# SEC Football: Texas Longhorns Dominates Mississippi State Bulldogs 31-3

**Published:** 2026-10-31 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield
**Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap
**Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-football-texas-longhorns-dominates-mississippi-state-bulldogs-31-3

**Teams:** [Miss State](https://secscouts.com/mississippi-state/), [Texas](https://secscouts.com/texas/)


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AUSTIN, Texas (10/29/2026) — The Texas Longhorns turned in one of their most efficient performances of the 2026 season Thursday night, dispatching the Mississippi State Bulldogs 31-3 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium behind three touchdowns from Arch Manning and a relentless pass rush that never let the Bulldogs settle in.

## How It Happened

The box score tells a story of precision over volume. Texas finished with just 280 total yards — only 93 more than Mississippi State's 187 — but the Longhorns made nearly every snap count. Texas completed 17 of 21 passes for 220 yards, an 81 percent clip that kept the offense ahead of schedule all night and turned manageable down-and-distance situations into points.

Mississippi State, by contrast, controlled the clock but not the scoreboard. The Bulldogs held the ball for 32:28, outpacing Texas's 27:32 time of possession, and matched the Longhorns with six third-down conversions. But drives that chewed up clock kept stalling short of the end zone. Kyle Ferrie's field goal accounted for all of Mississippi State's scoring, as the Bulldogs managed 119 passing yards and 68 on the ground across 12 first downs.

The Texas defensive front deserves much of the credit for that disconnect. Rasheem Biles was a constant disruption with three sacks, repeatedly ending Mississippi State possessions just as they threatened to build momentum. Dealyn Evans added a sack for the Bulldogs' defense, which battled throughout, but Mississippi State's lone takeaway — each team finished with one turnover — never translated into points.

Gianni Spetic added seven points for Texas, finishing off the scoring in a game the Longhorns controlled from start to finish.

## Turning Point

This one didn't swing on a single play so much as a sustained imbalance: Texas's ability to finish drives against Mississippi State's inability to do the same. The Bulldogs did plenty right between the 20s — winning the possession battle and converting third downs at the same rate as Texas — but the Longhorns' pass rush, led by Biles, consistently arrived at the worst possible moments for Mississippi State. Once Texas built its lead, the Bulldogs were forced out of their preferred rhythm, and an offense that mustered 187 total yards had no answer for playing from behind.

## Star of the Game

Arch Manning gets the nod. The Texas quarterback accounted for three touchdowns while piloting a passing attack that connected on 17 of 21 attempts for 220 yards. On a night when the Longhorns' ground game was held to 60 yards, Manning's accuracy and decision-making carried the offense — Texas needed just 13 first downs to hang 31 points on the board. Honorable mention goes to Biles, whose three sacks anchored a defensive effort that surrendered only a field goal.

## What It Means

For the Texas Longhorns, this is the formula: efficient quarterback play, a defense that gets off the field, and points at the end of drives. Winning by four scores while being outgained on the ground and out-possessed by five minutes speaks to a team that simply executed in the moments that decide games. As the calendar turns to November, Texas can feel good about a passing game operating at a high level and a pass rush capable of dictating terms.

For the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the loss stings, but the effort between the 20s offers something to build on. The Bulldogs won time of possession on the road against a quality opponent and moved the chains 12 times — the issue was converting that work into points. Finishing drives and protecting the quarterback against elite pass rushes are the clear priorities as Mississippi State regroups for the stretch run of the 2026 season.

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*Original article: [SEC Football: Texas Longhorns Dominates Mississippi State Bulldogs 31-3](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-football-texas-longhorns-dominates-mississippi-state-bulldogs-31-3) — SEC Scouts*