Scoring summary
Texas scored on its opening drive, led 17–0 at halftime after a 61-yard fumble-return touchdown, and answered Mississippi State’s only points — a third-quarter field goal — with two more Arch Manning touchdown passes. It was Steve Sarkisian’s 100th career win.
By quarter
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Texas | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
Scoring plays
| Qtr | Time | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 12:59 | TEX | Arch Manning 14-yd pass to Cam Coleman (Gianni Spetic kick) — capped a 4-play, 62-yard opening drive | TEX 7 – MSU 0 |
| 2nd | 5:41 | TEX | Gianni Spetic 45-yd field goal | TEX 10 – MSU 0 |
| 2nd | 1:13 | TEX | Maraad Watson 61-yd fumble return (Spetic kick) — Rasheem Biles strip-sack of AJ Swann | TEX 17 – MSU 0 |
| 3rd | 8:58 | MSU | Kyle Ferrie 30-yd field goal | TEX 17 – MSU 3 |
| 3rd | 5:35 | TEX | Manning 4-yd pass to Raleek Brown (Spetic kick) — 7-play, 75-yard drive | TEX 24 – MSU 3 |
| 4th | 7:56 | TEX | Manning 42-yd pass to Emmett Mosley V (Spetic kick) | TEX 31 – MSU 3 |
Mississippi State’s other scoring chance died in the second quarter when Ferrie’s 38-yard field goal hit the right upright. Swann left the game on the strip-sack play and did not return; Billy Puckett played the rest of the way.
Team stats
Mississippi State won time of possession by nearly five minutes and nearly matched Texas in first downs — and still managed 2.8 yards per play and no touchdowns. Texas needed just 53 plays and 13 first downs to score 31 points.
Mississippi State vs Texas
| Stat | Mississippi State | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 12 | 13 |
| Total yards | 187 | 280 |
| Total plays | 66 | 53 |
| Yards per play | 2.8 | 5.3 |
| Passing yards | 119 | 220 |
| Comp. / Att. | 15/25 | 17/21 |
| Rushing yards (att.) | 68 (41) | 60 (32) |
| Sacks by defense | 5 | 7 |
| Turnovers | 1 (fumble lost) | 1 (fumble lost) |
| Third down | 6/18 | 6/14 |
| Fourth down | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| Red zone | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Penalties – yards | 6 – 50 | 5 – 42 |
| Punts | 7 | 6 |
| Time of possession | 32:28 | 27:32 |
Player stats
Manning was 16-of-20 for 220 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Mississippi State’s two quarterbacks combined for 119 yards, no touchdowns and seven sacks taken.
Passing · Mississippi State
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Swann | 12/15 | 97 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Puckett | 3/10 | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Swann opened 8-for-8 for 79 yards in the first quarter before the Texas pass rush took over; he was knocked out of the game on Biles’ second-quarter strip-sack.
Passing · Texas
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arch Manning | 16/20 | 220 | 3 | 0 |
| KJ Lacey Jr. | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Manning’s ninth career game with at least three passing touchdowns. He also lost a fumble on a third-quarter backward pass, which set up Mississippi State’s field goal.
Rushing · Mississippi State
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluff Bothwell | 17 | 49 | 0 |
| J.J. Hill | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| Kolin Wilson | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| Billy Puckett | 9 | 4 | 0 |
| AJ Swann | 4 | −2 | 0 |
| Anthony Evans III | 2 | −10 | 0 |
Rushing · Texas
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleek Brown | 8 | 30 | 0 |
| Michael Terry III | 4 | 16 | 0 |
| Arch Manning | 13 | 10 | 0 |
| James Simon | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Derrek Cooper | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Hollywood Smothers | 4 | −6 | 0 |
Neither team ran it well: Texas averaged 1.9 yards per carry and Mississippi State 1.7, with sack yardage dragging both totals down. Smothers left for the injury tent in the third quarter.
Receiving · Mississippi State
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquis Johnson | 6 | 61 | 0 |
| Anthony Evans III | 3 | 19 | 0 |
| Sanfrisco Magee | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Fluff Bothwell | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| Kolin Wilson | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Zion Ragins | 1 | 5 | 0 |
Receiving · Texas
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmett Mosley V | 4 | 98 | 1 |
| Cam Coleman | 2 | 61 | 1 |
| Raleek Brown | 2 | 26 | 1 |
| Jermaine Bishop Jr. | 3 | 17 | 0 |
| Ryan Wingo | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| Nick Townsend | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Emaree Winston | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Coleman’s two catches — 47 yards, then the 14-yard touchdown — both came on the opening drive; he left with an injury early in the second quarter. Mosley’s 98 yards were a season high.
Special teams
| Player | FG | XP | Punts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Ferrie (MSU) | 1/2 (made 30; missed 38) | — | — |
| Ethan Pulliam (MSU) | — | — | 7 · 337 yds |
| Gianni Spetic (TEX) | 1/1 (made 45) | 4/4 | — |
| Mac Chiumento (TEX) | — | — | 6 · 229 yds |
Defensive leaders
Texas sacked Mississippi State’s quarterbacks seven times, three of them by Rasheem Biles, who also forced both of his team’s fumbles. Neither team threw an interception; each side lost one fumble.
