Oct 19, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Le'Veon Moss (8) runs the ball against Mississippi State Bulldogs cornerback Brice Pollock (14) during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

No. 14 Texas A&M cruises by Mississippi State

Le’Veon Moss ran for two of Texas A&M’s three touchdowns as the No. 14 Aggies defeated host Mississippi State 34-24 on Saturday in Southeastern Conference action from Starkville, Miss.

Moss finished with 65 yards on 17 carries, while Amari Daniels chipped in 47 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts. Conner Weigman went 15 of 25 for 217 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC).

While the Aggies have won six straight games since dropping their season opener, the Bulldogs (1-6, 0-4) have lost six in a row since winning their Week 1 contest. Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren was 22 of 41 for 242 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

The Bulldogs jumped out first, scoring on fourth-and-3 from the 14 when Van Buren hit Davon Booth for the first points of the game. However, the Aggies answered late in the first quarter as Weigman found Noah Thomas for a 20-yard touchdown to even the score.

Moss made it 14-7 with a 9-yard TD run early in the second. He was stood up at the goal line initially before powering his way into the end zone.

Later in the period, Scooby Williams’ interception of Van Buren set up the visitors at the Mississippi State 28-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Daniels’ 6-yard scoring run extended the Aggies’ lead to 21-10. However, the Bulldogs’ answered right back as Van Buren and Mario Craver hooked up for a 4-yard TD pass in the waning seconds of the half.

Texas A&M scored the first 10 points of the second half to open a 31-17 lead on Moss’ 3-yard TD run – another play in which he powered through Mississippi State defenders before crossing the goal line.

However, Van Buren’s 12-yard TD pass to Kevin Coleman Jr. once again made it a one-possession game with 13:41 to play. The hosts were unable to get any closer, though, as they punted on their next possession before Randy Bond’s 44-yard field goal with 6:13 remaining essentially sealed the outcome.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) passes the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Carson Beck throws for career-high 459 yards as No. 5 Georgia downs Mississippi State

Carson Beck completed 36 of 48 passes for 459 yards and three touchdowns as No. 5 Georgia beat visiting Mississippi State 41-31 in Southeastern Conference play Saturday in Athens, Ga.

Beck, who threw two interceptions, set a career high in passing yards as Georgia (5-1, 3-1) won its second straight game. Arian Smith caught five balls for 134 yards and a touchdown for Georgia.

Michael Van Buren Jr. completed 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns for Mississippi State (1-5, 0-3), which dropped its fifth straight game. Van Buren also threw an interception in his second career start. Kevin Coleman Jr. caught eight passes for 103 yards.

Leading 27-10, it took Georgia just three plays to score on its opening drive of the second half, as Beck found Smith for a 42-yard touchdown with 13:48 left in the third.

Mississippi State responded with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive that was stamped with Johnnie Daniels’ 19-yard rushing score at the 8:27 mark. Beck then led Georgia down the field again, but was picked off in the end zone by DeAgo Brumfield.

Mississippi State then strung together an eight-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in Van Buren’s two-yard touchdown pass to Davon Booth with 2:40 remaining in the third, cutting the deficit to 34-24.

Georgia iced the game with a 16-play, 81-yard drive that ate up 7:26, ending with Trevor Etienne’s one-yard rushing score with 3:33 left. Mississippi State added a late score, as Van Buren found Kelly Akharaiyi for a 35-yard score with 1:47 remaining.

After Mississippi State’s Kyle Ferrie and Peyton Woodring traded field goals to begin the scoring, Georgia marched down the field on an eight-play, 81-yard drive that resulted in Branson Robinson’s five-yard rushing touchdown at the 2:13 mark of the first quarter.

Woodring tacked on another field goal, this time from 32 yards with 10:54 remaining in the second quarter.

Van Buren then found Mario Craver for 72 yards to the Georgia five-yard line. Van Buren later connected with Akharaiyi for a 24-yard touchdown pass, trimming the deficit to 13-10 with 8:46 left in the second.

