'Play With Emotion!' Barryn Sorrell Breaks Down Texas Longhorns Defensive Mentality

The Texas Longhorns defense will be ready to face Carson Beck and the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Oct 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns linebacker Barryn Sorrell (88) celebrates a play during the second quarter against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- When you're playing a tough opponent like Michigan in Ann Arbor or rivals Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl, it's hard to take care of your feelings. For Texas senior edge Barryn Sorrell, to stay within yourself in these big emotional swings, you just gotta trust the process.

"You prepared for these types of moments," Sorrell said. "Once you go out there and execute it and play with your guys, then you realize it's just another time that you get to play.

Surely the mentality has been working for the Longhorn defense. Texas only allowed opponents to score over 10 points twice in six games this season, against Michigan and Mississippi State. In addition, three teams were unable to score a single touchdown against the Horns in Colorado State, Louisiana-Monroe and Oklahoma.

Despite the successful dominance against the Sooners in the past game, the opponents were the first ones to score. The first-quarter field goal marked the first time Texas trailed in a game in 2024.

"We didn't start off as good as we wanted this last game," Sorrell said. "Obviously that's something we want to emphasize. There's always things we can improve on and we're just doing that week to week."

It worked out at the end, though. Oklahoma was forced to punt six times and was unable to find the end zone at full-time.

The next challenge for the Longhorns won't be easy. As No. 5 Georgia heads to Austin, the Texas defense must find a way to stop quarterback Carson Beck.

Beck is one of the top contenders for the Heisman trophy in 2024 with odds of +1200 compared to Quinn Ewers' +2200. The redshirt senior star has accounted for 15 touchdowns throughout the Bulldogs' six games of the season so far, including eight since the start of SEC play.

Nonetheless, Texas is ready for the challenge.

"We have a ton of respect for them (and) what they can do," Sorrell said. "They have a really good quarterback as well. I mean, they can do a multitude of things, and we'll be ready for it."