If the No. 11 Texas Longhorns do see Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor on Campbell-Williams Field on Saturday, it almost certainly won’t be the same player who became an early-season breakout star for head coach Jeff Lebby.
Taylor first suffered a turf toe injury a month ago in a win over Missouri and continued to play through pain in a loss to Alabama, then sat out during a loss to LSU. Attempting to return in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma, Taylor only lasted 12 plays before aggravating
the injury trying to scramble in the first quarter.
Taylor needed assistance off the field and watched the remainder of the game with a walking boot on his right foot.
“We’re still in the process of looking at everything,” Lebby said Monday. “He is doing good. His spirits are good, but as we continue to move forward, I think we’ll know a lot more here in the next 48 hours.”
Mississippi State will release its first SEC-mandated player availability report on Wednesday, although a sourced update could emerge in the hours prior to that release.
Former walk-on quarterback Billy Puckett replaced Taylor against LSU and Oklahoma, going 41-of-64 passing for 368 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Puckett also lost a fumble against the Sooners.
Whichever quarterback takes the field against the Longhorns, expect Lebby to lean heavily on the running game led by Fluff Bothwell, who suffered a left foot injury in the same game Taylor was injured, receiving only one carry against Alabama and sitting out against LSU before returning last Saturday, carrying the ball 17 times for 111 yards.
