Despite a solid defensive performance that included five sacks and limited Texas to just 60 rushing yards, Mississippi State struggled to find its footing offensively as the No. 11 Longhorns beat the Bulldogs 31-3 on Halloween night in Austin.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw three touchdown passes to lead the Longhorns (6-2, 3-2 SEC) to victory, handing Mississippi State (4-4, 2-4 SEC) its fourth consecutive loss.
Here’s how the game played out.
Scoring summary
Texas opened the scoring on its first possession, marching down the field in seven plays before Manning connected with Cam Coleman for a 14-yard touchdown pass just over two minutes into the game.
Neither team found the end zone again in the first quarter, and the Longhorns carried a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.
After a 13-play drive stalled due to several penalties, Texas settled for a 45-yard field goal from Gianni Spetic with 5:41 remaining in the half.
Mississippi State had an opportunity to get on the board before halftime but suffered a costly turnover. Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles sacked Bulldog quarterback A.J. Swann and forced a fumble that defensive lineman Maraad Watson recovered. Watson returned the fumble 61 yards for a touchdown and gave Texas a 17-0 lead going into the break.
Swann left the game with an injury after the play.
In the second half, Texas fumbled on its opening possession of the game and Mississippi State linebacker Zachari Tillman recovered. The Bulldogs capitalized on the turnover with a six-play drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal off the foot of Kyle Ferrie with 8:58 left in the third quarter.
Texas responded, though, and didn’t let up. Two Manning touchdown passes – one to Raleek Brown and the other to Emmett Mosley V – paired with a sturdy defensive showing made for a 31-3 Longhorns win.
What the coach said
Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby was disappointed following his team’s fourth consecutive loss but expressed confidence in the defense and some of the small glimpses of hope he saw on offense, even without star quarterback Kamario Taylor.
“I just told them if we continue to build on that performance, how we played, some of the small things we did inside the game…we’ll have the opportunity to win next Saturday,” Lebby said. “It’s going to be about making sure everybody in that locker room understands we’re good enough to win. And they get that. But really proud of our effort defensively and how we did what we did.”
When asked about Swann’s injury, Lebby said he did not have an update but expected more information on Sunday.
Numbers
Swann – making his first start at Mississippi State after stops at Vanderbilt, LSU, and Appalachian State – was clean before leaving the game with injury. The veteran was 12 of 15 passing for 97 yards.
Billy Puckett, who came in for Swann, managed just 26 total yards, while running back Fluff Bothwell led the offense with 62 total yards on 20 touches.
Tillman led Mississippi State defensively, finishing with a team-high in tackles (7), tackles for loss (2.5), and a fumble recovery. Defensive lineman Jaray Bledsoe added two solo tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack.
Manning was 16 of 20 passing for 220 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His favorite receiver on the night was Mosley, who had four catches for 98 yards and a score.
Biles led the Longhorns defense with eight tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
Next up
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs will be back at home on Saturday, Nov. 7, and play Vanderbilt. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.
Texas: The Longhorns will be on the road on Saturday, Nov. 7, playing at Missouri at 11 a.m.