Steve Sarkisian isn’t taking the bait on Mississippi State’s recent skid.
The Texas coach made it clear this week that the Bulldogs still command his full attention, especially with quarterback Kamario Taylor potentially back in the mix for Saturday night’s Halloween matchup in Austin. For Sarkisian, the uncertainty around Taylor’s injury doesn’t change the preparation.
“Mississippi State is, obviously, a very dangerous football team. Kamario Taylor is a fantastic quarterback,” Sarkisian said. “Understandably, he's going through some stuff from an injury standpoint, but we have to prepare as if he's going to play because this guy is a very dangerous player.”
Texas, ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll, comes into the game at 5-2 overall and looking to steady itself during SEC play. The Longhorns have not exactly been locked in at home lately, going 1-2 in Austin this month, which makes this one a chance to clean things up in front of their own crowd.
Mississippi State arrives at 4-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play after dropping three straight. Even so, Sarkisian’s comments make it plain Texas isn’t viewing this as a soft landing spot. The Bulldogs started the season 4-0 and flashed the kind of upside that turned heads early in the conference.
Taylor has been at the center of that rise. He threw 14 touchdown passes over Mississippi State’s first four games and quickly looked like one of the league’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. That start pushed him into the early Heisman Trophy conversation and made him a problem defenses had to account for every snap.
His season, though, has been shaped by a right foot injury. Taylor first got hurt in Mississippi State’s Week 4 win over Missouri, then aggravated it against Alabama.
He came back against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 after missing the previous game, but the return didn’t last long. After scrambling on a failed fourth-down play, he left the game and spent the rest of the night on the sideline in a boot on his right foot.
Mississippi State has not publicly clarified the exact nature of the injury.
That leaves Texas preparing for the possibility that Taylor plays and alters the entire feel of the game with his mobility. Sarkisian’s message suggests the Longhorns are not building their plan around the idea that he’ll be unavailable.
There’s also a history note hanging over this one for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are still looking for their first win at Texas since 1992.
And the last meeting between these teams gave Mississippi State plenty to remember. Texas won 45-38 in overtime in 2025 after the Bulldogs built a 38-21 lead in the fourth quarter, only for the Longhorns to rip off 17 unanswered points in regulation before finishing it off in overtime.
With Texas trying to build momentum and Mississippi State trying to halt its slide, Saturday night at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium has all the ingredients for another tense SEC showdown. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Suddenly Has A Quarterback Problem Before Texas
Mississippi States quarterback situation got a lot murkier Saturday when Kamario Taylor left early against Oklahoma with a right foot injury and never made it back onto the field. Jeff Lebby confirmed after the game that it was the same foot Taylor hurt earlier in the season, a setback that comes after the sophomore had already been limited in practice leading into the matchup.
For a Bulldogs team trying to get its offense sorted out before Texas, the timing is less than ideal. Lebby said the staff expects to have a better read on Taylors status soon, but he did not offer a return timeline, leaving Mississippi State to sort through another week of uncertainty at the games most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Sarkisian Just Sent Mississippi State A Warning About Texas Atmosphere
Texas home win over Ole Miss was the kind of game that reminded everyone why playing in Austin can be such a tough assignment. Steve Sarkisian came away talking less about the final score than the setting itself, praising the energy in the stadium after the Longhorns 34-27 victory and pointing out that the people who stayed inside got a memorable night.
For Mississippi State, the timing matters because the Bulldogs are next in line to see that atmosphere up close. Texas will also host Arkansas on the upcoming home slate, but the immediate concern for any visitor is the same one Sarkisian just highlighted: the crowd, the noise and the feeling that a big SEC game can turn the place into a different kind of test. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Found One Reason For Hope In A Frustrating Loss
Mississippi State had plenty to sort through after a frustrating loss to Oklahoma, but there was at least one encouraging sign buried in the result: Fluff Bothwell looked like himself again. Back after missing time since the Alabama game, the running back gave the Bulldogs a needed jolt with 111 yards on 17 carries, giving the offense a physical presence it had been missing while the team tried to keep pace.
There were other bright spots, too, even if they came in a defeat. Tight end Sam West connected on an 18-yard touchdown pass, Billy Puckett finished 17 of 24 for 158 yards, and linebackers Tyler Lockhart and Fatt Forrest each piled up 10 tackles. But the Bulldogs could not fully cash in on those moments, and the combination of key turnovers and an Oklahoma ground game that produced 184 rushing yards left Mississippi State looking for more than just one reason to feel better. [Read more 🡒]