All Sooners

How OL Cayden Green Handled the 'Crazy' Atmosphere in Oklahoma's Win Over Texas

The true freshman left guard was called into action early to help the Sooners beat Texas 34-30.

Ryan Chapman

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NORMAN — Halfway through his first year in Norman, offensive lineman Cayden Green got handed his biggest test.

After starting the season at left guard, Green slid over to left tackle against Tulsa.

The former 4-star recruit was a backup of transfer Troy Everett in OU’s first two Big 12 contests against Cincinnati and Iowa State, but was called into action this past weekend.

Green made his first run down the tunnel at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday morning, and by the midway point of the first half, he was in the heat of battle in his first Red River Rivalry game.

“I was just excited, you know,” Green said about when he first got word from offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh that he’d enter the game. “I’m not the biggest fan of Texas. It's a lot of bad blood there. They're a great football team. I was just excited.”

Oklahoma’s running game was hit and miss in the early stages of the Sooners’ 34-30 win over Texas, spurring Bedenbaugh to swap Green in for Everett.

And while the youngster was far from perfect, he brought another level of physicality to help contend with the big bodies on the interior of the Longhorns’ defensive line.

“It was good to be able to get him in and go play,” OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said after the game. “He’s a big, massive guy that has a chance to be a really good player here. So for him to get as much action as he did (Saturday) as a true freshman in this kind of game is big-time for us.”

Green, who grew up an Oklahoma fan, said he’d watched the rivalry game plenty on television growing up.

But taking part in the game for the first time in the Cotton Bowl atmosphere, one that was especially riled up given the stakes of the unbeaten matchup, was overwhelming at first.

“That first drive I came in I was real hyped up and had to calm myself down,” Green said on Monday. “Like I ran the wrong direction on one play. I just had to really calm myself down. As the game progressed I really started to calm myself down.

“… I was just trying to hurt somebody to be honest. Like I said, there's a lot of tension there and I was trying to hurt somebody and I was just trying to do my job.”

The true freshman had plenty of support to get settled in.

Center Andrew Raym lined up to his right, a veteran of multiple OU-Texas battles, and veteran left tackle Walter Rouse also stayed in Green’s earn to keep him level headed as the game unfolded.

And eventually, Green calmed down.

Oklahoma’s offensive line kept quarterback Dillon Gabriel relatively clean in the passing game, allowing just one sack and two quarterback hurries, while also opening up holes for Gabriel to run through.

The Sooners ran for 201 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry throughout the game.

Green played a key role, too.

He helped open up a massive hole on for Tawee Walker in the second quarter, allowing the running back to walk into the end zone untouched to put OU up 17-14 early in the second quarter.

“We look at him as a guy that’s a quality, starter-type player, he just hasn’t been in,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said on Monday. “He’s a true freshman. But again, he’s mature beyond his years. He’s got great power and size, super smart, very competitive, easy to coach. He was ready for the moment. It’s not surprising.

“He’s got a disposition that’s perfect for that. He never gets too high, too low. Is really consistent from a mindset standpoint and really performed well.”

In total, Green was credited with playing 57 of Oklahoma's 82 offensive snaps per Pro Football Focus. 

Though it’s unclear if Green will retain the spot at left guard coming out of the bye week in OU’s Oct. 21 battle against UCF, he’s been focused on continuing to develop as he gets more playing time between Rouse and Raym.

“Improvement comes with reps and I've gotten quite a few so far,” Green said. “But like I said, even Saturday it just wasn't good enough. So just got to keep improving and keep getting better.”

A performance like Saturday’s, complete with a perfectly executed two minute drill to end the game with Nic Anderson’s touchdown, has the Sooners playing with plenty of confidence.

And surviving the test in the Cotton Bowl will only boost Green’s confidence as he continues to get more snaps, regardless of his role moving forward.

“It was a dream come true,” Green said. “… The magnitude of that game is always pretty crazy. But once you kind of let the hype die down you come down the tunnel and you realize that you're just playing football at the end of the day.

“… It was everything I thought it would be watching the game growing up. But you know at the end of the day it's just football.”

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is managing editor at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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