Mississippi State’s quarterback picture is still unsettled heading into Texas, and that alone shapes the matchup. With Kamario Taylor out for the season after foot surgery, the Bulldogs are down to Billy Puckett and A.J.
Swann, and a starter won’t be named until late Saturday. That leaves Mississippi State heading into a big test with no confirmed answer under center.
Texas, meanwhile, brings Arch Manning into the conversation. He hasn’t lived up to the massive expectations attached to him, but he has shown flashes this season.
The biggest pressure point for Mississippi State, though, has been the offensive line. The Bulldogs have allowed 38 pressures and 13 sacks since SEC play began, according to Pro Football Focus.
Texas hasn’t been dominant up front, but its inability to communicate consistently could be a real opening for the Longhorns if Mississippi State can take advantage. The Bulldogs also lost starting left tackle Trevor Goosby to a season-ending injury.
At receiver, the Longhorns have had more than enough production spread around. The recent depth at wideout has come at the expense of an otherwise deep and talented group, and over the last two games no receiver has topped 34 yards in a game.
Cam Coleman came into form during a scare with Manning, but he, too, has not met the expectations set for him. The Longhorns do have, however, gotten a lot out of top receiver Ryan Wing, while freshman Germaine Bishop has been one to watch.
Texas’ offensive line continues to cycle through personnel, and the front five have not been especially consistent. The Bulldogs may not have Colin Simmons, one of the pass rushers and defensive players in the country, for this matchup, but that may not matter. Against the Rebels, Texas was able to lean on the likes of Colton Vasek, Zina Umeozulu and Hero Kanu among others to disrupt them and cause chaos.
Mississippi State’s linebackers will now be without its best tackler, Jalen Smith, for the rest of the season. However, Zakari Tillman was not listed on the availability report, which means he could be completely good to go for the first time all season.
That would take a load off of Tyler Jockhart, Batta Borrest and A.J. Rice.
Texas’ linebackers were a big reason for their win against Ole Miss, most notably Rasheem Biles. He has three solo tackles, one for loss and is second on the team with 24 solo tackles.
In the secondary, Mississippi State still has trouble stopping big plays and limiting yards after the catch. What’s more, its captain, Isaac Smith, is questionable for Saturday after missing the Oklahoma game last week. As Macro, Graceso Littleton and Jelan McDonald headline a Texas unit that allows the fourth-fewest passing yards per game at 167.6 in the SEC.
Special teams could matter late. Ethan Pulliam has yet to look like his old self, even after a punt against Oklahoma that gave the Sooners a short field and led to a field goal.
Kyle Berrie remains 5-for-6 on field goals and is now 24-for-24 on extra points. Gianni Spetic will kick for the Longhorns and Mac Chiumento will punt, but Texas tends to make a lot of special teams mistakes.
However, it has perhaps the best returner in the country in Ryan Nibblet, as he averaged 14.3 yards per return.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Heads To Texas With One Upset Question Looming
Mississippi State heads to Austin on Oct. 31 with a fresh layer of uncertainty at quarterback after Kamario Taylors season-ending foot injury forced the Bulldogs to reshuffle the position. Billy Puckett or AJ Swann is expected to get the nod, giving Mississippi State a very different look as it prepares to face a top-15 Texas team on the road.
Arch Manning will make his third career start for the Longhorns, who remain favored even with key players sidelined by injuries of their own. For Mississippi State, the challenge is bigger than just matching up with a ranked opponent - it is about finding stability quickly enough to keep the game within reach. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State's Skid Is Raising Bigger Questions Before Texas
Mississippi States loss to Oklahoma did more than extend a frustrating slide. It pushed the Bulldogs deeper into a statistical spiral at a time when the schedule is about to get even less forgiving, with Texas next on the list. The concerns are spread across both sides of the ball, from total offense and turnover margin to sacks allowed, and the picture that has emerged is one of a team still searching for consistency in just about every phase.
The defensive numbers may be the sharpest warning sign. Mississippi State has dropped near the bottom of the SEC and the national rankings in several key categories, and the issues in coverage have become especially hard to ignore. Offensively, the Bulldogs have also struggled to stay on schedule and sustain drives, leaving them with a three-game losing streak and a growing sense that the fixes need to come quickly before the Longhorns arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Fluff Bothwell Faces A Brutal Test In Mississippi States Texas Matchup
Mississippi States offense heads into its Texas matchup with a lot of the usual Week 9 uncertainty, and the focus naturally falls on how the Bulldogs might try to create room for Fluff Bothwell on the ground. The freshman has been one of the more watchable pieces of the attack, but the larger DFS picture around this game points toward a setup that could make life difficult for any running back trying to find steady production.
Recent trends, target shares and game-script concerns all lean in the same direction, with the matchup itself adding another layer of resistance for Bothwell. Mississippi State has also been navigating personnel questions around Kamario Taylor, and Bothwells own health has been part of the conversation this month, which only adds to the uncertainty surrounding how much of a workload he can realistically carry in this spot. [Read more 🡒]