Manning Triplets Power Texas Win

No. 11 Texas defeated Mississippi State 31-3 on Saturday night in Austin, securing a victory that keeps the Longhorns competitive in the Southeastern Conference title race. The win marked the second consecutive victory for Texas, which had previously lost two straight games in the middle of the season.

Arch Manning completed passes for three touchdowns, while Maraad Watson returned a fumble 61 yards for a score just before halftime. The defensive effort was a primary driver of the result, as Texas held Mississippi State to a single touchdown. The Longhorns improved to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play, while Mississippi State fell to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in the SEC.

Manning found Cam Coleman on a 14-yard throw for the first score of the game on the fourth play. The matchup remained close until the second quarter, when Mississippi State transfer quarterback AJ Swann was sacked. The loose ball fell to Watson, a 6-foot-3, 333-pound defensive tackle, who ran it in for the go-ahead points. Watson noted he was getting tired by the 15-yard line but forced himself to finish the play.

The fumble also resulted in Swann leaving the game with an injury. He had been 12-for-15 passing until the turnover. Parker Puckett, a walk-on who started two previous games, entered the second half with a sling on his right arm to manage the offense. Swann was stepping in for injured starter Kamario Taylor.

Taylor has missed part or all of the last four games due to a season-ending toe injury that required surgery. Mississippi State had started the season 4-0 but has now lost four consecutive games. Coach Jeff Lebby acknowledged the team's struggles, citing false starts on early downs. He stated, "We’re not good enough to overcome things right now."

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian noted the team is growing. He said, "I don’t know what our potential is. We're a growing team that continues to find ways to win." The Longhorns will now play three of their final four regular-season games on the road after completing a three-game homestand.

Manning added two more touchdown passes in the second half, connecting with Raleek Brown in the third quarter and Emmett Mosely V in the fourth. The Mississippi State defense, which had sacked Manning six times earlier in the game, eventually wore down. Texas held the Bulldogs under 300 total yards for the third time in recent weeks.

Rasheem Biles, a transfer from Pitt, recorded eight tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. He forced the fumble that led to Watson's touchdown. Biles said he aims to go for the ball on every sack, adding that the defense played well. "I was the one who ended up with the better part of the stats," Biles said.

Texas faces injury concerns on offense, with Coleman leaving the game early for the second straight contest. He was seen in street clothes on the sideline in the second half, though the team did not immediately disclose the nature of the injury. The Longhorns play at Missouri on Nov. 7, while Mississippi State hosts Vanderbilt on the same day.