2024 Bulldog Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 5

2024 will begin a new era for Southeastern Conference football as two blue-bloods join the most prestigious conference. Texas and Oklahoma are two of the biggest brands in college football, and they will leave the friendly confines of the Big 12.

Mississippi State will be the first conference game for the Longhorns. Texas made the College Football Playoff for the first team last year and seemed poise to make another run at the national title.

The Longhorns returned big-time players and added a couple of difference-makers to the transfer portal. Here's an early look at Texas as we continue to preview Mississippi State's opponents for the upcoming season.

Offense

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was hired after putting together a historic offense at Alabama in 2020. The Longhorns were desperate to return to national prominence and had their coach.

However, Sarkisian needed a dynamic quarterback, and he landed one of the most highly-ranked football recruits ever, Quinn Ewers. This will be Ewers' third year at Texas, and he is in the Heisman discussion after throwing for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2023.

Texas will be without two elite wide receivers, Adonai Mitchell and Xaiver Worthy, who will be heading to the NFL. However, the Longhorns added three receivers from the transfer portal: Isaiah Bond (Alabama, 38 catches, 668 receiving yards, and three touchdowns), Silas Bolden (Oregon State, 54 catches, 746 receiving yards, and five touchdowns), and Matthew Golden (Houston, 38 catches, 404 receiving yards, and six touchdowns).

The Longhorns also will have an experienced and talented offensive line as all five are either a junior or a senior. They will be blocking for CJ Baxter, who split time last year with Jonathan Brooks, as running back.

Baxter was impressive last year as he racked up 659 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 138 carries. As expected, the Longhorns will be dynamic on offense, and it will be a test for the young MSU defense.

Defense

Texas lost a pair of talented defensive linemen to the NFL draft last year in T'Vondre Sweat and Bryon Murphy. However, the Longhorns will once again be strong in the trenches.

Defensive end Ethan Burke led the team in sacks last season with 5.5, and he returns for his junior year. Texas also signed a highly touted recruit in the transfer portal from UTSA, Trey Moore, who collected 14 sacks and was the American Conference defensive player of the year.

Freshman standout Anthony Hill will also be back after 67 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and five sacks in his first season in Austin. Clemson transfer Andrew Mubuka inked with Texas to aid its secondary, and the senior has 142 career tackles.

Schedule

Texas finished 12-2 last season and lost in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Expectations are high in Austin, and the hype is real.

Texas is a national championship contender.

Outlook

This is arguably the most challenging game on the State schedule for 2024. The Bulldogs will travel to Austin, and it would be a positive sign if they can put up points and make it a game in the second half.

It is a tall task for Lebby to upset the Longhorns, but can he put up 30+ points? This is likely a loss for MSU, but a competitive game is a step in the right direction.

The Game

When is the game?

Saturday, September 28th

What time is the game?

2:30-3:30 p.m. CT

What channel is the game televised on?

TBA

Where is the game played?

Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX.

What is the series history between MSU and Texas?

The series is tied at 2. The last meeting was in the 1999 Cotton Bowl.

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