The University of Texas will make its long-awaited SEC debut against Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon. The undefeated Longhorns take on the 1–3 Bulldogs at home in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, filled with fans eager to see the Longhorns’ first conference game. The Longhorns boast the No. 1 AP Poll ranking for the second week in a row, and are looking to keep this title for another week. Mississippi State sits unranked, with one of the worst records in the SEC. But the matchup won’t be without challenges. Take a look at the opponents Texas should keep an eye on.
Michael Van Buren Jr. — quarterback
After senior quarterback Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury playing against Florida, true freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. is set to take his place. The four-star recruit from Maryland threw 100 yards in the last two drives of the game after replacing Shapen in the fourth quarter. He completed almost 54% of these passes, with his longest one being 28 yards. It will be Van Buren Jr.’s first ever college start, and in such a critical game for both teams, it will be interesting to see how the freshman handles the pressure.
Kevin Coleman Jr. — wide receiver
Junior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. tops the Bulldogs’ stat sheet with 287 receiving yards. The transfer from Louisville is in his first year at Mississippi State and has logged one touchdown in each game, except the 45-28 loss against Florida. Coleman will have a strong guide in a coach who has experience going up against Texas for two seasons as head coach Jeff Lebby’s previous job was at Oklahoma.
Johnnie Daniels — running back
Another offensive threat to look out for is junior running back Johnnie Daniels. In the game against Florida, he put up a season high of 77 rushing yards, almost half of his 158 total yards. It’s likely Mississippi State will lean on the run game since Van Buren doesn’t have much experience. Like the new quarterback, this is Daniels’ first year as a Bulldog. Although he’s only scored one touchdown so far, it will be a test for the Texas defense to take on an SEC offense eager to prove themselves.
Isaac Smith — safety
Mississippi State safety Isaac Smith is off to a hot start this season. The sophomore comes into this matchup with the third most tackles in the country and will be looking to add a few more to the 51 he already has. He’s already made huge improvements from last season, where he had just 15. Smith also forced a fumble against Florida that the Bulldogs recovered. Although he left that game early with an injury, he could return this week. The Longhorn offense will need to be on the lookout as Smith will be looking to force more turnovers and create opportunities for a Mississippi State team that hasn’t yet found its groove.