Beck threw touchdown passes to finish the next two Georgia drives, the first ending with a 31-yard score to Dillon Bell, the second on a Lawson Luckie catch for a one-yard score with 1:56 left, giving Georgia a 27-10 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Trevor Etienne (1) runs against the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

No. 5 Georgia aims to avoid upset by Mississippi State

On paper, No. 5 Georgia shouldn’t have a tough time with Mississippi State in Athens, Ga., on Saturday afternoon.

However, with the recent upsets in the Southeastern Conference, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart knows anything is on the table.

“Nothing shocks me about our league,” Smart said. “Humility is always a week away in this league. It’s hard every week, and I’ve got a feeling it’s not going to stop anytime soon.”

Last Saturday alone, then-No. 1 Alabama fell to Vanderbilt, then-No. 4 Tennessee lost to Arkansas, and then-No. 9 Missouri was blown out by No. 25 Texas A&M. Not falling victim to an upset, Georgia handled Auburn 31-13, improving to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play.

Trevor Etienne, who has proved to be one of most explosive weapons on Georgia’s offense, carried much of the load against the Tigers.

Etienne rushed for a season-high 88 yards and two touchdowns and made six receptions for 36 yards. After missing the season opener against Clemson, the Florida transfer is being relied on as a leader in his new home.

“I thought (Travis) performed really well Saturday,” Smart said. “He made some things happen with nothing there and then had a couple that I thought maybe should have gotten more on that he’s one step away from breaking one open and using his quickness.

“He’s got really good open-field skills to make people miss, and I think that’s something that we’ve needed around here. He’s a really good receiver out of the backfield. More important than all that, he’s one of our best leaders. He holds people accountable. He’s a good kid, and I appreciate the way he’s come into our team and bought into the culture that we have here.”

Now, Georgia is preparing for Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2), which is led by freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. After starter Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a loss to Florida on Sept. 21, Van Buren was thrown into the gauntlet of conference play.

A game-and-a-half into his college career, Van Buren has thrown for 244 yards and has one score on the ground. Most recently, he completed just 12 of 23 passes in a 35-13 loss at No. 1 Texas on Sept. 28 in his first career start.

“I’ll tell you, he got thrown into the fire quick,” Smart said of Van Buren. “I mean, in the middle of an SEC game to have to go in and play and then turn around the next week and go to Texas. Those were two really tough games, but he’s a tremendous athlete.”

Mississippi State is still searching for the first marquee win of the Jeff Lebby era.

The first-year coach picked up a win over Eastern Kentucky in the season opener, but his team has dropped four straight games, including 41-17 to Toledo on Sept. 14. The road will only get more difficult for Mississippi State against Georgia.

“It’s going to be an incredible challenge for a true freshman quarterback to go play the way we need him to play to give us a chance to win,” Lebby said of Van Buren. “But he’s a young man that is focused on doing just that. … Everybody inside that locker room has confidence in Michael to be able to give us a chance.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA;  Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws a pass in the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Manning throws for 2 TDs, runs for another in No. 1 Texas’ win over Mississippi State

Arch Manning passed for 324 yards and two touchdowns, both to DeAndre Moore Jr., and ran for another score as No. 1 Texas defeated visiting Mississippi State 35-13 on Saturday in the Longhorns’ first Southeastern Conference game as a member of the league.

The Longhorns (5-0, 1-0 SEC) sputtered a bit in their second week as the nation’s top-ranked team, but they turned it on late. Texas lost two fumbles, had a punt blocked and allowed the Bulldogs to stay in the game by dominating the time of possession until they ran out of gas.

Manning started for the second consecutive game after erstwhile starter Quinn Ewers, who is working his way back from a strained oblique, was designated as inactive about an hour and half before kickoff.

Manning finished 26-of-31 and connected with 10 different receivers. Moore Jr. had four of those receptions for 103 yards.

True freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. passed for 144 yards and ran for a TD in his starting debut at quarterback for Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2 SEC). Johnnie Daniels rushed for 75 yards on 15 carries for the Bulldogs, who lost their fourth straight game.

The Longhorns drew first blood via a 1-yard scoring plunge by Jaydon Blue at the 6:06 mark of the opening quarter that followed four straight completed passes by Manning.

Mississippi State answered with a 45-yard field goal by Kyle Ferrie six snaps after Zakari Tillman partially blocked a punt by Texas’ Michael Kern. The Bulldogs drew closer when Ferrie tacked on a 32-yarder with 1:56 to play in the half.

That was plenty of time for Manning, who stood in the pocket in the face of a blitzing linebacker and hit Moore on a 49-yard TD bomb that pushed the Longhorns’ lead to 14-6 at intermission.

The Longhorns then scored after a 10-play, 75-yard march to end the third quarter, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown rush by Manning. A Manning-to-Moore 27-yard scoring connection with 9:30 to play expanded the lead to 28-6 and put Texas.

Van Buren finally got Mississippi State into the end zone with 6:12 left, scoring on a weaving 12-yard run. The Longhorns immediately answered with a 72-yard drive that was punctuated by Isaiah Bond’s 26-yard touchdown rush with three minutes to play.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA;  Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) talks with head coach Steve Sarkisian before the game against Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Report: QB Quinn Ewers (abdominal) likely out for No. 1 Texas

Quarterback Quinn Ewers is unlikely to start for No. 1 Texas in its Southeastern Conference debut against visiting Mississippi State on Saturday as he recovers from injury, ESPN reported.

If Ewers is sidelined, Arch Manning will make his second consecutive start.

Ewers left the Longhorns’ Sept. 14 win over UTSA with an abdominal strain and was replaced by Manning. The redshirt freshman started in Ewers’ place last weekend in a 51-3 drubbing of Louisiana-Monroe as Texas moved to 4-0.

ESPN reported that the decision would come later Saturday before the scheduled 4:15 p.m. ET start time in Austin.

Ewers was limited in practice this week as coach Steve Sarkisian said he wanted to give him more rest.

In his first college start, Manning was 15-of-29 passing for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against ULM. In relief of Ewers in the UTSA game, Manning completed 9 of 12 passes for 223 yards with four TD passes and a 67-yard touchdown run.

Ewers is 19-6 as a starter at Texas. He has 6,347 career passing yards, good for seventh place in program history. His 45 passing touchdowns rank sixth.

He will have extra recovery time next week with the Longhorns on a bye week. They return to play Oct. 12 against longtime rival Oklahoma, currently ranked No. 21.

Mississippi State will be the first-ever SEC opponent for Texas. The Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) lost their conference opener to Florida 45-28 last weekend and lost quarterback Blake Shapen for the season to a shoulder injury.

Freshman signal-caller Michael Van Buren will get his first college start for the Bulldogs on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns quarterbacks Arch Manning (16), left, and  Quinn Ewers (3) throw passes while warming up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins-Imagn Images via American Statesman

No. 1 Texas won’t name starting QB until Friday

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he won’t decide until Friday whether Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning will quarterback the nation’s No. 1 team on Saturday against Mississippi State.

Ewers left the Longhorns’ Week 3 win over UTSA with an abdominal strain and was replaced by Manning. The redshirt freshman started in Ewers’ place last weekend in a 51-3 drubbing of Louisiana-Monroe as Texas moved to 4-0.

Sarkisian told reporters Thursday that he wants Ewers, in his third season as the Longhorns starter, to have the maximum time to recover before naming his QB.

“We’re going to decide on the quarterback thing (Friday),” Sarkisian said. “It won’t be a secret. We’re not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. Just want to give Quinn every opportunity to see if he’s ready to play and what he looks like. I’d say he’s improved every day. I think Arch has had a very good week.”

