No. 1 Texas Leads Mississippi State After Sloppy First Half

AUSTIN — The SEC era in Austin has officially begun, though it could’ve certainly gotten off to a smoother start.

The No. 1 Texas Longhorns kicked off conference play Saturday at home against Mississippi State, but did so without their starting quarterback. With Quinn Ewers sidelined for a second straight game, Arch Manning got the start and led Texas to a 14-6 halftime lead over the Bulldogs. He went 15 of 19 passing for 202 yards and one touchdown in the first half.

Mississippi State dominated time of possession 20:34 to 8:57 in the first half, as head coach Jeff Lebby’s game plan was clearly to keep the ball out of Manning’s hands.

The Bulldogs put together a steady opening drive that featured a heavy dose of runs, as both Van Buren and backup quarterback Chris Parson used their legs.

And on Texas’ first possession, Manning found Matthew Golden for a 22-yard gain on a comeback route that got 15 yards added on due to a facemask penalty. On the next play, he connected with Isaiah Bond for a 16-yard pickup. The Longhorns were right outside the red zone after just two plays.

Sophomore receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. appeared to have a touchdown two plays later, but his 20-yard gain was ruled short of the end zone at the one-yard line. Blue punched it on the next play for this fifth total touchdown in the last five quarters.

After a quick Bulldogs three-and-out, the Longhorns were in prime position once again after competitions of 27 and 17 yards to Bond. However, Blue made his first big miscue of the season with a fumble at the 20-yard line that Mississippi State recovered.

The Bulldogs were unable to take advantage of the takeaway and punted after seven plays. Texas was unable to do anything as well on the ensuing possession after a holding penalty on Cam Williams forced the drive to end in a three-and-out.

A partially-blocked punt by the Bulldogs set Van Buren and the offense up at the Texas 37-yard line. After gaining only 10 yards in seven plays, Mississippi State got on the board with a 45-yard field goal from Kyle Ferrie to make it a 7-3 game.

Looking to respond, the Longhorns started the next drive with a 12-yard catch-and-run from running back Quintrevion Wisner, who powered through multiple defenders. Manning then took a depp shot to Johntay Cook II, Wisner’s second cousin, two plays later on third down, but the would-be 62-yard touchdown fell through his hands. Texas punted for the second straight drive.

The Bulldogs added their second field goal on a 10-play, 64 drive to make it a 7-6 after the two-minute timeout.

Texas had one last chance to make the most of the first half, which Manning did after finding Moore Jr. for a lofting 49-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline with 29 seconds to play.

The Longhorns will get the ball to begin the second half.