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It was far from perfect, but No. 1 Texas (5-0, 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference) defeated Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2) 35-13 in its first-ever conference game as a member of the SEC at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 28.
The Longhorns got a battle from the Bulldogs early but took control of the game in the second half as their offense found a better rhythm late.
Texas-Mississippi State Game Summary
Mississippi State punched Texas in the mouth early with a consistent running game that chewed up the clock and outgained the Longhorns 115-10 on the ground in the first half. However, the Bulldogs' first possession ended with a failed fourth-down conversion, which turned into a Texas touchdown quickly.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning went 4-of-4 passing on Texas' opening drive, moving the ball 72 yards in 1:46 and finishing with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Jaydon Blue.
Still, mistakes appeared for the Longhorns as Mississippi State hung around. Blue fumbled on Texas' next drive, and the Bulldogs later blocked a Texas punt to set up a short field and convert a field goal to make it a 7-3 game.
However, the Bulldogs were never able to take the lead, allowing a touchdown pass from Manning to tight end DeAndre Moore Jr. just before halftime.
Texas added three more touchdowns before Mississippi State finally found the end zone and ended the game with 522 yards of offense— its third 500-yard game this season.
Manning threw for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns, both to Moore. The sophomore tight end led Texas in receiving with 103 yards. Manning also ran for a score, and Texas' defense had 6 sacks in the game.
Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. threw for 144 yards for Mississippi State in his first career start and scored the Bulldogs' only touchdown on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Turning Point
Trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, Mississippi State had a chance to take the lead at the Texas 14-yard line. Yet, as it did throughout the game, the Longhorn defense stood tall and came up with a big stop—limiting the Bulldogs to a short field goal.
Texas ended up pushing its lead to two scores on the ensuing drive and went on to pull away late in the third quarter and early in the fourth.
What It Means
Texas passed its first test in the SEC, although there were definitely places to improve. The Longhorns likely wanted a more decisive and complete home victory to kick off conference play, but the win counts the same.
They enter their first bye week as the No. 1 team in the country with a 5-0 record. The biggest challenges of the season follow as Texas faces No. 12 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1) in the annual Red River Rivalry game when it returns to the field on Oct. 12 and follows it with an elite showdown against No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0) on Oct. 19.
Manning has been steady, but the experience of a healthy Quinn Ewers could be crucial in those games.
Mississippi State falls further into the SEC's basement with an 0-2 conference record. The Bulldogs have played teams close for about three quarters in conference play but always tend to fall apart. Van Buren gained critical experience in this game, especially with Blake Shapen done for the season and back-to-back ranked opponents looming.
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