well and hit a lull in the year and then picked it back up. Overall, how have you felt the unit has done and responded to that challenge to force more turnovers?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Yeah, obviously, a lot better than it’s been. I’ve been through a lot of seasons where we’ve had seasons like this where the ball has bounced our way or we’ve created the opportunities to get the ball.

I just think the guys again are executing, the confidence level, the ability to know what they’re doing, be able to execute what they’re doing, and then‚Äì having the awareness to attack the ball in the situations that present themselves.

And again, it comes back to the emphasis. We talked about third-down emphasis, and the turnovers was a huge emphasis. So as coaches, we emphasize that. The players build on it.

And then with the confidence, the experience that the guys have, they don’t get caught up in so much worrying about their alignment, their assignment, and just getting ‚Äì and surviving. Now, there’s more familiarity with what they’re supposed to do, so now they’re able to take it to that next step, attacking the ball.

Q. What has T’Vondre Sweat allowed you to do with the rest of your defense? And then T’Vondre’s a fifth-year senior. He’s just an older human being than a lot of the guys he’s facing. How is that an advantage to be 23, 24 when facing maybe 19 and 20-year-olds?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: There’s two pieces to T’Vondre. Obviously, the physical stature that you mentioned but also his level of maturity and growth as a teammate, a leader has been awesome, from the first year that we got here till now, to see his growth and how he approaches ‚Äì how he communicates with the guys, not when it’s going great but when it’s not going. When we face adversity, he’s a very influential guy in that locker room. So to see his growth from a leadership standpoint has been awesome.

And yeah, he’s a big dude. There’s an athlete somewhere inside that body. That’s what we always joke about. But he is hard to move. He eats up a lot of space. He takes multiple blockers. And so that frees up the linebackers, gives us a little bit more bit of a luxury to be able to play with ladder boxes because what those two guys inside can do in the run game.

Q. PK, can you talk about the challenge of trying to get pressure on [Michael] Penix against the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line? And secondly, it seemed like some of the issues in the past defense seemed to come when you were trying to protect a lead. Can you talk about what was going on against Houston and TCU and K-State?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Trying to get to Penix, he does ‚Äì obviously, the offensive line does a good job of protecting him, but it goes hand-in-hand. When the quarterback gets rid of the ball in time and is in rhythm, you’re not going to get there. So from a defensive perspective, the coverage and the rush, they go hand-in-hand.

Most of the sacks that we’ve gotten, or anybody gets, is because the coverage forces the quarterback to hold it, confuse them, or quarterback is trying to do more with it than they should. And then ‚Äì because rarely do we get blow-aways with guys, unless they bust the protection.

The Washington offensive line does a really good job. They’re very athletic. They do a good job working together. Obviously, communicate very well, and they don’t ‚Äì they don’t bust very much. And so, yeah, we’ve got a huge challenge in front of us.

And then in reference to the ‚Äì I guess you’re referring to ‚Äì a lot of it is big plays, right? Whether it’s a coverage bust or guys in position, just making a play on the ball. And some of it is tackling. It’s a short throw, and we don’t get them on the ground, and it goes from a 5-yard gain to a 20-yard gain.

You can’t just pinpoint it on one thing. Maybe we gave them too much time on plays and quarterback’s scrambling around and can’t cover forever. So it’s not just one thing.

I know the guys, in their heart, they believe they can play at a high level. And it’s football. They have scholarship players, and they have good athletes. And so as much as teams throw, some teams are going to get yards. As long as they don’t get in the end zone, we’re good with it.

Q. Sark’s (Steve Sarkisian) talked a lot in the last month about the culture, the development of the love and the vulnerability and those kinds of things. How do you describe your relationship with your players and just your personality when it comes to understanding what your defense needs?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: I’m more of a reserved guy on the staff. But when I do speak, I think maybe it resonates more because everybody is looking around like, “Where did this come from?”

At the end of the day, we all are working to get better. And as coaches, we’re trying to get these guys to play to the best of their ability. And then when you pair that with what you’re doing, how their family’s doing, the relationships you build with them and what you talk about off the field, away from football, it all matters.

And I just think it’s been ‚Äì it’s been a journey, it’s been a lot of work in building that trust and that connection over the last few years. And I think when you build trust, they believe. And then when you start playing well, it generates confidence. And then you got that synergy that gets you to something like this.

