Byron Cowart looks to the past to help prepare him for his future.

The former prized recruit has had a tough time breaking through since arriving on campus as Rivals.com's No. 1 prospect in the 2015 recruiting class. Cowart tried not to let his struggles get to him, and he looked to the stories of people like former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell -- a player who was widely regarded as a professional bust -- as cautionary tales. Cowart did not want to fall victim to failure.

"I just look at stories like that just to see what those guys did so I wouldn't do it," Cowart said Saturday. "Success stories, what did they do to get out of that hole? I look at stories like that. I was looking at that just all year, trying to see what am I doing wrong, critique myself, what can I do to get back where I was? You just got to trust in the program, you just got to trust in the process."

Cowart did not produce much as a freshman in 2015. He was surpassed on the depth chart by freshman Marlon Davidson this year, and he struggled to produce in the box score through the first 18 games of his career.

He also tried to remain headstrong in his belief that he would get things on track.

"It's been frustrating, man," Cowart said. "I've been just trying to stay focused and not lose it, because most guys when they was up here and they come to college and they go to the bottom, they usually tank it or do something crazy. I'm just trying to stay focused, trust in the process and just stay focused. That's my biggest thing."

Auburn linebacker Jeff Holland (4), Auburn defensive end Byron Cowart (9) and Auburn defensive lineman Andrew Williams (79) bring down Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen (8) Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016, during the first half at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Cowart trusted in the process, and the dividends finally showed Saturday during Auburn's 56-3 dismantling of Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Cowart finished with two tackles, including a tackle for a loss -- the first of his college career -- and he was also in on a sack by Andrew Williams but was not credited in the official scorer's sheet.

By and large, Cowart said it was the best game of his career.

"I like that feeling," Cowart said. "I've been waiting for it for a long time. I just got to stay focused and keep working hard so I can keep making plays."

Cowart's improvement has been gradual, and while it finally showed under the lights against Arkansas, it has been noticeable on Auburn's practice fields the last couple of weeks. According to starting right guard Braden Smith, who said he has found himself matched up against Cowart more often in practice of late, the 6-foot-3, 276-pound sophomore has shown more depth to his arsenal of pass-rushing moves. He has also shown improvement against the run.

"He's definitely taken a step forward," Smith said. "...He's definitely developed so much so over the last couple of weeks. I'm very proud of him for that. He's definitely doing a good job on defense too."

Cowart's tackle for a loss against the Razorbacks came in the second quarter, when running back Devwah Whaley took a handoff off left tackle and was met in the backfield for a 2-yard loss. Cowart's other tackle came earlier in the game, when he stopped Rawleigh Williams III -- who entered the game as the SEC's leading rusher -- for a 1-yard gain.

It was a performance that Cowart had been waiting for since arriving on campus with seemingly insurmountable hype--including some that was brought on by his own lofty expectations. It was also one that made him believe he's ready to turn a corner.

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"The productivity was there," defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. "They had a little more runs and activity to him and he made a really good stop for a tackle for loss on third down. The problem is -- as we know as coaches -- you turn the corner in the SEC West and it's kinda like going around the block. There's another corner. You've just got to keep turning corners. You never arrive."

That is what Cowart must remember as he moves forward with the rest of his sophomore campaign.

Cowart said multiple times after Saturday's game that the biggest thing for him has been trusting his coaches, including Steele (his second coordinator in as many years) and defensive line coach Rodney Garner, and studying his playbook -- something that was oftentimes difficult for him as a freshman. Cowart, who is often hard on himself, has tried his best to regain his confidence, or as Garner put in in August, that "swagger" that the Florida native had when he arrived on the Plains in 2015.

After Saturday's game, Cowart has something else to help his confidence moving forward.

"To hear the crowd roar when you make a big play, it's crazy," Cowart said. "It makes you more hungry. It makes you trust in the coaches more. It makes you more hard on yourself, just stay focused and remember that feeling, how you felt when you made those big plays."