Mississippi State is back at Davis Wade Stadium this Saturday and will welcome No. 22 Texas in its next bid to end a 15-game losing streak in SEC play. The Longhorns arrive after a hard-earned overtime win at Kentucky last week. At 5-2, Texas has found a way to win despite offensive struggles thanks to one of the top defensive units in the country. 

To preview the matchup and gather an understanding of MSU’s next opponent, The Dispatch exchanged questions with Danny Davis, a Texas beat writer for the Austin American-Statesman.

The Dispatch: Despite the struggles on offense, the Texas defense continues to perform. Does everything depend on them, or has the offense shown any growth?

Danny Davis: I would say that Texas is leaning on its defense and special teams while it tries to get things figured out on offense. Texas looked alright on offense for a half against Oklahoma, but it had been stuck in the mud throughout the rest of SEC play. The Texas defense has been very good, but the team needs to start scoring some points because it would be unrealistic to think that the Longhorns are going to shut every SEC offense down.

Dispatch: What has held Texas back most on offense?

Davis: How much space do I have to write? These offensive struggles are a collaborative effort. The offensive line looks like an offensive line that lost four starters and had little depth behind it. Arch Manning has not come close to meeting the expectations that he entered this season with. A banged-up running game has not gotten going, and none of the receivers have emerged as a top target. Steve Sarkisian’s playcalling has been suspect enough for there to be reasonable calls for him to surrender those duties.

Dispatch: Do you see MSU’s offense threatening Texas, and if so, how?

Davis: Do I think that Mississippi State is going to put up 50 points or 500 yards? No. But the Bulldogs have a veteran quarterback and an offensive-minded coach who is familiar with Texas DC Pete Kwiatkowski, so they could definitely threaten the Longhorns. This Texas defense is good, but it isn’t invincible. Kentucky threatened the Longhorns last week, but Texas made enough big plays to survive.

Dispatch: What has to happen for Texas to lose this game?

Davis: Texas is 2-1 in conference play, but the team has yet to score 24 points in an SEC game. Playing like that on the road is not a recipe for success, so I would say that Texas could easily lose this game if Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian don’t get this offense going.

Dispatch: What has to happen for Texas to win this game?

Davis: Texas has played well on defense and special teams the past two weeks, so continuing that trend would be a good start. But again, it comes down to the offense. If the Longhorns can establish the run and have Arch Manning connect on a few big passes, Texas will escape this four-game stretch of road and neutral-site games with a winning record.

Posted in College Sports

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