Texas will face one of the original members of its new conference on Saturday for its long-awaited SEC kickoff. 

Mississippi State won its opening game against Eastern Kentucky, but the team’s performance went downhill from there. The Bulldogs travel to Austin on a three-game losing streak, including their conference opener against Florida, for their worst four-game start since 2020. 

If things weren’t bad enough, Mississippi State will be playing without its starting quarterback, Blake Shapen, who is out for the season after suffering a shoulder injury against the Gators. Texas could also be playing its backup quarterback, redshirt freshman Arch Manning, as junior quarterback Quinn Ewers might still be out. 

Here are some keys to victory in this possible battle between backup quarterbacks.

Take advantage of the inexperience

While Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby might say the same to his squad about Manning, the second-string Longhorn quarterback has proven his talent in the past two games. 

The Bulldogs’ second-string, true freshman Michael Van Buren Jr, made his first collegiate appearance in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky but did not record any stats.

Four-star recruit Van Buren’s first start and challenge will be against the top-ranked team in the country, and the experienced Texas defense can take advantage of that. A newcomer is bound to make mistakes. 

In the past four weeks, Texas has allowed an average of 5.5 points per game. The defense is led by second-team All-SEC candidate sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill Jr, who shows proficiency in his tackle game. The secondary is headlined by senior defensive back Andrew Mukuba, a transfer from Clemson.

Mississippi State might have had a rocky start to the season, but has not been a low-scoring program, scoring 56 points on Eastern Kentucky and 28 points in the loss to Florida. The Bulldogs have scored at least two touchdowns every game.

Nonetheless, if the Longhorn defense plays like it’s been playing the past four games, it should have little issues stopping Van Buren and his attack. 

Wide receivers stay on the top of their game

One of the highlights of the Texas team this season has been the wide receiver room.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian had a tough job going into the portal after losing Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington to the 2024 NFL Draft. Still, Sarkisian was able to build one of the strongest receiver rooms in the country with the additions of transfers senior Silas Bolden, junior Matthew Golden and junior Isaiah Bond, as well as freshman Ryan Wingo.

With the number of quality receivers Sarkisian can choose from, the position is always aiming to be the best of the best to get that starting role. 

“The competition rises and you just got to bring your A-game every day, because (there’s) dudes around you that can make big plays,” said sophomore Johntay Cook II.

This healthy competition is an advantage for Texas, which will see five receivers at the best of their game.