Texas is still headed toward Saturday’s SEC matchup with Mississippi State short on one of its biggest defensive pieces, as Colin Simmons was moved from questionable to doubtful on the latest availability report.
That downgrade came only a day after Simmons had been tagged questionable, and it now makes it much more likely the Longhorns will be without their star edge rusher for a second straight game. Richard Wesley is in the same boat after being listed as out Thursday night, leaving Texas thinner on the edge than it would like.
Both Simmons and Wesley missed last week’s win over then-No. 7 Ole Miss because of ankle sprains.
Even so, Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s group handled business in a big way without them, and the matchup this week looks friendlier on paper. Mississippi State’s offense is not the same test the Rebels presented, and the Bulldogs will also be down starting quarterback "Super" Kamario Taylor.
That means Texas’ pass rush would be targeting backup Parker Puckett, who has played in only four college games and has thrown fewer touchdown passes than interceptions.
There was better news elsewhere on the Longhorns’ report. Running back Hollywood Smothers and wide receiver Cam Coleman were removed from the injury list entirely, putting both on track to play against Mississippi State.
Smothers has already missed two games this season, sitting out Texas’s wins over Tennessee and Ole Miss, but now looks ready to return. Coleman, meanwhile, left the Ole Miss game after taking a hard shot to the shoulder and had spent exactly one day on the injury list before disappearing from the second report for Week 9.
Texas may also have another receiving option available in Kaliq Lockett. He has not yet made the kind of impact Longhorn fans have been waiting for, and he has spent plenty of time on the injury report this season, but he was listed as probable Thursday night. That gives Arch Manning another possible target in the passing game.
The one name that has stayed on the report throughout the last two days is left tackle Trevor Goosby. He suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee against Ole Miss, later underwent successful reparative surgery, and is now set to miss the rest of the season.
Mississippi State’s report did not change over the same 24-hour span. Taylor remains the biggest absence, while veteran wide receiver Ayden Williams is still out with an undisclosed injury and offensive lineman DJ Chester is also likely unavailable.
In Other News...
Texas Must Avoid One Trap As Mississippi State Changes The Equation
Mississippi States quarterback situation has changed the shape of this matchup in a way Texas has to respect, even if the Longhorns still look like the more complete team on paper. With the Bulldogs dealing with that injury at the most important position, the focus shifts to how Texas handles the trenches, where the offensive line will be tested by Mississippi States front seven and the Longhorns need to stay steady enough to let the rest of the offense settle in.
There is also plenty for Texas to attack through the air if it protects the football and keeps the penalties in check, two areas that can turn a manageable road game into something messier than it should be. On defense, the Longhorns will need clean work from the linebackers in particular against Fluff Bothwell, because Mississippi State may look for ways to stay balanced and make Texas earn every stop while the game plan adjusts around its quarterback issue. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Playoff Push Now Hinges On An Unlikely Offensive Lifeline
Texas kept its College Football Playoff push alive with a 34-27 win over Ole Miss, but the bigger story inside that victory was how the offense held together after starting left tackle Trevor Goosby went down with a season-ending knee injury. The line had to adjust on the fly, and Andre Cojoe was the one who stepped in to help stabilize things, giving the Longhorns a fighting chance to keep their quarterback upright and the run game moving.
Raleek Browns 157 rushing yards gave Texas the kind of ground production it needed in a tight SEC-style game, while Michael Terry added 41 yards and a touchdown to keep the pressure on Ole Miss. Even with the win, the Longhorns now have to figure out how much of this offensive success can travel forward if Goosby is out for good and Cojoe remains the answer on the edge. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Found A New Defensive Formula When Colin Simmons Was Out
When Colin Simmons was unavailable, Texas had to get creative against one of the SECs most difficult offenses, and the result was a defense that looked noticeably different than the one Longhorns fans have been used to seeing. In the win over then-No. 7 Mississippi, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adjusted the front and asked the line to function in a new way, all while trying to keep Ole Miss from finding rhythm in its Veer-and-Shoot system.
The bigger surprise was how much Texas leaned on linebackers Rasheem Biles and Justin Cryer in flexible roles to help make the plan work. It was not a perfect pass-rushing night, but the Longhorns still found a way to limit Ole Miss scoring and survive one of the seasons toughest schematic tests, which leaves an obvious question for Texas moving forward: how much of this adjustment package can carry over if the defense has to play without Simmons again? [Read more 🡒]