Texas Linebacker Rasheem Biles Named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week After the Ole Miss Win
Rasheem Biles intercepted a fourth-and-goal pass at the 2-yard line, broke up two more and pressured Ole Miss four times — and on Monday the SEC named the senior its Co-Defensive Player of the Week.
AUSTIN — Texas senior linebacker Rasheem Biles was named the Southeastern Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, the league office announced through the University of Texas. It is Biles' second conference weekly honor of the season and his first since September 7, and he is the third Longhorn to earn SEC weekly honors this year.
The honor was earned Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, where No. 11 Texas beat No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27. Biles finished with four tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, two pass breakups and four quarterback pressures, according to the university's account. The interception was the game's defensive turning point: on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 1:37 left in the first half, Biles picked off the pass and preserved Texas' 24-3 lead — the first time all season Ole Miss had been held out of the end zone after reaching first-and-goal.
His pressures bookended the game, the university reported: one on a third-and-10 on Ole Miss' second possession forced an early throw and a field goal instead of a touchdown, two more on the next possession helped force a punt, and a fourth-quarter pressure, with the game tied 24-24, came on the series that forced the punt that set up Texas' go-ahead drive. A pass breakup on Ole Miss' final drive helped close the win.
For the season, Biles' three interceptions lead the team and rank third in the SEC and 13th nationally at 0.43 per game; he also leads Texas with seven pressures and ranks second with 53 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Next up, Biles and the Longhorns host Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 31, at DKR, with the game broadcast on ESPN.
