Manning drives Texas to 31-3 win
A defensive stand and three touchdown passes secured the victory in Austin.
By Rafael Collins ·
No. 11 Texas defeated Mississippi State 31-3 on Saturday night in Austin. The Longhorns improved their record to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference. The win marks their second consecutive victory after losing two midseason games in a row.
Arch Manning threw three touchdown passes during the contest. The first came on the fourth play of the game when he connected with Cam Coleman from 14 yards out. Manning later found Raleek Brown in the third quarter and Emmett Mosely V in the fourth quarter. These scores extended a 10-0 lead into a decisive margin.
The defense generated momentum through a key turnover. Maraad Watson returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown just before halftime. The play stemmed from a sack on AJ Swann, the Mississippi State quarterback making his first start of the season. Watson, a 333-pound defensive tackle, ran to the end zone with several teammates blocking ahead of him.
Swann left the game injured after the fumble. He had completed 12 of 15 passes before the injury. Parker Puckett, a walk-on, took over for the second half with his right arm in a sling. Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby noted the team faced frustration from penalties and execution errors. He said the squad was not good enough to overcome those issues.
Rasheem Biles led the Texas defense with eight tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. The linebacker from Pitt forced the fumble that Watson returned for a score. Biles credited the unit for its performance. He stated that he tried to go for the ball after every sack. The defense held the Bulldogs to just three points.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian described the team as growing and finding ways to win. He noted that the offense still has room for improvement. The Longhorns will play three of their final four regular-season games on the road. Their next opponent is Missouri on Nov. 7.
Mississippi State has lost four straight games. Their quarterback Kamario Taylor missed the last four games with a season-ending toe injury. The Bulldogs are now 4-4 overall and 2-4 in conference play. They will host Vanderbilt on Nov. 7.
