Texas has a chance to keep building after last week’s win over Trinidad Chambliss and Ole Miss, but the next step against a Kamaro Taylor-less Mississippi State team will come down to more than just momentum. With injuries still shaping the rotation, the Longhorns need a few key players to answer the call if they want one victory to turn into something more.
The offense feels like the clearest place to start, especially after the run game gave Texas a confidence boost. Mississippi State brings in the 129th pass defense in the country, which gives the Longhorns a real opening to get sharper through the air as well.
That makes this weekend a big one for Cam Coleman, who was back at practice yesterday in a non-contact jersey after last week’s struggles. The questions around No. 8 have been getting louder after a frustrating drop, and Texas needs him to settle in if the offense is going to hit its ceiling.
With a daunting November looming, this is one of the last clean chances to get him rolling.
The backfield could also lean younger than usual. Raleek Brown carried the load last week with a career-high 23 carries, and that kind of workload on a smaller back is a lot to ask.
Hollywood Smothers was back at practice yesterday too, but still in a non-contact jersey. That opens the door for Michael Terry III and Derrek Cooper to play bigger roles on Saturday.
Terry is coming off his best outing as a Longhorn, while Cooper, who was dealing with an illness last week, should be back to full strength. With heavier work likely waiting for Brown and Smothers against Missouri and LSU, Texas may need this to be a youth-heavy rushing day.
Michael Masunas has quietly become part of the run-game story as well. Against Ole Miss, he turned in his best performance yet as a Longhorn, catching three passes and bringing strong blocking to the table.
His work helped the ground game find rhythm, and he made life easier for the offensive line by handling defensive ends consistently. That freed up Cojoe and Siani to set edges more easily.
If Texas keeps leaning on 11 personnel, Masunas looks like a player who can keep growing into a bigger role.
On the other side of the ball, Justus Terry is one of the names worth watching if Texas wants more from its pass rush. The sophomore missed most of the season with an injury before returning against Florida, then picked up a roughing the passer penalty against Ole Miss without making much of an impact otherwise.
Texas doesn’t need another breakout star up front, but Terry’s ability to affect the quarterback could make the defense even more dangerous on third down. A true breakout from No. 15 would be a major boost down the stretch.
Colton Vasek also deserves attention after what he did against Ole Miss, even if the box score barely showed it. He finished with only one tackle, but he set edges at a high level all game and made his presence felt in a way that mattered.
The Simmons injury gave him more of a chance to get on the field, and he has taken advantage. Simmons is likely out another week, and Wesley could also miss time while dealing with an ankle sprain.
That should give Vasek consistent snaps again on Saturday.
Then there’s Kade Phillips, who faces a challenge Mississippi State is likely to attack again. Ole Miss repeatedly went after No. 8 in man coverage and found success, and the Bulldogs should have their own plans to test him with speed and separation.
Texas still hasn’t gotten the full depth it hoped for at corner, so Phillips’ response matters. If he can bounce back, the confidence around the Longhorn defense keeps growing.
In Other News...
Texas Fans Wont Like What One Sarkisian Call Revealed
Early in the third quarter against Ole Miss, Steve Sarkisian went to a mesh concept that should have given Texas a clean answer in the passing game. Freshman wide receiver Jermaine Bishop and fifth-year tight end Michael Masunas were the crossers, but the play never got the rhythm it needed, with timing and spacing breaking down before it could develop.
Arch Mannings footwork also looked off under pressure from the defensive line, and the result was an unsuccessful snap that ended in a three-and-out. For a Texas offense that needs cleaner execution in key moments, it was a small sequence that said plenty about where the unit still has work to do. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Goosby News Leaves Texas Facing A Bigger NFL Reality
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Goosby will miss the rest of the season, leaving Texas to regroup without one of its most highly regarded young blockers. Even with the injury, he remains viewed as a potential top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which is part of what makes this setback feel bigger than a single lost year and more like an early reminder of how much is riding on his health going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Passing Game Faces A Real Test Against Mississippi State
Texas has spent the first part of the season trying to get its passing game into a rhythm, and the numbers have shown it. Through seven games, the Longhorns rank 74th in passing yards per game, which leaves plenty of room for improvement as the schedule tightens and defenses start looking more comfortable taking away the obvious answers.
Mississippi State figures to be a stern next test on the perimeter. Cornerbacks Jett Jefferson and Kelley Jones have both graded well on the defensive side, and Jones already has a history with Texas after intercepting Arch Manning last season. With Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman among the receivers likely to draw his attention again, Texas will have to prove its passing game can hold up against one of the better cornerback groups it has seen. [Read more 🡒]