Defense · Mississippi State
| Player | Tackles | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Fatt Forrest (LB) | 7 | team high |
| Zakari Tillman (LB) | 6 | 1 sack · 2 TFL · fumble rec. |
| Marcus Williams (S) | 5 | — |
| Kendel Dolby (S) | 4 | — |
| Jardin Gilbert (S) | 4 | — |
| Amaree Williams (DE) | 3 | 0.5 sack |
| DJ Reed (DL) | 3 | 0.5 sack · 1 TFL |
| Kelley Jones (CB) | 3 | — |
| Jett Jefferson (CB) | 3 | — |
| Jaray Bledsoe (DL) | 2 | 1 sack · forced fumble |
| Will Whitson (DL) | 1 | 1 sack · 1 TFL |
| Dealyn Evans (DL) | 1 | 1 sack · 1 TFL |
The Bulldogs held Texas to 280 yards and 60 rushing yards and sacked Manning five times — a strong defensive night wasted by an offense that never reached the end zone.
Defense · Texas
| Player | Tackles | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Jelani McDonald (DB) | 9 | team high |
| Rasheem Biles (LB) | 8 | 3 sacks · 4 TFL · 2 forced fumbles |
| Derek Williams Jr. (DB) | 6 | 1 TFL |
| Colton Vasek (DE) | 5 | 1 sack · 1 TFL |
| Lance Jackson (DE) | 5 | — |
| Zina Umeozulu (DE) | 4 | 1 sack · 1 TFL |
| Hero Kanu (DL) | 4 | — |
| Kade Phillips (DB) | 4 | — |
| Justin Cryer (LB) | 3 | 1 sack · 1 TFL |
| Justus Terry (DL) | 3 | 1 sack · 1 TFL |
| Maraad Watson (DL) | 3 | fumble rec. · 61-yd TD |
Texas has held all five of its SEC opponents to season lows in yards per play. Biles’ tackle-for-loss total is four per Texas Athletics; the Sportradar player table lists two.
Key takeaways
What decided a Halloween night game that was 17–0 at halftime and never got closer than 14 points.
- 01The pass rush ended it before halftime. Mississippi State actually outgained Texas 94–68 in the first quarter behind Swann’s perfect start, but the Longhorns sacked the Bulldogs seven times on the night. Biles’ strip-sack with 1:13 left in the half became Watson’s 61-yard scoop-and-score, knocked Swann out of the game, and turned a 10–0 game into 17–0.
- 02Manning was the efficiency gap. Texas gained only 93 more yards than Mississippi State, but Manning completed 80% of his passes for three touchdowns and no interceptions while the Bulldogs’ two quarterbacks combined for 119 yards and 2.8 yards per team play. Texas scored touchdowns on three of its four trips into scoring position and added a defensive score.
- 03Mississippi State’s defense deserved better. The Bulldogs held Texas to a season-low-in-SEC-play 280 yards, sacked Manning five times, recovered his third-quarter fumble at the Texas 28 and still came away down 14 — the takeaway produced only Ferrie’s field goal after a 15-yard backward-pass loss. State has scored 18 points in its last 13 quarters and lost four straight.
- 04Records and milestones. Texas improved to 6–2 (3–2 SEC) with its second straight win and is 24–2 at home since 2023; the win was Sarkisian’s 100th as a head coach. Mississippi State fell to 4–4 (2–4 SEC). Texas visits Missouri next; Mississippi State hosts Vanderbilt for homecoming.
Against the call
The preview’s projected score, measured against the actual result.
The call was correct — and the margin was understated. The preview picked Texas by 22 with Kamario Taylor out for the season; Texas won by 28, clearing both the projection and the −20.5 market line. Where the preview missed was Mississippi State’s floor: it allowed the Bulldogs 13 points, but Swann’s injury, seven sacks allowed and a missed 38-yard field goal held State to a single field goal — four points off Texas’s total and ten points under on the Bulldogs’ side.
Sources & caveats
Final score and quarter splits cross-checked against Texas Athletics, Mississippi State Athletics, Sportradar, USA Today / Longhorns Wire and the Clarion Ledger — all agree: Texas 31, Mississippi State 3 (Mississippi State 0-0-3-0; Texas 7-10-7-7). Records after the game: Texas 6–2 (3–2 SEC), Mississippi State 4–4 (2–4 SEC).
- Texas Athletics — No. 11/11 Football downs Mississippi State, 31-3Official recap: attendance 103,586, Manning 16-of-20 for 220 yards and 3 TD, Biles 3 sacks / 4 TFL / 2 forced fumbles, Watson 61-yard fumble-return touchdown, Sarkisian’s 100th career win.
- Mississippi State Athletics — State Falls On The Road To No. 11 TexasOfficial quarter-by-quarter recap: Texas held to 280 yards, Swann 8-for-8 in the first quarter, Ferrie 30-yard field goal for State’s only points.
- Sportradar — Texas vs Mississippi State, Week 9Full box score: quarter splits, team comparison (280–187 total yards, possession 27:32–32:28, third downs 6/14–6/18) and complete player statistics used for the tables above.
- Longhorns Wire (USA Today) — Rapid Recap: Texas 31, Mississippi State 3Independent confirmation of the final, quarter splits, seven Texas sacks and 187 yards allowed.
- Clarion Ledger — Mississippi State at Texas live updatesSwann knocked out shortly before halftime, Puckett the rest of the game, Ferrie’s missed 38-yarder off the upright; fourth straight Mississippi State loss.
- Covers — Mississippi State vs Texas matchupScoring summary with play times and kickers; its table lists Watson’s return at 39 yards, superseded by the 61 yards reported by both schools.
- Open-Meteo archive — Austin, Oct. 31, 2026Observed weather at the 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff hour in Austin: 72.8°F, partly cloudy (WMO code 2), wind about 2 mph. Sportradar’s match info listed 82°F and cloudy; the archive observation at kickoff is the figure shown in the game bar.