Q. So you’ve had several weeks to kind of prepare for this game, knowing you probably have extreme confidence in that front line and there’s been some challenges in the secondary. Since you’ve had this time to practice and prepare, are you equally as confident in both the secondary as you are in the front line?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Definitely. You don’t get to this spot without guys showing that they can do it. Everything gets talked about. The pass defense, yeah, we’d like to be better in that.

But at the end of the day, it comes ‚Äì there’s a lot more to it than just that, right? We’ve been good against the run. We’ve been good in the red zone. We’ve been good in third down. In the situations that matter that gets the ball back for the offense, we’ve been able to execute and perform.

So I know the guys have the confidence to do it, and they’re fired up for this challenge because we’re going to be pulling in a lot of very talented, good receivers. And can’t wait to get out there and see what we can do.

Q. Pete, if you can look back two years ago, was kind of the roughest start that you could imagine, taking over a new job with Sark (Steve Sarkisian) here. Can you trace your satisfaction in how you’ve kind of come from that first year to, I don’t know, maybe having one of the best defenses you’ve ever had? I don’t know.

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and there’s great seasons and there’s tough seasons. And then it always comes back to football is football. Don’t make it more than it is and stick to the process of growing and getting better.

And you go out there on Saturday and put it all out there, and you’re either good enough or you’re not. Whether you win or lose, you come back and do the same process again. And as human beings that can be hard when you’re losing. And then obviously when you’re winning, it becomes easier, more enjoyable.

But it’s the process of putting the dense together, working the fundamentals, the techniques, and get everybody on the same page. And you do it day in and day out. And then after this year, we start the process all over again.

Yeah, we had some good ones at Boise and Washington. And this is definitely right up there with them for sure.

Q. This is probably the most productive passing attack you’ve seen since Oklahoma. How’s your secondary, specifically your pass defense, better equipped to hold up against the receivers? And what areas of improvement have you seen in the pass defense since that OU game?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Just better understanding of the leverage. And we’ve tweaked some things in the backend that have helped them.

But then they’re going to catch the ball. We’ve got to get them on the ground, right? So when we tackle, right ‚Äì and don’t give up explosive plays. When we try and force these offenses to drive the length of the field, we’re pretty good. But it’s all about control ‚Äì tackling and controlling the explosive plays.

And then the deep balls, they’re one-on-ones and they do a good job. We’ve got to go out and compete, and we’ve got to play the hands, play the ball. And there’s no magic answer to that other than competing and being where you’re supposed to be.

And then when you’re high pointing the ball, right, and making a play on the ball, playing the hands, hopefully getting the ball stripped out.

Q. Coach, you mentioned earlier familiarity with playing this team. How much does it help that you’ve already faced [Michael] Penix last season in the bowl game? And also, do you feel like there’s a greater motivational level for your defense to play better than last time against them?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Yeah, as competitors, you always want to get another shot at somebody that’s beaten you. So that’s no different in this instance. And having already played them just, we’ve watched them a lot.

He does an outstanding job of getting the ball out and multiple platforms, right? He could be looking one way and then flick the ball the other way. And he’s got good touch and good accuracy. And he’s got really good receivers that he’s throwing to.

So yeah, we know how good he is from last year playing him and watching him all year long. We know what kind of challenge we’ve got on Monday.

Q. First of all, can you confirm the suspension of Derek Williams? And how does that affect the team, at least for one half? Also, you were asked about Washington’s offensive line winning the Joe Moore Award. Are they the best offensive line you’ve faced this year? And what makes them so effective?

COACH KWIATKOWSKI: Yeah, Derek won’t be in the first half from the targeting penalty from the last game. And next man up, and he’ll be ready to go in the second half.

And then, yeah, the O-line at Washington has done an outstanding job all season long, keeping [Michael] Penix on his feet in the run game.

And the offensive line coach is one of my best friends, and so we know each other very well. And he’s done an outstanding job. We’ll have to go out on Monday and see how we can do against them.

Q. This year you’re kind of looking around and thinking, “Man, I’m playing with guys who are five years younger than me.”

T’VONDRE SWEAT: 100%. I mean, all of the young guys on the team always mess with me and talk to me about how old I am. So it’s pretty fun, though, being the old guy.

Q. We got to talk to Jordan [Whittington] yesterday and he said that mentality is something that he’s able to learn with having so much football experience. Is that similar for you?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: 100%.

Q. How much does being four years older than some of the guys that you’re facing help you out?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, you’re saying how do I feel about the young guys?

