Texas Longhorns vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Way-Too-Early Preview: What the Stats Say

The two teams will face off on Oct. 25 for their second consecutive year in SEC play.

Texas Longhorns receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (0) makes a catch that would be a touchdown during the game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Oct. 25, the Texas Longhorns will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs for the fifth time in program history and the second time in the 21st century.

Although this matchup hasn’t occurred frequently in the past, this will be the Longhorns second consecutive year facing the Bulldogs. 

They took a 35-13 victory last year at home, but now they will travel to Starkville, Mississippi, in hopes of adding a conference win to their 2025 resume. 

Mississippi State’s 2024 performance

The Bulldogs struggled in several areas last season, and it showed in their final record of 2-10. They established an SEC record of 0-8, and they finished the season as the lowest-ranked team in the conference. 

They fielded the lowest-ranked defense in the conference last year, allowing opponents to accumulate 5,477 yards against them throughout the season. No other team in the conference allowed more than 5,000 yards. 

Offensively, they were the fourth-lowest-ranked SEC team. They struggled after quarterback Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the Bulldogs’ Week 4 matchup against Florida, and they finished the season with 4,526 yards to show for their offensive efforts. The Bulldogs averaged 25.8 yards per game, while the Longhorns averaged 33.

That being said, it’s worth noting that the strength of their 2024 schedule played a role in their inability to win games in conference play. 247Sports ranked their schedule as the seventh most difficult in college football last year, and their schedule this year is actually ranked as the second most challenging. 

What the stats say ahead of 2025

Once again, the Bulldogs are predicted to finish within the SEC’s bottom tier. Despite adding players at nearly every position during this offseason, 247Sports ranks their overall group of transfers as tenth in the conference. They have the potential to play stronger than they did in 2024, but some of their issues will likely remain unresolved. 

They have accumulated a record of 2-3 throughout their five times playing Texas, but they do hold the advantage of having a record of 1-0 at home against the Longhorns.

With a capacity of 61,337, the Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville is smaller than some of its SEC competitors. However, it’s hard to predict how much excitement and energy this crowd will be able to bring come Oct. 25.

The Longhorns will have to play strong football against the Bulldogs to achieve this win on the road and ruin the Bulldogs’ undefeated home record against them