Davis Wade Stadium will host Mississippi State in SEC action again this Saturday with the visit of No. 22 Texas.
The Bulldogs (4-3, 0-3 SEC) lost in heartbreaking fashion on the road last week, falling 23-21 at Florida with a late comeback attempt thwarted by an interception in the final seconds. Quarterback Blake Shapen and the offense got the passing attack going again in Gainesville, but will hope for more end product against Texas at home this weekend.
The Longhorns (5-2, 2-1 SEC) have had a rough go of it this season, beginning as they ended last season with a suffocating loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes and having their own tough trip to The Swamp end on a sour note. A slow-moving offense hasn’t stopped Texas from bouncing back the last two weeks, though, winning 23-6 in the Red River Rivalry and 16-13 in overtime on the road at Kentucky.
The meeting on Saturday has the potential to turn into a defensive affair, but both offenses have the potential to break out.
Here’s how to watch and what to watch for in the matchup.
What: Mississippi State vs. No. 22 Texas
When: 3:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville
TV: SEC Network
Betting line: Texas by 7.5, over/under at 45.5.
Weather: The cooler weather will continue in Starkville. Highs are projected to be in the mid-70s with 99% cloud cover, and a low brightness index. Some winds with gusts up to 15 mph, per AccuWeather.
Records/rankings: The Bulldogs are 4-3 and unranked after three straight losses to start SEC play.
Texas is ranked 22nd in the latest AP Poll, and is 5-2 coming to Starkville after a narrow overtime win over Kentucky last week.
Series history: Texas leads the all-time series 3-2 thanks to a 35-13 win in Austin last season. That was the first meeting as newfound conference rivals, with the teams splitting their four prior meetings.
The Longhorns won 38-11 in the 1998 Cotton Bowl and 54-7 in a nonconference meeting in 1921. The Bulldogs won both meetings in a home-and-home series in 1991 and 1992, the latter trip to Austin being preceded by the infamous, hands-on demonstration of the difference between a bull and a steer by Bulldogs head coach Jackie Sherrill.
Mississippi State update: The Bulldogs may see the return of running back Fluff Bothwell, who was listed as questionable on the SEC student athlete availability report on Wednesday. Bothwell was carted off late against Texas A&M with a lower leg injury, but didn’t suffer serious injury. Head coach Jeff Lebby hasn’t set a return date yet, saying they’re taking his recovery on a day-to-day basis.
Linebacker Zakari Tillman will miss the first half against the Longhorns due to a targeting ejection in the second half against the Gators.
MSU standouts Albert Reese IV, right tackle, and Isaac Smith, safety/linebacker, both returned to action against Florida after missing the A&M game with injuries, and both are absent from the availability report this week.
Texas update: The big loss for the Longhorns this week is that of senior safety Michael Taaffe. The veteran of two playoff runs has captained a strong defensive secondary and boosted a run defense that ranks fifth in FBS. He also leads the team in total tackles and solo tackles.
Apart from that big loss, Texas is looking healthier. The return of running back CJ Baxter could happen Saturday, listed as probable on the initial availability report on Wednesday, along with defensive back Xavier Filsaime and linebacker Jonathan Cunningham.
With a mostly healthy defense, don’t expect the Longhorns to drop off too much. The unit has allowed 14 or fewer points in all but one game this season. However, the offensive struggles have kept things close. Quarterback Arch Manning has struggled in most outings this year, including just 132 yards on 12-27 passing on the road at Kentucky last week. The Longhorns also have not had a running back reach the century mark yet this year.
Texas players to watch: RB Quintrevion Wisner, WR Ryan Wingo, DB Malik Muhammad, LB Anthoiny Hill Jr., EDGE Colin Simmons
Prediction: Texas is a difficult opponent, but the outlook of this one is a far cry from how fans would have felt in the summer when the Longhorns were the preseason No. 1.
The Bulldogs aren’t having the year they had hoped for either. After starting 4-0, MSU has lost three straight to open SEC play and squandered game-winning opportunities in the fourth quarter against both Tennessee and Florida.
That being said, this Saturday is another winnable opportunity for a Bulldog team that just needs to capitalize on its chances. It won’t be a pretty game, but the Bulldogs get some big help from the defense and back in the win column.
Mississippi State 23, Texas 20.
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