Three Things the Texas Longhorns Must Prove Against Mississippi State

Texas kept its playoff hopes alive with a win over Ole Miss, but several lingering concerns remain. As the Longhorns prepare to face Mississippi State, here are three things they must prove to show their turnaround is here to stay.

Oct 10, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning runs back on the field during the game between the Sooners and the Longhorns at Cotton Bowl. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas earned a second chance after beating Ole Miss.

Now the Longhorns have to prove they deserve it.

Against a Mississippi State team riding a three-game losing streak, the challenge isn't simply to emerge with another victory.

It's to demonstrate that the problems Texas has spent much of the season fighting are finally being addressed.

Here are three things the Longhorns must prove against the Bulldogs.

Can Texas Play a Clean Four Quarters of Football?

Oct 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with officials during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is a difference between overcoming mistakes and learning to avoid them.

So far, Texas has been considerably better at the former.

The Longhorns committed 14 penalties for 134 yards against Ole Miss, their worst performance in both categories this season. Five of Ole Miss’ 23 first downs came from penalties. Texas also turned the ball over three times, allowing the Rebels to nearly claw their way into a Longhorns-esque comeback. 

While Texas ultimately overcame those mistakes, that’s hardly a winning formula.

Against Mississippi State, the Longhorns shouldn’t need three takeaways or a second-half offensive resurgence to compensate for their own errors.

This is an opportunity for Texas to demonstrate that it can dictate the terms of a game rather than constantly responding to the consequences of its mistakes.

Can the Longhorns Fix Their Second-Half Problems?

Oct 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning hands off to running back Michael Terry III during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas hasn’t had much trouble demonstrating how good it can be.

The challenge has been demonstrating it for more than 30 minutes.

Over their last three games, Texas has produced just 68 yards on 34 third-quarter plays, failing to score a single point in those periods.

But the larger concern isn't necessarily the lack of scoring. It's how completely the Longhorns' offense has stalled.

An offense capable of producing explosive plays and putting opponents on their heels in the opening half has repeatedly been unable to generate even a handful of first downs immediately after halftime. 

Against Oklahoma, Florida and even Ole Miss, a productive third quarter could have put Texas in a position to finish comfortably, perhaps with KJ Lacey taking a handful of fourth-quarter snaps instead of Arch Manning desperately trying to eke out another nail-biter.

Facing Mississippi State, Texas needs to show it can respond to halftime adjustments without requiring an entire quarter to find its footing.

That doesn’t necessarily mean scoring on the opening drive of the second half. But establishing a rhythm, sustaining drives and avoiding the offensive stagnation that has plagued them would represent meaningful progress.

Was the Running Game’s Breakout a One-Time Thing?

Oct 24, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Raleek Brown runs with the ball as Mississippi Rebels safety Nick Cull and cornerback Jaylon Braxton pursue at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the first time in weeks, Texas entered a game knowing it needed to run the football and actually did so successfully.

The Longhorns rushed for 207 yards against Ole Miss, with Raleek Brown accounting for 157 of them, including 87 in the fourth quarter.

Now comes the hard part: replicating that performance against a defense that isn't the worst in the SEC at stopping the run. Mississippi State has allowed 151 rushing yards per game in October, presenting an opportunity for Texas to build on its newfound success.

Brown's performance showed what Texas' offense is capable of when it has a dependable rushing attack. It takes pressure off Manning, opens up opportunities in the passing game and gives the Longhorns another way to move the football when things aren't going their way.

Against Mississippi State, the challenge is proving that kind of balance can become a regular part of the offense, rather than something Texas only finds when everything falls into place.

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