Those just now tuning into Texas football might not believe that the Longhorns had a defense capable of holding its previous four opponents to an average of 5.5 points per game after a lackluster showing against Mississippi State.
Although barely surpassing the 12 points allowed against Michigan during week two, Texas gave up 13 points to the Bulldogs, the most in a game thus far, as the Longhorns won 35-13.
Texas began by granting the Bulldogs nine first downs and two field goal kicks, putting the score at an underwhelming 7-6 with 40 seconds left in the first half. The Longhorns were staring at their tightest lead all season, even with another touchdown tacked on from a 49-yard catch made by sophomore wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. before the timer ran out to make it 14-6.
Mississippi State recorded 21 minutes of possession in the first half compared to a mere nine minutes for Texas. During that time, the Bulldogs managed their way downfield by using the rushing game, running the ball for 115 yards on 30 attempts.
Senior linebacker David Gbenda, who ended the day with eight total tackles, admitted that there was an abundance of missed tackling opportunities that ultimately resulted in Mississippi State being able to slip through and gain more yardage.
“We just need to wrap up and stop getting leaky tackles because there were leaky yards on the field,” Gbenda said. “It was just understanding fifths and just wrapping up, making sure we had secure tackles and putting them on the ground.”
However, the Longhorn defense had yet to allow a touchdown as the third quarter commenced, a small feat that head coach Steve Sarkisian marked as one of the key goals for going against the team’s first SEC opponent.
“At the end of the day, all the time of possession, all of the plays that they ran in the first half, they went to the locker with six points, so we defended our end zone,” Sarkisian said. “That’s the whole key to this thing. And then we could start to extend the lead, which I wish we could have extended the lead earlier.”
A crucial play that signaled a turn for defensive production came when senior defensive lineman Vernon Broughton sacked freshman Bulldog quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., resulting in a fumble recovered by Broughton. The play ended in no score for Texas on the ensuing drive, but freshman edge Colin Simmons registered a sack for a loss of nine yards on the Bulldogs’ next drive, his first of two on the day.
“We played a little slow in the first half,” Broughton said. “Coach Sark got on our heads, we had to pick it up. … We had to just be more physical at the line of scrimmage.”
The Longhorns were almost in the clear in terms of keeping Mississippi State out of the end zone until Van Buren found a path with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter, extending the score to 28-13.
A controlled third and fourth quarters for the Texas secondary displayed a revived team that ended the afternoon with 72 tackles, 11 for loss, and the most sacks recorded this season with six. That was enough for Sarkisian to be proud of his players for finishing strong with a 35-13 win.
“I’m sitting here – we gave up 13 points in an SEC game – thinking, wishing, it would have been less,” Sarkisian said. “But hey, we played good defensive football and we made them earn it.”
