Texas rolled over Mississippi State 31-3 on Saturday night, but don’t let the score fool you: this wasn’t just another offensive showcase. The Longhorns defense absolutely feasted, putting up a touchdown and seven sacks, making sure Halloween was all treats for them at Royal-Memorial Stadium. While quarterback Arch Manning managed three touchdown passes, the real story might be the hits he took, and what that means for UT going forward.
Defense Feasted, Delivering the Treats on Halloween
The Longhorns defense shone brightest in this 28-point triumph. Defensive lineman Maraad Watson delivered the biggest defensive play of the night, scooping up a fumble and returning it 61 yards for a score. That’s the second defensive touchdown of the season for Texas, by the way. Edge rusher Zina Umeozulu was also in on the action, celebrating a sack as the defense terrorized Mississippi State quarterback AJ Swann, injuring him on that fumble return. Mississippi State couldn’t get anything going early, with their first three drives ending in three punts and a missed 38-yard field goal. That Texas defense brought the heat all game, racking up a whopping seven sacks. Talk about shutting down the opposition!
Arch Showed Grit, But the Offense Still Stumbled
Despite the big win, it wasn’t a clean night for the Texas offense. Receiver Cam Coleman, who left last week’s game with an injury, started hot, quickly making up for lost time. He snagged a 47-yard gain on the third offensive snap and then turned the fourth into a 14-yard touchdown catch, his seventh of the season! Coleman even celebrated with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance. But get this: he left the game with another injury and didn’t get a chance to dance again. After Coleman’s early heroics, the Texas offense stalled for their next two possessions.
Quarterback Arch Manning showed some serious toughness, even while taking a beating. On one 13-play drive that ended in a 45-yard field goal, he lost his helmet on a run (which got negated by a holding call) and then had to have his hand taped up after it started bleeding from another hit. Man, that dude is tough! Ryan Niblett almost added a special teams score with a 76-yard punt return, but it got called back on a block in the back penalty. That would have been touchdown bingo, but not tonight.
Third Quarter Blues Still Haunt the Longhorns
Texas went into halftime with a comfortable 17-0 lead. That’s actually no surprise, as they’ve now led at the break in all five of their conference contests this season. With the win, the Longhorns improved their record to 6-2 on the season, going 3-2 in SEC play. Mississippi State, on the other hand, slumped to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in conference contests, now having lost four straight after a 4-0 start. But here’s the kicker: Texas has notably struggled in the third quarter of its SEC games. Those issues , which included a 31-3 d…
While Texas celebrated its 6-2 record and 3-2 SEC mark, that 17-0 halftime lead, a common theme in their conference games, still raises questions about their notable third-quarter struggles this season. Can they keep putting complete games together as the SEC grind continues? We’ll be watching to see if those third quarter blues finally get kicked to the curb.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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