Texas defense forces fumble, Manning scores three times to beat State 31-3

Residents of Wake County following the college football season saw No. 11 Texas defeat Mississippi State 31-3 on Saturday night. The Longhorns secured the win with a strong defensive performance and three touchdown passes from quarterback Arch Manning. The victory extends Texas' winning streak to two games after the team lost two consecutive matches earlier in the season.

Manning threw for three touchdowns in the contest. He connected with Cam Coleman on a 14-yard pass on the fourth play of the game. Later in the third quarter, Manning found Raleek Brown for a score. In the fourth quarter, he completed a pass to Emmett Mosely V for the final touchdown. The Longhorns finished with an overall record of 6-2 and a conference record of 3-2 in the Southeastern Conference.

The game shifted in Texas' favor just before halftime. Defensive tackle Maraad Watson returned a fumble 61 yards for a touchdown. The play resulted from a sack on Mississippi State quarterback AJ Swann. Watson, who stands 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 333 pounds, ran to the end zone with help from his blockers. He said he was getting tired by the 15-yard line but told himself he had to make the play.

The fumble also ended Swann's night. The transfer quarterback, making his first start of the season, left the game with an injury. He completed 12 of 15 passes for Mississippi State before the mistake. Swann spent the second half of the game with his right arm in a sling. Parker Puckett, a walk-on, took over the offense for the remainder of the contest.

Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles recorded eight tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Biles forced the fumble that led to Watson's score. He is a transfer from the University of Pittsburgh. Biles has been a key player for the Longhorns while sack leader Colin Simmons is out with an injury. Biles said he tries to go for the ball every time he gets a sack.

Mississippi State enters the next game with a 4-4 record. The Bulldogs have lost four straight games. Their starting quarterback, Kamario Taylor, missed part or all of the last four games due to a season-ending toe injury. Coach Jeff Lebby said the team is frustrated by penalties. He noted that the squad is not good enough to overcome current issues. The Bulldogs will host Vanderbilt on Nov. 7.

Texas will play on the road for three of its final four regular-season games. The Longhorns travel to Missouri on Nov. 7. The team has struggled with a poor running game and shaky pass protection. Cam Coleman, the team's top playmaker, left the game early for the second consecutive time. He was seen in street clothes on the sideline during the second half, though the team did not immediately disclose the nature of the issue.