Q. If you’re going against an 18-year-old opponent, how does how does maybe being 22 provide you an advantage?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, I wouldn’t really say it’s an advantage. I mean, I take everybody the same. If you’re in front of me, you’ve got to face me, no matter how old you are. You could be 30, 17, you know what I’m saying? It really don’t matter for me. I just go out there and play ball.

Q. That’s the best O-line in the nation, according to that award that they’ve won. Is this better than the O-line you go against in practice every day?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, they have a great O-line and we also have a great O-line. I’m just here Ready for New Year’s and playing against them.

Q. What makes them good? Washington, what do they do well, seeing them on tape?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, they’re good a overall team. We’ll get to see them Monday.

Q. When you came on campus, you were scrawny compared to now. And now you’ve grown on the field, off the field. Do you have time to take that inventory and see how great things have gone for you as you’ve progressed?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Yeah, I mean, I don’t really look too much into it. I just take day by day and just blessed to even have these opportunities and blessed to have these awards, because without the guys that’s next to me, I wouldn’t have none of this. So like I said, I just take it day by day and it’s a blessing.

Q. That guy next to you (Byron Murphy), that’s a tandem. Do you hear about them calling y’all the best tandem in the country? And how instrumental has he been in your success?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, like I said, without that guy and the other guys, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I probably wouldn’t even be doing media. You know what I’m saying? So just an honor to play along with those guys, and it’s just amazing. You know what I mean?

And, like I said, without those guys, we wouldn’t even be in this situation. He probably wouldn’t be up there. You know what I mean?

Q. At the beginning of the year, PK (Pete Kwiatkowski) really challenged you guys and the whole defense to create more turnovers. Can you talk about how that starts with not only you and Murph (Bryon Murphy) but the entire defensive line?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Definitely. That’s what we preach day by day, is just getting the ball back and getting the ball back for the offense and creating turnovers. Once you create turnovers, that’s when your offense gets going. So, I mean, we preach that day by day.

Q. Just one follow-up on that, you’re facing a great quarterback in Michael Penix. How personal is the challenge for you guys to be able to create pressure with just four guys?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, it’s really no pressure, man. We’re out here just playing another ballgame. You know what I’m saying? So it is what is. We’re just going to go out there and play our best ballgame.

Q. How satisfying has this season been just to finish your career in this way, being 12-1?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I ain’t finished yet. We still got a lot more. Yes, sir.

Q. Where do you think you’ve grown the most since you’ve gotten on campus?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Ooh. (Laughter). I’ve grown a lot, man.

I would probably say I grew the most as mature, because at first, I mean, I wasn’t ‚Äì I would just say mature, maturity.

Q. Coaching changes can be a little hard. What was it about this staff that made you buy in? And maybe some of the other guys, maybe you helped other guys buy in.

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, yeah. Everybody knows getting different coaches is hard. I mean, I just did my research on Coach Bo [Davis]. He’s one ‚Äì not one, is the best defensive line coach in the country. You know what I’m saying? And just sitting there and talking with him, it was awesome. And we’ve just built our relationship, and we went from there.

Q. Did you feel a responsibility to sort of like get other people on board? In other words, some of your teammates who are also holdovers from the last staff, to say, If we want to win here, we’ve got to buy into what these guys are doing?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: We knew we had to buy in when Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo, they had left. And me and [Byron] Murphy, we had to take the role to become the leaders and be the top of the team. That’s how we did it.

Q. You guys have been through a lot, obviously, to get to this moment. A lot of bad times, some bad seasons, as well. Talk about that journey to get to where you guys are at the moment.

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, we just believe. And that’s the key, is just believing in what your head coach has got going on. And I feel like we all put the time in to believing in what he was saying, and this is our outcome.

Q. How do you believe after a 5-7 season?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: It took a lot. I mean, we had guys just buy in into what he was saying and just believe in him and trusting him. And, of course, everybody’s got a too gain the trust. We gained the trust and we believed in him.

Q. What’s been the most satisfying moment for you this season?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: The confetti coming down, in Arlington, Big 12. Took me five years. I mean, hey, still got it done, but it was awesome.

Q. You’re going up against a leading offensive line. What are you looking forward to the most, testing your mettle?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: It’s just another O-line to me. They’re a great group of guys. And they’re here to win, just like we’re here to win. I mean, like I said, everybody will see Monday at 7:00, 7:45.

Q. When you say they’re just another O-line, is that kind of like bulletin-board material they’re putting up? They were named the best offensive line in the country, and you played them last year.