In his first college start, Manning was 15-of-29 passing for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against ULM. In relief of Ewers in the UTSA game, Manning completed 9 of 12 passes for 223 yards with four TD passes and 67-yard touchdown run.

Ewers is 19-6 as a starter at Texas. He has 6,347 career passing yards, good for seventh place in program history. His 45 passing touchdowns rank sixth.

Mississippi State will be the first-ever Southeastern Conference opponent for the Longhorns. The Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) lost their conference opener to Florida 45-28 last Saturday and lost quarterback Blake Shapen for the season to a shoulder injury.

Freshman Michael Van Buren will get his first college start for the Bulldogs on Saturday in Austin.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to pass the ball as the Texas Longhorns take on ULM at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

Mississippi State aims to ruin No. 1 Texas’ SEC debut

Don’t expect top-ranked Texas to move off its “business as usual” mantra just because the stakes increase as it opens Southeastern Conference play against Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas.

Yes, the Longhorns (4-0) will be playing their first ever game against an SEC opponent as a member of the consensus toughest conference in country. But Texas is steeled by the fact that it played Alabama in both 2022 and 2023, beating the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa last season, and by its consistency the past two years.

“We believe in our formula for success and what that looks like,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “We respect that this is our first SEC game at home and what that looks like. We’re going to embrace that side of it, but it’s not going to affect the way we prepare for the game and the way we go about our business in the game.

“The way we look at it, this is an SEC championship game.”

The Longhorns head into the Saturday clash off a dominating 51-3 home win over Louisiana-Monroe last week, when freshman quarterback Arch Manning passed for 258 yards, two scores and two interceptions in just over three quarters of play. It was the much ballyhooed Manning’s first collegiate start, and afterward he said the game “felt long” to him.

Manning was behind center against the Warhawks because of an injury to erstwhile starter Quinn Ewers, whom Sarkisian called questionable for the game against the Bulldogs as he works his way back from a strained oblique. Ewers will be monitored throughout the week.

“Quinn has to be able to run the entire game plan (when he gets back),” Sarkisian said.

Texas is tied for first nationally in scoring defense with an average of 5.5 points allowed per game. The top three teams in the statistic — Ole Miss, Texas and Georgia — are members of the SEC, with fellow league members Tennessee fifth and Alabama sixth.

The Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) travel to Austin for the first time since 1992 on the heels of a 45-28 home loss to Florida last week in their conference opener. Mississippi State, in its first season under coach Jeff Lebby, has dropped three games in a row.

The Bulldogs will be without starting quarterback Blake Shapen after the former Baylor signal-caller injured his shoulder in the fourth quarter of the loss to Florida. Shapen has been ruled out for the season.

True freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. replaced him for the remainder of the game and led two extended drives in mopup duty, one that ended with a rushing TD and another that ended at the goal line as time expired.

“I was proud of how Mike was able to put a drive together there in the fourth quarter for us,” Lebby said Monday. “He’s a guy that has great confidence in himself and the guys around him. It’s about focusing really small, taking great care of the football, creating predictable outcomes, and putting us in good situations.”

The Saturday game is the fifth all-time between Texas and Mississippi State and the first since the 1999 Cotton Bowl, in which the Longhorns earned a 38-11 victory. The series between the teams is tied 2-2.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen (2) walks off the field after a play against the Florida Gators during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen (shoulder) to miss rest of season

Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen will need season-ending shoulder surgery after getting injured in Saturday’s 45-28 loss to Florida.

Shapen completed 13 of 21 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown against the Gators before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter. True freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. took over under center and threw for 100 yards on 7-for-13 passing.

“We’re all hurting for Blake after this unfortunate news,” Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby said. “Blake is the ultimate competitor and teammate and an unquestioned leader in our program. I know he will work incredibly hard to come back stronger than ever, and he will continue to serve as a team leader from the sidelines.

“We will support Blake every step of the way during his recovery process and explore all options to help him seek a medical hardship waiver to regain his lost year of eligibility.”

