Skip to main content
Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

This story is free to read.

College football roundup: No. 1 Texas starts slow in SEC debut, then surges past Mississippi State

AP photo by Eric Gay / Texas receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.pulls in a touchdown pass in front of Mississippi State safety Kobi Albert during the first half of an SEC game Saturday in Austin.
AP photo by Eric Gay / Texas receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.pulls in a touchdown pass in front of Mississippi State safety Kobi Albert during the first half of an SEC game Saturday in Austin. AP photo by Eric Gay / Texas receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.pulls in a touchdown pass in front of Mississippi State safety Kobi Albert during the first half of an SEC game Saturday in Austin.

By The Associated Press 13 min read

AUSTIN, Texas — Welcome to the SEC, Texas.

Arch Manning passed for two touchdowns and ran for another score, and top-ranked Texas got another standout performance from its defense to earn the program’s first Southeastern Conference victory, 35-13 over Mississippi State on Saturday.

Manning was 26-of-31 passing for 324 yards in his second consecutive start in place of Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns’ No. 1 quarterback who is still recovering from a strained abdomen.

Texas moved from the Big 12 to the SEC this season, and the Longhorns delivered a rugged, ragged and ultimately effective debut as they pulled away late to improve to 5-0 overall.

“I’m glad we had adversity today. The first four games were smooth sailing. We needed rough waters,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Our guys showed composure. They found a way to fight back and pull away in a tough game, and that’s what the SEC is all about.”