What Mississippi State Does Better Than Texas And Why It Matters

The toughest stretch of the Texas Longhorns' 2025 season came in October, where, outside of a resounding victory over No. 6 Oklahoma, they went 2-1 with a score differential of 82-80 against three teams who finished the season a combined 14-23.

Texas only emerged from this rut when they stole an overtime victory from the Mississippi State Bulldogs after trailing by 17 points with less than 10 minutes left in the game. While the Longhorns were able to turn it on late and flex their superior talent, they will not be able to sleep-walk for the first 50 minutes of their next game against the Bulldogs.

Fans in Starkville have many reasons for optimism this season, but there is one specific advantage head coach Jeff Lebby's squad holds that could lead them to victory over Texas.

Mississippi State Sets Up Play-Action Better Than Texas Does

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor warms up before the game against the Mississippi Rebels | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Play-action passes are one of the most reliable ways to generate explosive plays on offense. Drawing defenders up the field with a run fake opens huge holes in coverage that can result in game-changing gains.

However, they only work when a team has convinced their opponent that the run is a credible threat on a given play. This is why multiple tight-end sets and under-center formations have become the 'meta' in the NFL, as they give defenders all the more reason to worry about the ground-game.

While college football has trended the other direction from a personnel standpoint, the effect of play-action remains largely the same. That is where the Bulldogs hold the advantage.

Mississippi State ran the ball 55.28% of the time last season, a number which figures to rise as ultra-athletic quarterback Kamario Taylor is joining dynamic runner Fluff Bothwell in the backfield. Texas, conversely, ran the ball just 49.02% of the time, which is why Taylor and former Bulldogs starter Blake Shapen combined to average 10.1 yards per attempted play-action pass to Arch Manning's 7.7.

While Shapen and Manning's numbers following a fake are fairly comparable, Taylor is a total outlier.

Stats (according to PFF)	Arch Manning	Blake Shapen	Kamario Taylor
Yards per Attempt	7.7	9.2	14.5
Average Depth of Target	8.2	11.7	23.2
Big-Time Throw Percentage	4.2%	5.2%	10.3%
Turnover-Worthy Play Percentage	3.8%	2.5%	2.3%

It is worth pointing out that Taylor's sample-size is much smaller than the other passers and that Manning is a more accurate and consistent passer than him, however it is clear that Taylor's presence made defenses fear the run, allowing for huge plays down the field.

Taylor's legs also open the playbook to the niche quarterback-run-fake play-action, something he demonstrated to Longhorns fans last year.

Take a look at 26-second mark:

Sleight of hand has leveled playing fields since the dawn of time. The Longhorns' backup pass-catchers could be as good as Mississippi State's starters, but that will not matter if the Bulldogs are streaking wide-open down the middle of the field.

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