AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas quarterback Arch Manning rediscovered his edge and the smiles have returned for the Longhorns as the season passes the midway point and churns toward the College Football Playoff.
The same cannot be said for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Quarterback Kamario Taylor was ruled out for the rest of the season with a toe injury that will require surgery.
The No. 11 Longhorns (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) and Bulldogs (4-3,
2-3) play Saturday night on two different trajectories. Texas is feeling good again, while Mississippi State is trying to hold things together.
Manning shook off two weeks of white-hot criticism after consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Florida raised questions over whether he would be benched. A 24-3 first-half lead in an eventual 34-27 win over Mississippi ended that. That victory kept Texas firmly in the hunt in an SEC where every team already has at least one loss.
Mississippi State started 4-0 and rose to No. 16 when Taylor was one of the most exciting players in the country. He was injured in a win over Missouri and the Bulldogs have been on a slide ever since. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he doesn't expect Mississippi State to try to slow down its quick-tempo offense with him out.
The Bulldogs may not play at "warp speed ... but they're the fastest team we've faced,” Sarkisian said.
Sophomore walk-on Billy Puckett started a 31-0 loss to LSU and replaced Taylor midgame against Oklahoma. He is 17 of 24 passing for 154 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Fifth-year transfer AJ Swann has 18 career starts at Vanderbilt and Appalachian State.
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby suggested this week that Swann had not played because of an injury he did not disclose. Lebby said he would not announce a starter until Saturday night.
“He's the healthiest he's been," Lebby said of Swann.
Florida beat Texas two weeks ago with quarterback Tramell Jones, Jr. making his first career start.
Taylor isn't the only key player out of this game. Texas will play without preseason All-America left tackle Trevor Goosby, who will reportedly miss the rest of the season after surgery for a knee injury. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons missed last week's game with a high ankle sprain. He was listed as doubtful on Texas' mid-week injury report. A return for Simmons would be key. He has 10 1/2 sacks this season.
The Longhorns found a running game that had been missing all season. Raleek Brown rushed for 157 yards against Mississippi. Texas’ final touchdown drive included a 47-yard burst by Brown, and little-used Michael Terry covered 31 yards on two carries to set up Manning’s bootleg TD that proved to be the game winner.
The Longhorns' offense is a mess coming out of halftime. Texas has scored only six points all season in the third quarter. Of its last nine possessions in the third, eight have been punts. The other one ended in a fumble.
“It's frustrating. We'll get it right, though,” Manning said.
Manning threw two interceptions for the second game in a row last week, and had a strip-sack fumble that resulted in a touchdown. He faces a Mississippi State defense that surrenders an average of 28 points per game but cornerbacks Jett Jefferson and Kelley Jones are among the SEC's top cornerbacks.
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