Arch Manning leads Texas past Mississippi State with 3 touchdowns

Arch Manning threw three touchdown passes to lead Texas to a 31-3 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns controlled the game despite Manning sustaining a bruised hand and fumbling on the first drive of the second half. He entered the fourth quarter with the game firmly in Texas' hands, and coach Steve Sarkisian pulled him for backup KJ Lacey with 3:51 remaining.

The contest began with an efficient offense. Manning completed a 47-yard pass and a 14-yard pass to Cam Coleman during a four-play scoring drive. He followed that with a second-quarter drive that ended in a field goal, though he took two hard hits during that sequence. The second hit caused a bloody hand that required taping before halftime. Manning had accumulated only 89 passing yards at the break.

Manning regained his rhythm in the third quarter. He connected with running back Raleek Brown on a 4-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 24-3. In the final quarter, he threw a 42-yard score to Emmett Mosley V. Manning finished the game with 220 passing yards on 16 of 20 attempts. He also rushed for 10 yards on 13 carries, including four first downs and one 12-yard gain.

This marks the third time Manning has started against Mississippi State. In the 2024 season, he replaced the injured Quinn Ewers for Texas' SEC debut, helping the team win 35-13. Last year, he led a fourth-quarter comeback from a 17-point deficit in Starkville. That game ended in overtime after a head injury sidelined him for the winning play. Texas won that contest 45-38.

Sarkisian praised the quarterback's physical play. "I thought Arch competed his tail off," Sarkisian said. "We needed him early in the game to use his legs in a couple different situations, and that showed up." The coach noted that Manning's ability to extend plays with his legs was visible in the early stages of the match.

Manning's family has a distinct record against the Bulldogs. His grandfather Archie posted a 1-0-1 record in Egg Bowl games with Ole Miss. His uncle Eli went 2-1 in that rivalry. Peyton Manning's only start against Mississippi State resulted in a Tennessee win in 1995. Arch Manning is now 3-0 in his career against the program.

The next scheduled game for Texas has not been detailed in this report. The team returns to action after this win over Mississippi State.