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Keys to the game as Mississippi State football faces the top-ranked Texas Longhorns

How can Mississippi State even keep this game somewhat close?

By Andrew Miller

Sep 21, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby looks onto the field during the fourth quarter against the Florida Gators at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby looks onto the field during the fourth quarter against the Florida Gators at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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Mississippi State football faces Texas in Austin on Saturday. The struggling and short-handed Bulldogs are massive underdogs to the nation's #1 team, and simply playing a respectable game would be a huge positive. So rather than try and come up with keys to victory, how about we just identify some keys to playing a competitive game?

Here's how State can do that...

Help out Michael Van Buren as much as possible

Mississippi State is turning to a true freshman QB as its starter on Saturday. With Blake Shapen done for the year, it'll be former 4-star Michael Van Buren leading the offense in Austin, and you couldn't draw up a more difficult first start than what Van Buren is walking into. If State is going to have any offensive success on Saturday, they've got to make life as easy for him as possible. Finding success in the run game would do wonders. That would create manageable down and distance situations and open up easier completions in the RPO and play-action game. Running the offense through skill players like Kevin Coleman is also key. Let Van Buren play distributor to his skill guys rather than be the one actually carrying the load. This is all easier said than done, but it'll be crucial.

If Arch Manning starts, State must create confusion for him

We still don't know for sure who'll start at QB for Texas, but it seems most likely that Arch Manning will be the guy as Quinn Ewers works back from injury. And if it is Manning under center, State needs to try and create as much confustion as they can on defense. For as talented and well-molded as Manning is, he's a young QB who's shown he is prone to some mistakes. Disguising coverages and blitzes is the best bet for the defense vs Manning. If Ewers is starting, this likely won't make much of an impact, but I'd prepare for the young guy.

Get lucky

Let's be real here. Even if State plays its best game of the season (that alone sees far-fetched given the circumstances), they aren't beating Texas without some absolute madness happening. The Longhorns are simply too good, and State is simply too bad. The Bulldogs will need several breaks to go their way to have any sort of a chance, much less win.

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