Texas vs. Mississippi State: By the Numbers

No. 11 Texas closes out a three-game homestand on Halloween night when Mississippi State visits Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:35 p.m. CT on ESPN, with Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Kris Budden on the call.

The Longhorns (5-2, 2-2 SEC) are coming off a 34-27 win over No. 7 Ole Miss. Mississippi State (4-3, 2-3 SEC) arrives unranked under third-year coach Jeff Lebby. Here is the matchup, told through the numbers that matter.

100

Steve Sarkisian is one win away from 100 as a head coach. He is 99-57 in 13 seasons overall and 53-22 at Texas. A win Saturday would come in his 158th game as a head coach. He is 2-0 against Mississippi State, while Lebby is 0-2 against Texas.

6

A win would move Texas to 6-2 and make the Longhorns bowl eligible for the fifth straight season under Sarkisian. It would also push Texas to 3-2 in SEC play.

977

Texas owns 976 all-time wins, fifth-most in college football history. Win No. 977 would come against a Bulldogs program Texas has beaten three straight times.

4-2

That is Texas’ lead in the all-time series. This is the seventh meeting between the programs and the third in as many seasons. Texas won 35-13 in Austin in 2024, then rallied for a 45-38 overtime win in Starkville last October. The Longhorns are 2-1 against Mississippi State in Austin.

17

Texas trailed last year’s game 38-21 in the fourth quarter. The 17-point comeback tied for the seventh-largest in program history and was the biggest since 2007. Texas scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a 79-yard punt return touchdown by Ryan Niblett with 1:47 left to tie it at 38. Emmett Mosley V caught the winning 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime, thrown by Matthew Caldwell.

184

Ryan Wingo set a career high with 184 receiving yards in Starkville last season on just five catches, including grabs of 60, 47 and 62 yards. Arch Manning threw for a then-career-high 346 yards and three touchdowns in that game, completing 29 of 46 passes.

15-3-1

Texas is 15-3-1 all-time on Halloween and has won 11 of its last 12 games on the holiday. Saturday marks the 20th Halloween game in program history, the first ever played at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium and only the third Halloween night kickoff. The last one was a 41-34 overtime win at No. 6 Oklahoma State in 2020.

23-2

That is Texas’ home record since the start of the 2023 season, with 18 of those wins coming by 14 or more points. The Longhorns have also won 22 straight home games against unranked opponents, their longest such run since an 18-game stretch from 1999 to 2003.

12-1

Manning is 12-1 as a starter at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium and 17-5 overall. This season, the senior has completed 124 of 196 passes for 1,507 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also has 84 points responsible for, which ranks 10th in the SEC.

106th vs. 15th

The total defense numbers tell much of the story. Mississippi State allows 392.0 yards per game, 106th in the FBS. Texas allows 285.4, 15th nationally.

128th

That is where Mississippi State ranks nationally in passing yards allowed, giving up 267.4 per game. The Bulldogs are also 120th in pass efficiency defense. Texas has the SEC’s best pass efficiency defense (107.66, 11th nationally) and allows 178.1 passing yards per game, 21st in the FBS.

439.7

Mississippi State’s offense can move the ball. The Bulldogs average 439.7 yards per game (31st nationally) with a balanced split of 175.0 rushing and 264.7 passing. They also convert 42.7 percent of their third downs, 49th in the FBS. Texas’ defense holds opponents to 33.3 percent on third down.

30.0 vs. 30.7

The scoring offenses are nearly identical. Mississippi State averages 30.0 points per game, Texas 30.7. The difference shows up on the other side, where Texas allows 19.1 points per game (30th) and Mississippi State allows 27.7 (102nd).

92.9

Texas has scored on 26 of 28 trips inside the red zone, a 92.9 percent rate that ranks 18th nationally. Mississippi State’s red zone defense ranks tied for 71st at 84.0 percent.

16

Edge Colin Simmons leads the nation with 16 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in six games, averaging 2.67 TFL and 1.75 sacks per game. His 5.5-sack day at Tennessee is the program’s standard this season. Simmons did not play against Ole Miss, and will likely miss the matchup against the Bulldogs.

3

Linebacker Rasheem Biles has a team-best three interceptions, the most recent coming on fourth-and-goal from the Texas 2-yard line against Ole Miss to protect a 24-3 lead. The performance earned him SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, his second weekly honor this season. He also leads Texas with seven pressures.

157

Raleek Brown ran for 157 yards on 23 carries against Ole Miss, Texas’ first 100-yard rushing game of the season. The Longhorns piled up 207 rushing yards that night, their most against an SEC opponent since 218 against Texas A&M last season. Brown leads the team with 422 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

6

Cam Coleman’s six touchdown catches lead Texas and rank 18th nationally. Wingo leads the team with 33 receptions for 456 yards and four scores.

11 of 12

Kicker Gianni Spetic has made 11 of 12 field goals (91.7 percent), 10th-best in the country. Punter Mac Chiumento averages 43.9 yards per kick, and Niblett is averaging 12.8 yards per punt return with a touchdown.

122nd

Mississippi State ranks 122nd nationally in time of possession at 27:50 per game. That matters against a Texas team that has won 22 straight games when it wins the possession battle, the longest active streak in the FBS. Sarkisian is 33-2 at Texas when his team holds the ball longer.

7.86

Discipline could be a factor. Mississippi State is tied for 113th in the FBS with 7.86 penalties per game and ranks tied for 121st with 73.43 penalty yards per game.

-0.57 and -0.43

Neither team has won the turnover battle consistently. Mississippi State is tied for 111th nationally in turnover margin at -0.57 per game, and Texas is tied for 100th at -0.43. Whichever team cleans that up Saturday night may control the game.

The bottom line

On paper, Texas holds clear advantages on defense, in the red zone and at home. Mississippi State brings a productive offense that has already given the Longhorns trouble once, and last year’s game proved this matchup can get uncomfortable. If Texas protects the ball and keeps its pass defense playing at its current level, Sarkisian should leave the field with career win No. 100 and a bowl-eligible team.