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Right. I mean, let me see how I can say this. Like I said, they’re a great group of guys, the O-line. I mean, yeah, like they won awards. They’re just awards to me. You know what I mean? And they’ve got to face guys like us, so we’ll see at 7:00 how it goes down.

Q. Have you been practicing your high school move anymore? Do you have a new one?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Yeah, I do because I should have been in New York. (Laughter)

Q. T’Vondre, you went back to Huntsville over the Christmas holiday. What does hometown mean to you? What does the State of Texas mean to the guys on this roster?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, half of the guys on this roster probably is from Texas. And my hometown means a lot, because there’s not many guys that come out of Huntsville. I think the last person that came out of Huntsville was Justin Gilbert. You know what I’m saying? That was the last guy that come out of Huntsville. There’s not too many guys.

So I’m just one of the guys that tries to give back to my community, if you see on social media and just take the time to let little kids know that it’s a way to get out of Huntsville, because it’s hard growing up there and stuff like that. So my hometown means a lot to me.

Q. You’re going to go off to the league and make a lot of money, buy some cars, help some people. Do you see yourself coming back? You hear like a lot of the other alumni coming back to the university and helping other kids out?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Yes, 100%. My major is youth and community service, so I’m going to be back. I’m a big guy that loves the kids. You know what I’m saying? So I’m always here to help any kids, no matter if it’s here, other universities. It really don’t matter. As long as I get to help, I really don’t care where I’m at. But 100%, I’ll be coming back to the University of Texas.

Q. Do you have a vision of having a lifelong relationship with these coaches, Coach [Steve] Sarkisian, Coach [Bo] Davis, those guys?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: 100%.

Q. Who’s next in, after you and [Byron] Murphy? Any of those guys underneath you, do you feel like they’re ready?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: All of them. All of those guys are ready to play. I feel like they could play right now. You know what I mean? Coach [Bo] Davis coaches hard. He coached us hard, and he coaches al the other guys behind us hard. I feel like everybody in that room right now can play.

Q. What is the confidence level internally in that room? I remember [Keondre] Coburn talking about last year, you need to go hard every snap because you don’t know when you’re going to get another one.

T’VONDRE SWEAT: 100%. That’s how it is right now. Like I said, those guys can play just like we can play. We’re just living more experience. You know what I mean. But those guys can get in and play just like us. So, of course, we’ve got to practice hard every day.

Q. How have you seen the program’s toughness progress, physical strength, and meanness from beginning to end?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, the toughness has been there. We’re one of the hardest, toughest running teams in the country. I mean, I know you heard the little videos. If you here Coach [Jeff] Banks’ voice, you hear it all the time, the hardest, the toughest in the country.

Q. Do you hear any stories about Coach [Pete] Kwiatkowski?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Coach PK is a great guy.

Q. He’s very low key, isn’t he?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: He’s a great guy. I love that guy. Like I said, I believe and trust in him, too. He’s awesome.

Q. Y’all had that first tough year.

T’VONDRE SWEAT: And he just came and built that relationship with all of his guys. And now, we’re all playing together, playing hard.

Q. What did you learn most from him (Pete Kwiatkowski) over the years?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I would say I learned to believe and to trust, to believe and to trust, because he helped me believe in ‚Äì he’s one of those guys that helped me believe in what we had going on. You know what I mean?

Because I sat down and talked with him also before the season, and like I talked to Sark (Steve Sarkisian). He told me to trust him and believe in him, and now we’re here.

Q. Did PK (Pete Kwiatkowski) tell you, you could win the Outland Trophy? Did he tell you that in the offseason? Did he set the goal really high for you?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, no.

Q. Not that high? So you surprised even him?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, I surprised a lot of people. (Laughter)

I even surprised myself, because I knew I had it. It took me a couple of years, but I did it.

Q. You said it took you a couple of years. You were a three-star coming out of high school.

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Yeah.

Q. What would you tell the incoming three-stars that have kind of an uphill battle to starting at Texas?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I would say keep working. Do what other people are saying. If you’re coming into college, it’s going to be hard. You get all the party life and all of that stuff. It’s college ball, and just continue to work. You know what I’m saying?

I just got a young guy out of Huntsville committed to Texas Tech. And I told him you’ve got to just keep working it, don’t listen to what other people say.

