
Do not count on top-ranked Texas to desert its “enterprise as ordinary” mantra because the stakes rise in Saturday afternoon’s Southeastern Convention recreation towards Mississippi State in Austin, Texas.
Sure, the Longhorns (4-0) will play their first recreation towards an SEC opponent as a member of the nation’s hardest convention. However Texas performs Alabama in each 2022 and 2023, beat the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa final season and has been stable over the previous two years, which has made Texas harder.
“We consider in our successful system and what it seems to be like,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned Monday. “We respect that that is our first SEC recreation at residence and what it is like. We’ll settle for that aspect of it, however it’s not going to have an effect on the way in which we put together for the sport and the way in which we go about our enterprise within the recreation.
“From our perspective, that is an SEC championship recreation.”
The Longhorns defeated Louisiana-Monroe 51-3 at residence final week and getting into Saturday’s recreation, freshman quarterback Archie Manning handed for 258 yards and two passes in simply over three quarters. scored and two interceptions. This was the high-profile Manning’s first school begin, and he mentioned after the sport that the sport “felt like a very long time” to him.
Manning was behind heart towards the Warhawks due to an damage to former starter Quinn Ewers, and Sarkisian mentioned Ewers struggled towards the Bulldogs as he recovered from a strained slant. recuperate from. Kettles will likely be monitored all through the week.
“Quinn has to have the ability to execute the complete recreation plan (when he comes again),” Sarkisian mentioned.
Texas is tied for first within the nation in scoring protection, permitting 5.5 factors per recreation. The highest three groups within the statistic — Mississippi State, Texas and Georgia — are all members of the SEC, with convention members Tennessee ranked No. 5 and Alabama No. 6.
The Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) are in Austin for the primary time since 1992, having misplaced 45-28 at residence to Florida State of their convention opener final week. Mississippi State misplaced three straight video games in Jeff Lebby’s first season.
The Bulldogs will likely be with out beginning quarterback Blake Chapen after the previous Baylor signal-caller injured his shoulder within the fourth quarter of a loss to Florida. Shapen has been dominated out for the season.
True freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. changed him the rest of the sport and led two prolonged drives on sweep responsibility, certainly one of which resulted in a dashing landing and one other as time expired Ended on the objective line.
“I am pleased with Mike for with the ability to give us momentum within the fourth quarter,” Lebby mentioned Monday. “He is a man who has confidence in himself and the folks round him. It is about specializing in the little issues, taking excellent care of the soccer, creating predictable outcomes and placing us in good conditions.”
Saturday’s recreation is the fifth all-time between Texas and Mississippi State and the primary because the 1999 Cotton Bowl, which the Longhorns gained 38-11. The collection between the 2 groups was tied at 2-2.
–Scene-level media