Big plays from Barryn Sorrell help turn tide as Texas football pulls away from Wyoming
Through the first two weeks of the season, Barryn Sorrell had taken a back seat to fellow edge rushers Ethan Burke and Anthony Hill Jr., but the junior stepped up when it mattered most in Saturday’s 31-10 win over Wyoming.
Late in the third quarter, Wyoming methodically marched deep into UT territory with hopes of historic proportions. The Cowboys had never beaten a team ranked in the top 10, but they had a first-and-goal from the Texas 8-yard line, trailing 10-7. On their first snap before the raucous student section in the north end of the stadium, Sorrell knifed into the backfield and stopped Evan Svoboda for no gain on a quarterback keeper. It wasn’t Sorrell’s first tackle for a loss of the season because Svoboda reached the line of scrimmage, but it felt like it.
More: No. 4 Texas pulls away from Wyoming in fourth quarter of final non-conference football game
After Wyoming got pushed back to the 10 on second down, Sorrell picked up his first sack of the season at a most opportune time. He crashed in from the left side of the line and corralled Svoboda for a 9-yard loss. Wyoming still managed to tie the game 10-10 with a field goal, but its hopes of grabbing a lead — and springing an upset — would never crop up again as the Longhorns pulled away for the win with 21 straight points in the fourth quarter.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Sorrell’s big game reflects the depth that Texas has developed on its defensive front.
“We've been talking about Ethan Burke; we've been talking about Anthony Hill; we've been talking about T’Vondre Sweat; we’ve been talking about Byron Murphy,” Sarkisian said, rattling off the names of the defensive linemen who have shined early this season. “And tonight, it was Barryn.
“I think a sign of a really good defense is that we have multiple players that can step up and make plays at critical moments. Tonight it was his turn, and that really set the stage for us. And there's something electric about being in that north end of the field where the students are. Having that sack right there, you could feel the energy.”
Sorrell entered the game with three tackles and just two quarterback pressures through the first two games but had five tackles against Wyoming.
“Barron stepped out tonight,” said Murphy, who made more noise on the offensive side with his first career touchdown catch. “You know, him stepping up also takes pressure off us (defensive tackles) as well. So him doing his job and also the other guys doing their job on the edge, that’s huge.”
More: Texas pushes past Wyoming: our staff takeaways from Longhorns' 31-10 home win
Visiting recruits include five-star LSU pledge
Texas recruiting had a big evening, using the first night game of the season as the centerpiece of a massive weekend. Several pledges were there, including prized Duncanville edge rusher Colin Simmons, the top-ranked edge in the state for the 2024 class, who committed to Texas in August.
Attendees also included top recruiting targets such as receiver Ryan Wingo of St. Louis; defensive lineman D’Antre Robinson of Orlando, Fla.; receiver Andrew Marsh of Katy; offensive lineman Daniel Cruz of North Richland Hills; and Lewisville athlete Michael Fasusi.
But no player on the UT sidelines raised more eyebrows in recruiting circles than Dakorien Moore, one of Simmons’ teammates at Duncanville. The five-star junior, the top-ranked player in Texas for the 2025 class, committed to LSU in August after considering Texas and Oregon.
Baxter, Blackwell miss game
Freshman running back CJ Baxter and junior linebacker Morice Blackwell Jr. did not play Saturday.
Baxter hurt his right foot against Alabama, and Blackwell has not yet played this season after suffering an injury last month in preseason workouts. Sarkisian said Thursday that both were game-time decisions.
Earlier in the week, Sarkisian said the injury to Baxter was “not quite as serious as we may have originally thought,” which bodes well for the rest of the season. He also said Blackwell “is close” to returning.
Baxter, a five-star signee from Florida, had started the first two games this season and has 69 yards rushing on 16 carries and 21 yards on four receptions. With Baxter out, Jonathon Brooks got the start. He leads the team with 47 carries for 273 yards and a touchdown.
News and notes
Right guard Cole Hutson went down in the first half with an apparent injury to his left knee after getting caught in a pile of bodies. He did not return. A starter as a true freshman last season, Hutson missed the season opener but rotated in with starter DJ Campbell against Alabama and Wyoming. … Defensive end Kristopher Ross left the game with an elbow injury and did not return. Sarkisian said both Ross and Hutson would undergo MRIs on Sunday to determine the severity of their injuries. ... Savion Red, a converted wide receiver who switched to running back in the offseason, had just three rushes for 8 yards through the first two games but showed off the versatility that Sarkisian and his staff love in the first half. The former high school quarterback carried the ball twice on fourth-down attempts from the wildcat formation during Texas’ lone touchdown drive in the first half and converted both times. … Texas didn’t win the turnover battle for the first time this season. Safety Jerrin Thompson picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to account for Texas’ lone takeaway, but Jaydon Blue lost a fumble late in the game for the Longhorns’ first turnover of the year. … Sarkisian credited punter Ryan Sanborn for his performance in a game that slogged away in a battle for field position for three quarters. The senior transfer from Stanford averaged 48.3 yards on four punts and had three kicks of at least 50 yards. …. Nickel back Jahdae Barron led the team with nine total tackles, including three on third-down stops.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Big plays from DE Barryn Sorrell help Texas football team avoid upset