Q. How much of the success you guys are having this year – you talk about trust, kind of rooted in believing in PK (Pete Kwiatkowski), believing in Sark (Steve Sarkisian) and just believing in the plan and the coaches not deviating from the plan they had, even though there was a 5-7 year in year one. How much of it is just sticking to the process and trusting the process?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, we started in the offseason. That was our main focus is just believing and trusting. So we just worked hard, put the time in, put the work in. And now, we’re here in New Orleans.

Q. One of the biggest things that’s changed since you got to college is the NIL collectives. Can you talk about what that’s meant to you personally, the rise of Texas One Fund?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Shout-out to Texas One Fund. Shout-out to The Longhorn Foundation. Those guys changed a lot of lives and help a lot of people. So I mean, like I said, I appreciate them. I love them.

Q. Are there people who would have left for the NFL if there weren’t the NIL opportunities?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I really have no idea, but I got to experience it. So it’s pretty awesome.

Q. Just talk about being here. This is part of the journey you guys wanted. This is where you wanted to be, right?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Right, 100%.

Q. Can you just talk about the accomplishment of getting here?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Just getting here. I mean, it was hard work. It wasn’t easy. I mean, a lot of successful people out here have their ups and downs. We had our ups and downs on the season, and we just continued to believe and trust in what our coaches have for us. And we knew this day was going to come one day.

Q. What were the worst downs that the team had to overcome?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Everybody knows when we lost against OU for the rivalry game, that sucks. But we just continued to believe and trust in knowing we had an opportunity to play in one of these games. And we just believed in and kept trusting in what Coach [Steven] Sarkisian and Coach PK (Pete Kwiatkowski) had going for us. And now we’re here and we have the opportunity.

Q. PK (Pete Kwiatkowski) was at the podium earlier. Kind of talk a little bit about his personality and how it’s maybe not a rah-rah defensive coach like that, like some other coaches you might see. How does that resonate with you and some of the other guys? And what is his personality like with you?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, we’ll get it out of him sometimes. We’ll get it out of him sometimes, but most of the time, yeah, he is just ‚Äì but you know me. I’m loud. I’m very outgoing, so I have to get him krunk sometimes, you know? So it’s pretty awesome doing that.

Q. How do you do that?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I’m just loud. And we’ve got to make sure the team’s going and bring the energy, like I am today, before we practiced. So I just go out there and have fun, man, like it’s my last.

Q. The improvement you guys have made from year one with him (Pete Kwiatkowski) to year three now, it’s pretty similar statistically to the improvement when he was at Washington back in the day. For you guys, what’s gone into making such a drastic improvement? And was it kind of difficult at any time to continue buying in, in that first season, when it was tough?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, yeah, of course. The season we had, the outcome, and going into the offseason, we just preached and we all came together. And we all wanted to win, and nobody on the team ever lost like that.

So we told ourselves we were never going to lose like that again, and we were going to continue to go and play hard and believe in what our coaches got. And now we’re here in New Orleans, so it’s awesome.

Q. Coming into the Big 12 Championship game and all that, now that you’re here, what’s at stake and what’s available out there for you? Is there even more excitement, more energy?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, 100%, but I feel like this team is going into this game like it’s another football game, like we’re going to go out there and play hard like it’s our last. You know what I mean?

I feel like it’s never ‚Äì you know how people just come and be, like, oh, it’s a big game. I mean, every game is big. You know what I’m saying? Every game is a big game. So we’re just going to come in here, have a great time in New Orleans, and play for the Sugar Bowl.

Q. What challenge does Washington’s offense bring to you guys?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: Right. I mean, we have challenges going against everyone. I mean, Washington’s O-line, that’s a great group of guys, and we have a great group of guys. So, like I said, it’s going to be head to head going into the game Monday.

Q. Is there such a thing ‚Äì you mentioned all the games are big. So when you go from hopefully making it here to you’re actually here, is there anything in your mentality that might change in terms of even, like, discipline? Like, “When am I going to bed? What am I eating? What social opportunities am I rejecting?”

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I mean, we treat all of that the same. Like I said, we’re going to have a great time in New Orleans and be ready to play for a bowl game Monday and prepare the same.

Like I said, it’s just another ballgame, and we’re playing against a great group of guys, and it’s a great challenge.

Q. And you mentioned their offensive line. If you could pick out a few characteristics that helped them win that award, what do you think those are?

T’VONDRE SWEAT: I really don’t know. And like I said, it’s a great group of guys, and we’ll face them Monday so everybody will get to see what we got. And hopefully, we’ll get our respect.