Texas left Starkville with a 31-3 win, but the scoreboard covered up some real issues on offense.
The Longhorns leaned on their defense again and again Saturday, because the unit on the other side of the ball never found much rhythm. Texas gave up five sacks, finished with just 60 rushing yards and picked up only 13 first downs while Mississippi State’s defense, which had been allowing 23 a game in SEC play, kept the Longhorns from settling in.
The offensive line shuffle after Trevor Goosby’s season-ending injury didn’t solve the problem. Texas moved Melvin Siani to left tackle and Andre Cojoe to right tackle, but Arch Manning still spent plenty of the afternoon under pressure.
PFF credited Cojoe with three pressures, including two sacks, and a 43.1 pass-blocking grade. Dylan Sikorski, at left guard, allowed two more sacks and posted a 46.0 grade.
Between them, they were responsible for 80% of Mississippi State’s sack total.
“Clearly there were some issues in protection,” Steve Sarkisian said after the game. “I felt like it was a little more internal than it was external.”
The damage showed up at the worst times. Three of the sacks came on third down, killing drives before they could develop. In the third quarter, Manning was dropped on back-to-back plays, and the second sack ended with a fumble that gave Mississippi State the ball at the Texas 28.
The run game never offered much help either. One week after piling up 207 yards against Ole Miss, Texas managed only 60 yards on 32 carries against Mississippi State.
Even after taking out sack yardage, the Longhorns’ running backs finished with just 50 yards on 19 attempts. Raleek Brown, coming off a 157-yard outing, was held to 30.
That left Texas dependent on big plays from Manning and the skill talent around him. Manning was sharp when he had time, going 16 of 20 for 220 yards and three touchdowns. But four completions made up 148 of those yards, so most of the production came in chunks rather than through steady drive-building.
Explosive plays are still a weapon for Texas, not a weakness. The issue is everything in between them. Against a Mississippi State defense that had struggled to get off the field in league play, the Longhorns still had trouble stringing together consistent offense.
Fortunately for Texas, the defense kept the whole thing from getting uncomfortable. When the offense stalled, the Longhorns’ defense shut down Mississippi State’s chances to answer. And when Texas needed a jolt, Maraad Watson delivered one with a 61-yard fumble return touchdown that sent the Longhorns into halftime up 17-0.
That formula worked Saturday. It may not be so forgiving against what’s ahead. Missouri and LSU are still on the schedule, and Texas can’t count on its defense to keep covering for offensive problems forever.
The Longhorns won by 28, but the offensive issues didn’t go away. Mississippi State just couldn’t punish them for it.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisian Just Sent A Clear Message About Arch Manning
Steve Sarkisian is not sounding like a coach looking to press the panic button on Arch Manning. Even with the turnovers piling up and the sack count climbing, Sarkisian has made it clear he still believes in his quarterback, while also pointing to the bigger issues around him. The Texas coach said the offense needs better play up front and a quicker release from Manning, but he also praised the way the young quarterback competes and absorbs contact.
Manning, for his part, has owned some of the blame for the sacks and said he is focused on getting better and helping Texas win. That matters as the Longhorns head into a critical game, where the pressure is only going to rise and every snap will be watched closely. For now, the message from the sideline is less about doubt than about trust, even if the next step has to come fast. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Passing Game Suddenly Rests On Unproven Wideouts
Texas is leaning harder on its receiver depth chart after injuries to Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo forced the passing game to adjust on the fly. In recent games, head coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning have both pointed to junior Emmett Mosley V as a key piece in that reshaped plan, praising the way he can line up in different spots and handle a bigger workload.
Mosley is now part of a wider group being asked to grow up quickly, with freshmen Jermaine Bishop Jr., Kohen Brown and Chris Stewart all in line for more snaps as the Longhorns manage the shortage. For a passing attack built around timing and trust, the challenge is less about finding bodies than finding reliable ones, and Texas is now testing how much production it can get from receivers who have not had to carry this kind of responsibility before. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Is About To Get A Brutal Playoff Reality Check
Texas is sitting at 6-2 with four regular-season games left, and the latest AP Poll has the Longhorns at No. 10, which keeps them in the playoff conversation but hardly in a comfortable spot. The first College Football Playoff rankings are coming soon, and for a team still trying to stack wins in the SEC, that initial reveal should offer an early look at how the committee views Texas against the rest of the crowded field.
Steve Sarkisian has already pointed to the reality facing SEC teams with multiple losses, a reminder that record alone may not tell the whole story once the selection process begins. For Texas, the bigger question is how the committee weighs the Longhorns' wins and losses from here, especially as the season enters its final stretch and every result starts carrying more meaning. [Read more 🡒]