How a Pair of Sophomores Became Unlikely Heroes for Oklahoma's Defense Against Texas

NORMAN — A pair of underclassmen blossomed before everyone’s eyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Sophomore cornerback Trystan Haynes and second-year defensive tackle Trent Wilson played their part in Oklahoma’s 27-24 upset over Texas.

Haynes made his first career start in place of junior star Eli Bowen, and Wilson was a key cog on the defensive line that bottled up the Longhorns for most of the contest.

Neither guy had much time to grow into the game, either.

Haynes was thrown at immediately and he was forced to make a handful of tackles as Texas tested his readiness early.

Cam Coleman got the best of Haynes for the first touchdown of the game, but the sophomore rallied to make seven total tackles, as his early tests helped him focus on the task at hand in one of college football’s most chaotic environments.

“Getting that first pass breakup on the second play… whenever you get that, it's like you kind of get that momentum going and get that confidence up,” Haynes said on Monday. “So yeah, definitely settled me into the game right there.”

Haynes was prepared for the moment, something that Brent Venables credited his position coach LaMar Morgan with, and defensive end Taylor Wein was impressed with how the sophomore responded.

“I think it says a lot about our coaches,” Wein said. “Young guy had to step up and kind of got thrown into the fire and he responded really well.

“… To see that out of a young cat and to see the way he stepped up and took the challenge head on, it was super encouraging.”

Haynes also said he wouldn’t have been anywhere as confident without the support of everyone else in the locker room.

“I feel like it was my teammates that really instilled that confidence in me,” he said. “They believed in me whenever I went out there. Everybody was trying to talk me up into it. So whenever you have everybody behind your back like that, and the defense that we have, it gives you a lot more confidence going into it.”

Wilson played confident and free as well.

His big moment came at the end of the first quarter.

Wilson dropped Texas quarterback Arch Manning for a 6-yard sack to pin the Longhorns on their own 8-yard line.

After the play, Steve Sarkisian decided to let the first quarter expire so that his offense could change ends and escape the noise in the Oklahoma half of the Cotton Bowl, but that plan proved futile quickly.

Two plays later, Wein built on Wilson’s play with a sack of his own, which in turn led to the Sooners’ massive blocked punt.

“Man, (Wilson’s) gotten better,” Wein said. “He’s just progressively gotten better and better and, once again, just trusting his coaching. He didn’t do anything miraculous.

“He’s a great athlete. He’s a great human being. But he didn’t do anything miraculous. He did his job and this defense will feed you when you do your job.”

Wilson added another tackle to pair with his sack, but the moment showed that OU’s second-year players on defense can deliver — whether it be in a key moment or for a guy like Haynes, who played every defensive snap Saturday alongside Courtland Guillory.

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