What Happened Last Time Between the Texas Longhorns and Mississippi State Bulldogs?

Despite now being 5-2 on the season, the Texas Longhorns clearly have a lot of work to do if they want to realize their potential, as last week's overtime win over the lowly Kentucky Wildcats proved.

Fortunately for them, they have another opportunity to get right when they face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday. The Bulldogs appeared much improved early in the season, as they went 4-0 in non-conference play with an upset in over reigning Big 12 champion Arizona State. However, Jeff Lebby's team has lost each of its first three SEC games, and now looks like a lower-tier squad in the conference once again.

The Longhorns haven't looked great this season, but a matchup with the struggling Bulldogs might be what they need to get back on track, especially if they play against them the same way they did last year.

Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns Blow Out Mississippi State Bulldogs in First-Ever SEC Game

Sep 28, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

On Sept. 28, 2024, the Longhorns welcomed the Bulldogs to Darrell K Royal for their first conference game as members of the SEC, and immediately showed that they weren't playing around with a 35-13 blowout victory.

The Longhorns started out a bit slowly, as they led by a score of 7-6 late in the second quarter. They eventually got going, though, and reeled off 21 unanswered points to turn this game into a laugher. One more touchdown in the final minutes of the game just put the exclamation mark on the victory.

This game was also notable for being Arch Manning's first start against an SEC opponent, as Quinn Ewers was still dealing with an injury at the time. He was fantastic in this game, completing 26 of 31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns while adding 33 yards and another score with his legs. That's the quarterback that the Longhorns thought they'd be getting this year, but he hasn't looked like it so far.

The Longhorns' ground game was also outstanding, as they averaged 6.4 yards per carry as a team. Quintrevion Wisner led the way with 13 carries for 88 yards, while Jaydon Blue and Isaiah Bond both scored touchdowns.

DeAndre Moore Jr. had a great game as well, catching four passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Bulldogs, Michael Van Buren completed 12 of 23 passes for 144 yards and scored a rushing touchdown, but was sacked six times on the day. Johnnie Daniels had 15 carries for a team-high 75 yards.

This year's game is in Starkville rather than Austin, which could tip things in the Bulldogs' favor, but the Longhorns definitely want to repeat last year's success.