'The Mukuba Bowl!' Texas Longhorns' Andrew Mukuba Set for Reunion vs. Clemson Tigers

AUSTIN -- Andrew Mukuba will be welcoming his former team to his hometown on a one-of-a-kind stage.

The Texas Longhorns veteran safety will help spearhead one of the nation's best defenses in the first round of the College Football Playoff against the Clemson Tigers in Austin on Saturday, Dec. 21. It will mark Mukuba's reunion against a program he called home for the first three seasons of his collegiate career.

An Austin native, Mukuba elected to transfer back home this past offseason and is showing off NFL-level ability during his first year with the Longhorns. His team clearly recognizes that this game will mean a little bit more for him personally, something head coach Steve Sarkisian talked about when meeting with the media via Zoom after the release of the CFP bracket.

"When it came back around and we were going to be playing Clemson, I think the guys were excited about that, they started screaming, 'it's the Mukuba Bowl.' Obviously, for Andrew Mukuba who has been at Clemson ... that's one of the story lines of the game."

As a Tiger, Mukuba posted 142 total tackles, one sack, 15 passes defended and one interception. His first season with Texas has been by far his best statistically, as he's tallied 52 total tackles (one from tying career-high), his first-career forced fumble, five pass breakups and four interceptons. He finished with a season-high 11 total tackles (10 solo), a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship.

Sarkisian added that the team was very glad Mukuba chose to come back to Austin when he first made the decision.

"Andrew Mukuba is a guy that we are so glad and happy he decided to come home," Sarkisian said. " ... He's a really good communicator, and then he plays with the confidence back there. And I think he Michael Taaffe, Jahdae (Barron), they all feed off of one another, but you see his experience even in some of the biggest moments that we're playing in right now. He's making plays at critical juncture, critical moments in these games, so a great addition to our team, not only on the field, but in that locker room with with his veteran presence."

No. 5 Texas and No. 12 Clemson will kick off from DKR on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. CT.