AUSTIN, Texas — In front of a crowd of 101,388, the Texas Longhorns secured their first Southeastern Conference victory with a 35-13 win over Mississippi State on Saturday at Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium.
Quarterback Arch Manning had an impressive performance, completing 26 of 31 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for a score. DeAndre Moore Jr. shined with four receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns, and Quintrevion Wisner contributed with 13 carries for 88 yards.
The Longhorns began scoring after stopping Mississippi State on fourth down at their own 28-yard line, quickly capitalizing with a 5-play, 72-yard drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Jaydon Blue, marking his fourth rushing touchdown of the season.
Texas ended the first half dramatically, as Manning connected with Moore Jr. for a 49-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-6 after an 8-play, 75-yard drive that took just 1:27.
In the third quarter, the Longhorns’ defense forced a turnover when Vernon Broughton sacked Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., resulting in a fumble that he recovered at the Texas 43-yard line. This marks the eighth turnover forced by the Texas defense in five games, with at least one turnover in each match.
Manning added to the score with a 26-yard rush followed by a 1-yard rushing touchdown, putting Texas ahead 21-6 at the end of the third quarter. This was his third career rushing touchdown and marked the third game this season where he had both a passing and a rushing touchdown. Shortly after, Manning delivered a 27-yard touchdown pass to Moore Jr., his second touchdown of the day, completing an 8-play, 85-yard drive.
Isaiah Bond capped off the contest with a 26-yard rushing touchdown with 3:05 remaining, bringing the score to 35-13, marking Bond’s first career rushing touchdown.
UP NEXT
The Longhorns will enjoy a bye week before facing Oklahoma in the Allstate Red River Rivalry on Saturday, Oct. 12, at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
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