Texas safety Michael Taaffe named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after performance in Nashville

Texas safety Michael Taaffe was named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week today, the Southeastern Conference announced on Monday.
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Taaffe played a critical role in the No. 6 Longhorns’ 27-24 win over No. 25 Vanderbilt by forcing two turnovers, including an interception and a forced fumble. His interception at Texas’ 22-yard line halted a Vanderbilt drive, while his forced fumble at the 43-yard line stopped another scoring attempt just before halftime.
Leading a Texas defense that held Vanderbilt to 269 total yards, Taaffe also registered six tackles and a pass breakup. He ranks third in team tackles this season with 39 and is tied for second in pass breakups with four. Texas leads the nation in total defense and ranks highly in scoring and pass efficiency defense.
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The former walk-on is an Austin (Texas) Westlake product known as “Mookie” to his teammates and friends is one of the leaders of the Texas defense.
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