Texas defense dominates in 31-3 rout of Mississippi State
The Longhorns' front seven recorded seven sacks and a fumble return score to secure their fifth straight conference win at home.
By Arjun Weber ·
The Texas Longhorns defense did the heavy lifting on Saturday night, allowing the offense to rest while securing a 31-3 victory over Mississippi State at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The 11th-ranked team never trailed and extended its winning streak in SEC play to three games, improving its overall record to 6-2.
The defensive performance was anchored by seven sacks and a 61-yard fumble return touchdown by defensive lineman Maraad Watson. These plays neutralized the Bulldogs' passing attack and kept the score low despite Texas struggling to convert drives on the offensive side of the ball.
The game began with a quick strike for Texas. Receiver Cam Coleman caught a 14-yard pass for a touchdown on the team's fourth snap, extending his season total to seven scores. Coleman had returned from an injury sustained in the previous week's win over Ole Miss. He left the game again late in the first half with a new injury.
Mississippi State, which had started the season 4-0, has now lost four consecutive games. The Bulldogs were also without starting quarterback Kamario Taylor. Injuries forced a rotation in the backfield, with AJ Swann starting before being replaced by redshirt freshman Billy Puckett in the third quarter.
Texas held a 17-0 lead at halftime. The Longhorns have led at the break in all five of their conference games this season. However, the third quarter brought a familiar problem. Arch Manning fumbled away the ball on the first possession of the second half, giving Mississippi State a field goal and cutting the deficit to 17-3.
The Longhorns responded to the turnover with a seven-play drive. Manning connected with Emmett Mosley V for 37 yards and Raleek Brown for 22 yards before finding Brown again for a 4-yard touchdown. This score put Texas up 24-3 and marked the first third-quarter touchdown for the team since its season opener against Texas State.
Mississippi State was held to 188 total yards. Linebacker Rasheem Biles recorded three sacks and two forced fumbles. The defense operated without Colin Simmons, who is leading the nation in sacks and missed the game due to injury. The Longhorns finished with 280 yards of offense and four scoring drives.
Texas will return to the road next Saturday to face Missouri in Columbia. This matchup marks the first meeting between the schools since Missouri left the Big 12 Conference after the 2011 season. Missouri enters the game ranked No. 23 in the AP poll with a 5-2 record.
