Texas vs Mississippi State Live: Longhorns Lead 17-0 at Halftime on Manning-to-Coleman Strike and Watson's 61-Yard Fumble Return
No. 11 Texas scored on its opening burst, added a field goal, then turned a strip-sack into a 61-yard defensive touchdown to take a 17-0 halftime lead over Mississippi State in Austin - and the Bulldogs lost quarterback AJ Swann to a shoulder injury on the play.
AUSTIN - Texas needed two plays to announce itself. After Arch Manning hit Cam Coleman for 47 yards, Manning found Coleman again for a 14-yard touchdown with 12:59 left in the first quarter, and the No. 11 Longhorns have not looked back: Texas leads Mississippi State 17-0 at halftime at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
The second quarter belonged to the kickers and then to the defense. Gianni Spetic's 45-yard field goal made it 10-0 with 5:41 left in the half, after Mississippi State's Kyle Ferrie had pushed a 38-yard attempt off the upright. Texas also had a Ryan Niblett 84-yard punt-return touchdown called back by a penalty - the kind of play that keeps a shutout from becoming a rout on the scoreboard.
The half ended on the defense's terms. AJ Swann was strip-sacked late in the second quarter, and 333-pound defensive lineman Maraad Watson scooped the fumble and rumbled 61 yards for a touchdown and the 17-0 lead with 1:13 left. Swann fell on his left shoulder on the play, went into the medical tent and exited the game; Billy Puckett replaced him for the Bulldogs' final drive of the half and was sacked twice. Manning, for his part, had his right hand bandaged after a long scramble, per the Clarion Ledger's live account.
Mississippi State receives the second-half kickoff, likely with its backup quarterback, down three scores. Texas (5-2) is protecting playoff position; the Bulldogs (4-3) need a second half that has not looked available yet. This station files the final within 45 minutes of the whistle.
