Texas Routs Mississippi State 31-3 as Arch Manning Throws 3 TDs and Rasheem Biles Wrecks the Bulldogs

No. 11 Texas leaned on its defense and Arch Manning’s arm to beat Mississippi State 31-3 on Saturday night, Oct. 31, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Manning threw three touchdown passes, linebacker Rasheem Biles had three sacks and two forced fumbles, and defensive tackle Maraad Watson rumbled 61 yards with a fumble for a score just before halftime.

The win was the 100th of Steve Sarkisian’s head coaching career, according to Texas Athletics, and kept the Longhorns (6-2, 3-2 SEC) in the thick of the SEC race, the AP reported. Mississippi State fell to 4-4 (2-4) with its fourth straight loss.

What was the final score of Mississippi State vs. Texas?

Texas won 31-3 in front of 103,586 fans.

How did the game turn?

Texas struck early. Manning hit Cam Coleman for a 47-yard gain and then a 14-yard touchdown on a four-play, 62-yard opening drive, per Texas Athletics. After a Gianni Spetic field goal made it 10-0, the game became a defensive struggle.

The turning point came late in the first half. Mississippi State quarterback AJ Swann, a transfer making his first start of the season, was strip-sacked by Biles, and the ball bounced straight to Watson. The 6-foot-3, 333-pound defensive tackle went 61 yards for a touchdown and a 17-0 lead with 1:13 left before halftime, the AP reported.

“By the 15 I was getting tired,” Watson said, per the AP. “I said to myself, ‘I have to make it.’”

Texas Athletics said it was the Longhorns’ longest fumble return touchdown since 2005. Manning added touchdown passes to Raleek Brown in the third quarter and Emmett Mosley V, a 42-yarder, in the fourth.

How did Arch Manning play?

Manning went 16-of-20 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, his ninth career game with at least three touchdown passes, according to Texas Athletics. Mosley had four catches for a season-high 98 yards.

It wasn’t all smooth. The AP noted that Mississippi State sacked Manning six times and held Texas under 300 total yards, and it described the Longhorns’ running game and pass protection as ongoing problems. Texas finished with 280 yards and just 60 on the ground.

Rasheem Biles led a dominant Texas defense

Texas held Mississippi State to a season-low 187 yards, per the school. Biles, a transfer from Pitt, had eight tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles. Justin Cryer, Colton Vasek, Justus Terry and Zina Umeozulu also recorded sacks.

“Every time I get a sack, I try to go for the ball,” Biles said, per the AP.

What happened to AJ Swann?

Swann was injured on the fumble play and spent the second half with his right arm in a sling, the AP reported. He had been 12-of-15 passing before getting hurt. The school had not released a diagnosis in the coverage cited here.

That leaves Mississippi State in what the AP called a quarterback crisis. Starter Kamario Taylor, a breakout star during the Bulldogs’ 4-0 start, has a season-ending toe injury that required surgery. Walk-on Parker Puckett took over against Texas.

“We’re not good enough to overcome things right now,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said, pointing to early false starts.

Injury concern for Cam Coleman

Texas has its own worry. Coleman, the Longhorns’ top playmaker, left early for the second straight game and was in street clothes in the second half, the AP reported. The team did not immediately disclose an injury.

FAQ