Texas beats Mississippi State 31-3

Arch Manning passed for three touchdowns and Maraad Watson returned a fumble 61 yards for a score to lead No. 11 Texas past Mississippi State 31-3 on Saturday night in Austin. The Longhorns improved to 6-2 and 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference after a defensive performance that kept them in the race for the conference title.

Manning found Cam Coleman from 14 yards out on the fourth play of the game. Texas took a 10-0 lead, but Mississippi State appeared poised to cut the deficit before halftime. Instead, transfer quarterback AJ Swann was sacked, and the ball bounced directly to Watson. The 6-foot-3, 333-pound defensive tackle ran to the end zone with a group of blockers clearing the way.

Watson said he was getting tired by the 15-yard line but told himself he had to finish the play. The hit that forced the fumble also knocked Swann out of the game with an injury. Manning added touchdown passes to Raleek Brown in the third quarter and Emmett Mosely V in the fourth to seal the victory.

The Mississippi State defense had sacked Manning six times and held Texas under 300 total yards. However, the Bulldogs wore down in the second half. Swann completed 12 of 15 passes before the injury. He left the game with his right arm in a sling, forcing walk-on Parker Puckett to take over the offense for the final two quarters.

Coach Jeff Lebby of Mississippi State cited frustration with the team's execution. He noted penalties on key downs and said the team is not currently good enough to overcome adversity. The Bulldogs are now 4-4 and 2-4 in the conference after losing four straight games. This follows a 4-0 start when starter Kamario Taylor was healthy.

Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles recorded eight tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. The transfer from Pitt forced the fumble that led to Watson's touchdown. Biles said he tries to go for the ball on every sack and noted that the defense played well despite the absence of injured sack leader Colin Simmons.

Texas offensive lineman Cam Coleman left the game early in the second half for the second consecutive game. The team did not disclose a specific injury, but Coleman was in street clothes on the sideline. Texas will play at Missouri on Nov. 7. Mississippi State hosts Vanderbilt on the same date.