Story by
Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Brawley earns pair of national honors after pick-6 against NDSU
- Story byAlbuquerque Journal, N.M.
- Brawley earns pair of national honors after pick-6 against NDSU
Austin Brawley's fourth quarter pick six against North Dakota State sent the Lobos to their biggest win of the year.
It also netted him a pair of rare national accolades.
After returning an interception 56 yards for a touchdown Saturday, New Mexico's fifth-year safety was named the Bronko Nagurski Award National Player of the Week and a semifinalist for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award.
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The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Massillon, Ohio native is the first Lobo to win the weekly Nagurski award, bestowed upon the top defensive player of the week since 2001. Brawley is also the third Lobo in program history to finish as a semifinalist for the Thorpe award, annually given to the best defensive back in college football.
Brandon Payne and Brian Urlacher were also named semifinalists for the Thorpe award in 2004 and 1999, respectively.
One of UNM's key defensive players, Brawley finished with three total tackles and an interception in the Lobos' 21-16 win over the Bison. His touchdown represented the UNM's lone score of the second half, a play it needed to fend off an NDSU team that entered Saturday with the second-best scoring defense in the country.
Brawley has made three interceptions this season, returning two for scores. He leads the 138-team FBS with 132 return yards; only Louisiana Tech's Jordan McRae (106) and California's Kingston Lopa (104) have more than 100 this season.
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Through seven games, UNM has the best scoring defense (11.3 points allowed per game) in the country. The Lobos have also notched 15 interceptions, the most of any FBS team.
"I think it just proves we were the best defense in the league," Brawley said after UNM's win over NDSU. "And we're going to keep competing every single day, we're going to 1-0 every single day. That game's over now — we gotta attack Monday's walkthrough and film and get after it next week against San Jose State."
Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.
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