Texas Longhorns vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Way-Too-Early Season Preview

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning’s first year with the official starting role means that he will explore uncharted territories almost every week. 

He didn’t accumulate a ton of in-game experience throughout his past two years as a backup, receiving only two starts, as he’s set to embrace a lot of “firsts” with the Longhorns this year.

However, On Oct. 25, Manning and his teammates will travel to Starkville, Mississippi, to face an opponent the redshirt sophomore is actually quite familiar with: the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Texas vs. Mississippi State

The Longhorns will go head to head with the Bulldogs for the second consecutive year, and since Quinn Ewers had been temporarily sidelined by a torn oblique muscle ahead of last season's matchup, Manning filled in and led the Longhorns to a 35-13 victory at home. 

The contest marked Manning's second-career start and Texas football's first-ever SEC game.

While each team looks different this year, Manning and the rest of his team have the tools to get the job done on the road.

The Bulldogs finished last season with a conference record of 0-8 and earned last place in the SEC for their efforts. That being said, they have worked the transfer portal this offseason and tried to produce a more threatening starting lineup to compete this year.

Head coach Jeff Lebby talked about the improved culture they have started to create between 2024 and 2025 during the 2025 SEC Media Days, and they added at least one new transfer player at every single position besides punter and kicker. They have also made major changes to their wide receiver room, which they hope will pay off and help them earn at least one conference win this year. 

However, only so much can be done in one offseason. The preseason media SEC poll predicts the Bulldogs to finish last in the SEC for the second consecutive year, and their schedule could make it challenging for them to prove the poll wrong. Three of their SEC opponents qualified for the 12-team College Football Playoff last year, along with Arizona State, who they will face outside of conference play.

The Longhorns, on the other hand, play Kentucky the week before Mississippi State and Vanderbilt the week after. Both of those programs rank within the conference’s bottom four teams in the preseason poll.

Texas also possesses a defense with the potential to be the nation’s best, highlighted by playmakers like linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and edge rusher Colin Simmons.

Manning will be supported on the offensive side by running backs like Christian Clark, CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner, along with a strong group of wide receivers and transfer tight end Jack Endries. 

While anything can happen on the road in the SEC, the Longhorns should be able to claim a victory in this conference matchup in Starkville.