Mississippi State quarterback exits, Bulldogs fall to No. 11 Texas

College football fans have watched several starting quarterbacks leave games this season, but few exits were as sudden as the one that occurred in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night. Mississippi State entered the contest against No. 11 Texas with questions at the quarterback position, and those concerns turned into reality when AJ Swann exited the game with an arm injury.

The Bulldogs lost 31-3 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, dropping to a 4-4 overall record and 2-4 in SEC play. This marked their fourth consecutive loss after a 4-0 start to the season. Texas improved to 6-2 and 3-2. Mississippi State had scored only 18 points in its previous 13 quarters before this game.

Swann started the game because Kamario Taylor is out for the season following surgery on Oct. 28. Swann completed his first eight passes for 79 yards, including a 16-yard completion to Sanfrisco Magee on the opening play. However, the Bulldogs punted after that first drive. Texas needed only four plays to score. Arch Manning threw a 47-yard pass to Cam Coleman, then hit him again for a 14-yard touchdown. That put Texas up 7-0 with 12:59 left in the first quarter.

Kyle Ferrie missed a 38-yard field goal attempt with 12:32 left in the second quarter. Texas increased its lead to 10-0 on a 45-yard field goal by Gianni Spetic. Later in the half, Ryan Niblett returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown, but a penalty nullified the gain. With 1:13 left in the first half, Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles sacked Swann and forced a fumble. Defensive tackle Maraad Watson recovered the ball and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown, making the score 17-0.

Swann was injured on the play and did not return to the field. He spent the second half with his arm in a sling. Billy Puckett, a former walk-on who previously started at LSU, played the remainder of the game. Puckett finished 3 of 10 for 22 yards. Mississippi State finally scored in the third quarter when Manning fumbled a backward pass. Linebacker Zakari Tillman recovered the fumble at the Texas 28-yard line. Ferrie then kicked a 30-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 17-3.

Texas responded with a 75-yard drive that ended with Manning throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Raleek Brown. That made the score 24-3 with 5:35 left in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, running back Fluff Bothwell left the game with an injury. Manning then threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to Emmett Mosley V with 7:56 remaining, bringing the final score to 31-3. Starting left tackle Miles McVay also left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent upper-body injury.

The Bulldogs played without several key starters. Taylor, linebacker Tyler Lockhart, offensive lineman DJ Chester, safety Isaac Smith, and linebacker Jalen Smith were all listed as out. Backup linebacker Derion Gullette was seen wearing a boot on his right foot on the sideline. Texas also dealt with injuries, as Coleman left the game early for the second straight week.

Mississippi State’s defense held Texas to 280 total yards, with 220 coming through the air and 60 on the ground. Tillman recorded six tackles, a sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss. Fatt Forrest led the Bulldogs with seven tackles. Biles finished with eight tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles for Texas. The Bulldogs finished with 187 total yards, converting 6 of 18 third-down attempts. They were penalized six times for 50 yards.

Mississippi State hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Davis Wade Stadium. Texas plays at Missouri during the same weekend.