STILLWATER, Okla. -- There is something about playing Oklahoma State that tends to bring out the most raw and intensified version of Breckyn Hager.

During Texas' trip to Boone Pickens Stadium in 2016, a game remembered for the Longhorns having three extra points blocked in the first half en route to an embarrassing 39-21 loss, Hager bypassed staying for "The Eyes of Texas" and headed straight for the locker room. Afterward, he could hardly contain his emotions.

"I feel like I'm letting everyone down," Hager said then. "I'm not a loser. I don't want to be a loser."

A year later in Austin, the Longhorns lost a 13-10 overtime heartbreaker to a 10th-ranked Oklahoma State team. This go-round was even more painful. Hager had one of the better games of his career that day, posting two sacks, three tackles and a quarterback hurry. He was much more calm and upbeat afterward, too. But his tone shifted to one that was almost imploring when he explained why, even with Texas' 3-4 record, things were different.

"This upper class -- it's special," Hager said. "We're tired of talking about it to you guys and saying that. But we are special, and we are bringing positives out of these negative outcomes."

Fast forward another year, to the clock dwindling down during Texas' 38-35 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday night in Stillwater. Hager decided he wasn't quite finished with his business yet. With the game in hand and the Cowboys in victory formation, Oklahoma State quarterback Taylor Cornelius took a knee. But Hager fired off the edge anyway and blew right past tight end Jelani Woods. He then went right after Cowboys receiver Tyron Johnson and delivered a blow before the two briefly scuffled.

Johnson then dropped Hager to the turf. The senior defensive end immediately popped up and was met by his fellow starting senior defensive end, Charles Omenihu, who grabbed Hager and attempted to calm him down.

"Just on the field, that's not how you present yourself when a team is taking a knee," Omenihu said of his teammate afterward. "That's not necessary. Doing that isn't gonna change the outcome of the game. I understand that emotions run high, but you got to be mature enough to handle the outcome that you've caused."

Hager's late-game antics caused quite the stir and sent both head coaches, Tom Herman and Mike Gundy, out onto the field. Herman even had to be restrained from yelling at Gundy, not realizing the Oklahoma State coach had been out there to de-escalate the situation.

This was the mess Hager had caused.

And this is the type of player Hager has proven to be. You never know what you might get from the defensive end. Hager wears his emotions on his sleeves. He can play with reckless abandon and also be reckless with his comments. He once stated before the Longhorns faced a Patrick Mahomes-led Texas Tech team in 2016 that they needed to "injure that quarterback," which he later apologized for.

The son of a legendary Texas linebacker, Hager has always had to live up to higher expectations. He's had his share of bright moments. There's a reason Hager has donned Tommy Nobis' famous No. 60 jersey for the Longhorns twice since last December.

And there's also a reason teammates voted him a team captain before the season. Hager plays with a certain energy and passion that is palpable. Herman recognized as much earlier this month.

"He loves this university, he loves his teammates and he loves the game of football," Herman said. "He's certainly an interesting character. Early when we got here two years ago, I thought well maybe that's just a show or an act of some sort. But that's him. We love him. We embrace him. His teammates voted him a captain because they understand his passion and his love for this university and this team."

But moments like the end of Saturday night's loss show how Hager can still struggle with toeing the line between being fervent and reckless.

"I love Breckyn to death. Y'all know I do. But I'm disappointed in him, and I'll tell him that to his face," said senior tight end Andrew Beck, one of Hager's roommates. "That's not us. That's not him. That's not what we want this program to be. He's better than that. We're all young men growing up, and we'll learn that's not how you take a loss."