The wounds from last year's loss to Oklahoma may have healed, but the scars remain for the Texas football secondary.

The Longhorns’ pass defense probably played better than fans remember in last year’s 34-30 loss to the Sooners. Texas allowed Dillon Gabriel to complete 23 of 38 passes for 285 yards, which was 40 yards below the Sooners’ season average. But 58 of those yards came on a last-minute blitzkrieg of a drive that covered 75 yards in five plays and 62 seconds and ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Nic Anderson with 15 seconds left in the game.

To a man during Monday’s press availability, Texas players said they’ve moved on. It’s a new season, they said. There are new teams on both sidelines. It’s a new game.

But safety Michael Taaffe, the former walk-on from nearby Westlake High School who’s become a team leader, wasn’t quite ready to let go of last year.

“I remember everything,” he said. “Just the pain that you feel when you lose. You never let that go away. You take that and you remember that. And you’ve got to let it out somehow.”

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Jahdae Barron, Michael Taaffe: Experience helps

The Texas defense hopes to let out any pent-up steam from last year’s wrenching loss on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, where the Longhorns will face Oklahoma for the 120th time and the first time as members of the SEC.

And what a difference a year makes when it comes to the matchup between Oklahoma’s quarterbacks and a Texas pass defense. Gabriel is now a Heisman Trophy candidate for Oregon, and the Sooners’ starter at quarterback will likely be Michael Hawkins Jr., a true freshman with just 37 career pass attempts.

The Texas pass defense looks a lot different, too. Last season, the Longhorns ranked 118th out of 133 FBS teams by allowing 254.4 yards passing a game. This year, they rank second in the nation in passing yards allowed with 121.6 a game and lead the SEC with seven interceptions.

Some new players and a key position switch account for much of that improvement. Safety Andrew Mukuba arrived after starting for three seasons at Clemson to solidify the back line. Senior Jahdae Barron moved from the slot corner to the outside while third-year player Jaylon Guilbeau has excelled as the new slot corner, known as the star position in Texas lingo.

According to Barron, “our communication is changing, and we're growing.”

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“But that starts off with culture, because to communicate and trust one another, you’ve got to trust somebody off the field,” he added. “So, I think the culture and the level of the bond that we created is what's allowing us to play fast. And the trust; like, I know Taaffe is going to be on the post, and Taaffe knows I'm going to have the curl flat drive. Just small things like that, just knowing that your brother's going to be there. The culture that we have, ultimately, creates the communication on the field.”

Taaffe agreed with Barron, saying a young group has grown into a cohesive unit. Cornerback Malik Muhammad and safeties Derek Williams Jr. and Jelani McDonald all played key roles as true freshmen in 2023. They’re all a year wiser, said Taaffe, which translates to better communication and fewer blown assignments.

“You don't see too often in the last five games, somebody just running scot-free,” Taaffe said. “Having guys like me in year four of the same system and having the same coaches. Then guys that elevate the room that come in (like) Mukuba, Jelani McDonald, another year of Derek Williams, another year of Manny Muhammad, and then veteran guys like Jahdae and Jaylon. The experience that we have together is really the most important thing.”

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Steve Sarkisian: Texas DBs bring 'the juice'

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian may argue about whether that experience means more than the group’s exuberance.

“I think our energy at practice, especially from some of our leaders, is really important,” Sarkisian said. “I was thinking about our secondary with Jahdae Barron, Jaylon Guilbeau, Manny Muhammad, Michael Taaffe. These guys provide a lot of juice in practice. That group has got a lot of personality about them that I think kind of permeates throughout our team.

“Our secondary is kind of the Energizer Bunny to me. They’re the ones that kind of spark a lot of what we do and bring that energy.”

Taaffe says there’s an obligation that comes with playing in a position group known to celebrate every incompletion.

“If you look on every team, the DBs are always the ones trying to celebrate the most, even when they don't even make a play,” he said, with a grin. “When they get beat and the quarterback overthrows the ball like, 10 yards, they're over (celebrating). We try to emulate that. The DBs got to have the most juice. I try my best to get everybody going, because at the end of the day, we're here, so you might as well put a smile on your face. You might as well try to encourage somebody today that's maybe not having the best day ever. I try to walk into the building every single day with a smile on my face, trying to be there for my teammates.”

Saturday's game

No. 1 Texas (5-0, 1-0) vs. No. 16 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1), 2:30 p.m., Cotton Bowl, Dallas, ABC, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football pass defense ready for Oklahoma, Red River Rivalry game