Shapen, a Baylor transfer, completed 74 of 108 passes for 974 yards, eight TDs and one interception in four games this season.

Mississippi State is off to a 1-3 start.

–Field Level Media

Oct 7, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs cheerleaders cheer during the third quarter of the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Anonymous donor gives Mississippi State football $8M

A donor family that wishes to remain anonymous pledged $8 million to Mississippi State football to launch the State Excellence Fund, which will pay for things such as recruitment and athlete compensation, the university announced Thursday.

It is the second-largest commitment ever to the Bulldogs’ athletic program, the school said.

“This thoughtful and generous investment in our program is critical to what we are building here in Starkville in this new era of college athletics,” athletic director Zac Selmon said in a statement. “To be an elite-level program, it takes elite-level resources. A gift of this magnitude shows the unwavering drive to establish Mississippi State Football as a premier college football destination for many years to come. I could not be more grateful for the commitment to championing our programs and players.”

The growth of name, image and likeness programs has made it imperative that schools develop the infrastructure to funnel money for player recruitment and retention, especially in highly competitive leagues such as the Southeastern Conference.

“This investment in our program shows that State fans are ‘all-in’ when it comes to helping provide the resources it takes to compete in the toughest conference in the country,” football coach Jeff Lebby said. “Having their support and belief in what we’re building is crucial for us as we continue to move forward.”

The university statement included a comment from the donors.

“We want to ensure we are doing our part to bolster Mississippi State Football. To build a sustained winning culture and program in today’s climate it’s going to take us all coming together to ensure our program has what it needs to recruit, train and keep top talent,” the family said. “With the launch of the State Excellence Fund, it provides the opportunity for fans and supporters to make a direct investment, regardless of the amount, in our future. We firmly believe in what we can accomplish together. We are proud to be Mississippi State Bulldogs.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Toledo Rockets quarterback Tucker Gleason (4) looks to pass against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Tucker Gleason tosses 3 TDs as Toledo stuns Mississippi State

Tucker Gleason completed 23 of 28 pass attempts for 285 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead unbeaten Toledo to a 41-17 upset victory Saturday against Mississippi State at Starkville, Miss.

Mississippi State (2-1) was a 10-point favorite in the first meeting between the programs.

Toledo (3-0) achieved its second road victory against an SEC school. The Rockets, 2-4 against the SEC, beat Arkansas at Little Rock, Ark., in 2015.

Toledo established control in its first possession when it drove 70 yards in 12 plays, capped with Gleason’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Junior Vandeross III.

The drive took 6:13 off the clock and gave the Rockets a 7-0 lead with 6:35 left in the first quarter.

After having to punt on its next possession, Toledo scored a touchdown the next three times it had the ball.

Gleason threw another touchdown pass, a 6-yard connection with Jerjuan Newton, and Connor Walendzak and Willi Shaw III each had rushing touchdowns to give Toledo a 28-3 lead with 1:09 left in the first half.

Mississippi State threatened to score at the end of the first half but came up short after coach Jeff Lebby elected to go for a touchdown rather than a field goal with the ball on the Rocket 12 with one second left.

Blake Shapen’s pass in the end zone was intercepted by Avery Smith.

Shapen, a fifth-year senior who is a transfer from Baylor, completed 28 of 39 pass attempts for 319 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Toledo increased its lead early in the third quarter after Mississippi State turned the ball over on downs at its 37.

Davon Booth was stopped for no gain by Toledo’s Lance Dixon and Cavon Butler on the fourth-and-1 attempt.

Four plays later, Gleason connected with Newton for a 15-yard score to increase the lead to 35-3 with 10:05 left in the third quarter.

Mississippi State answered on its next possession, putting together a 13-play, 72-yard drive that was capped with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Shapen to Mario Craver.

The Bulldogs cut the lead to 38-17 with 6:11 left after an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Shapen’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman Jr.

–Field Level Media