Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State's Upset Bid vs Texas: 5 Stats that Tell the Story

Bulldogs' upset bid against No. 1 Texas came up short. These 5 key stats explain the Bulldogs’ 35-13 loss.

Taylor Hodges

Texas Longhorns defensive back Andrew Mukuba (4) and Texas Longhorns defensive back Gavin Holmes (9) take down Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Mario Craver (7) as the Texas Longhorns take on Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
Texas Longhorns defensive back Andrew Mukuba (4) and Texas Longhorns defensive back Gavin Holmes (9) take down Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Mario Craver (7) as the Texas Longhorns take on Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

AUSTIN, Texas – Mississippi State football certainly made 100,000 fans in burnt orange hold their breathe in No. 1 Texas’s debut in an SEC game.

The Bulldogs, whose only win this season came against FCS’s Eastern Kentucky, followed the upset playbook to near perfection in the first half. They held the Longhorn’s top five offense to just 14 points in the first half and trailed by eight points at halftime.

But, alas, the Longhorns’ talent proved it could overcome its mistakes and send Mississippi State back to Starkville with a 35-13 loss.

Here are five stats that tell the story of how Mississippi State nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the season:

8

That’s the total number of points Mississippi State trailed at halftime. One of the biggest keys to winning an upset is to just keep the score close, no matter how that happens. A possession game against the No. 1 team in the nation at halftime satisfies that requirement.

2

That’s the number of fumbles Mississippi State’s defense forcedagainst Texas. Another important part of pulling off an upset is to take away scoring chances from the opposing team. And not give away any yourself, which is what the Bulldogs did. They didn’t commit any turnovers and took away two scoring chances for Texas.

22:03

That’s the total time of possession Mississippi State had in the first half (Texas had just 8:57). The third major part of an upset is keeping your offense on the field and theirs off of it. It’s a lot harder to score points on defense than it is offense.

5

That’s the total number of incompletions Arch Manning had against Mississippi State. Despite the improved play by Mississippi State’s defense and the offense winning the time of possession battle, Manning was effective when on the field. He finished the game 26-for-31 with 324 yards and two touchdowns.

6

That’s the total number of sacks Texas’s fifth-ranked defense had in Saturday’s win. True freshman Michael Van Buren was the recipient for each of those sacks and still had a successful starting debut with 144 passing yards and, most importantly, no interceptions.

Read More Mississippi State Bulldogs On SI:

When Did Mississippi State’s Upset Attempt Against No. 1 Texas End?

Mississippi State Falls Short in Upset Attempt Against No. 1 Texas

Resilient Mississippi State Offense Delivers Solid Performance Against No. 1 Texas

Mississippi State Defense Shows Improvement vs No. 1 Texas, But Familiar Issues Remain

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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