Texas welcomes Mississippi State to Austin after earning a much-needed win over Ole Miss last week. Following consecutive losses to Oklahoma and Florida, the Longhorns’ season was on the ropes. Another loss would have put their goals out of reach. There is still plenty of work to do for Texas to make the playoffs, but that possibility remains.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, arrives in Austin on a downward spiral. The Bulldogs have lost three straight games and will be without star quarterback Kamario Taylor for the rest of the season.
Texas Must Contain Running Back Fluff Bothwell
Mississippi State may be without Taylor, an early-season Heisman Trophy front-runner, but the Bulldogs still have talented skill players. That starts with running back Fluff Bothwell.
Bothwell has been in and out of the lineup this season but looked healthy against Oklahoma last week. Over the past couple of years, he has quietly been one of the SEC’s best running backs. Texas knows firsthand how difficult Oklahoma’s defense can be to face, yet Bothwell rushed for more than 100 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry against the Sooners. That performance was particularly impressive considering most of it came without Taylor.
Containing Bothwell will be pivotal for Texas. One way Mississippi State can beat the Longhorns is by keeping the Texas offense off the field, and Bothwell will be central to that effort.
Limiting Bothwell would also help Texas contain the Bulldogs’ downfield passing threats. Wide receiver Anthony Evans is Mississippi State’s deep threat and will undoubtedly test the Longhorns’ secondary. Many of the Bulldogs’ opportunities to find Evans downfield come off play-action passes. Without an effective running game, those opportunities become much more limited.
The Texas front seven should be able to pressure Mississippi State’s offensive line. If the Longhorns shut down the run, they can get after quarterback Parker Puckett early and often.
The Texas Offense Must Eliminate Turnovers
The Texas offense performed much better against Ole Miss than it did against Oklahoma or Florida. Still, the Longhorns need to do a better job of protecting the football. Arch cannot afford another three-turnover game, a total that would be difficult to overcome against any opponent.
One of those turnovers was a strip-sack that resulted in a fumble return for a touchdown. Allowing nonoffensive touchdowns must stop. No matter how well the defense plays, its impact is diminished when the offense gives points to the opposition.
The Ole Miss game marked the first time since the Ohio State matchup that the running game consistently helped the offense. It is much easier for Arch Manning and the passing attack to produce when the defense also has to account for the run.
Texas finished with 42 rushing attempts for more than 200 yards, compared with 30 pass attempts. Under Steve Sarkisian, good things have generally happened when the Longhorns have run the ball more often than they have thrown it, or at least maintained something close to an even split. When Manning does not have to carry the entire offense, he looks like a different quarterback.
For Texas to approach its preseason goals, it needs a consistent running game. The Longhorns’ success on the ground against Ole Miss without Hollywood Smothers suggests this could be an excellent rushing attack when both Smothers and Brown are available.
Sark needs to remain committed to the run. Texas will need a balanced offense to beat LSU or Missouri. The Longhorns should be able to establish the run again this weekend, and an inability to do so would be cause for concern.
