Slow starts in SEC sports surely spoil seasons.

Say that 10 times fast, and you’ve got yourself a tongue twister. Say that three times fast, and you’ve got a rundown of what’s happening with the Texas football team.

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NO. 22 TEXAS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

When/where: 3:15 p.m. in Starkville, Miss.

TV/radio: SEC; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 105.3 FM (Spanish)

Through three SEC games, Texas has failed to score in the first quarter. Factor in the 14-7 loss at Ohio State in the opener and the Longhorns have yet to score in the first quarter against any Power Four competition. Among the 67 Power Four teams and Notre Dame, that puts No. 22 Texas (5-2) on equal footing with just Washington (5-2) and West Virginia (2-5).

GOLDEN: Will Texas keep its CFP hopes alive and silence those Starkville cowbells?

Like Washington, Texas still has a season worth salvaging despite that series of slow starts. Having a defense that has allowed just 13 first-quarter points in Power Four play has helped. Texas recovered from its boorish beginning against Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl and at Kentucky last week, but some first-quarter points could have helped Texas beat Ohio State and avoid a 29-21 loss at Florida. 

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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain (18) makes a tackle in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Aug. 30, 2025.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain (18) makes a tackle in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Aug. 30, 2025.

Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman

While speaking Thursday about those first-quarter problems, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was in the holiday mood. Texas travels to Mississippi State (4-3, 0-3) this weekend in a game that could make or break the Longhorns in their races for a second straight SEC championship game and a third straight College Football Playoff berth.

“Remember when you guys used to go to your grandma’s house at Christmas,” Sarkisian said. “The Christmas tree would light up, you’d plug it in, Grandma would say, ‘Plug it in,’ and it looked beautiful. And there’d be that one light that was blinking, the one light that was out, and you can’t get your eyes off that one blinking light. I feel like that’s been the issue. Then you replace the bulb, and you fix it, and then the next light starts blinking.

“I wish I could say it’s one thing or one group or one player, which isn’t the case. We just haven’t gotten all 11 to execute it all exactly the way we want it. And part of those blinking lights, I’ll say is me too. 

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Added Sarkisian: “I just want to plug in this Christmas tree Saturday at 3:15 and all the lights come on and none of them are blinking.”

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) hands the ball off to receiver Ryan Niblett (21) during the game against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) hands the ball off to receiver Ryan Niblett (21) during the game against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

What has gone wrong for Texas in the first quarter? A lot.

This season, Texas has run into Power Four teams that currently rank first (Ohio State), second (Oklahoma), 33rd (Florida) and 82nd (Kentucky) in scoring defense. Oklahoma and Ohio State are also the only FBS-level defenses allowing less than 220 yards of offense.

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More: Arch Manning, other projected Heisman candidates share common struggle

So yes, Texas has played good defenses. These first-quarter offensive numbers against Power Four competition, though, are still woeful. Over those first four quarters:

• Texas ran 49 plays and averaged 3.4 yards.

• Texas gained 10 first downs.

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• Texas lost yardage on seven plays.

• Texas lost 40 additional yards on penalties.

• Texas didn’t have a gain longer than 24 yards.

• Texas averaged 2.8 yards per rush.

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• Texas averaged 6.7 yards per pass completion.

The Longhorns aren’t naive about the importance of scoring early — Sarkisian said earlier this month that “if I had my druthers, we’d kick off, three-and-out, they’d punt it and we’d get good field position and go score, right?” But in reality, seven of the nine drives that Texas started and finished in the first quarter of a Power Four matchup ended with punter Jack Bouwmeester on the field, and that was also the case for a possession against Florida that carried over into the second quarter. Additionally, Texas failed to convert a fourth-down attempt at Ohio State’s 43-yard line during in the first quarter of the opener and missed a 55-yard field goal try against Oklahoma.

“(We need to) just bring more juice,” running back Quintrevion Wisner said. “We came into this year with not a totally new offense, but new players around the board. Just everybody finding their selves, finding their goal, finding their role for the team, their purpose in the program and just bringing the juice. Just coming out and starting early.”

In the first quarter of UT’s Power Four games, quarterback Arch Manning has completed 15 of his 25 passes. On Monday he expressed that getting off to better offensive starts in SEC play was about “just getting in a groove, playing physical from the jump, not waiting until the third, fourth drive, second half to get going and just staying connected.”

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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks the field during the game against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian walks the field during the game against Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida.

Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Texas will attempt to get off to a better start against Mississippi State

Sarkisian, who said this week that he wouldn’t surrender play-calling duties, enters games with a script of plays he wants to open with. This week, that script will be used as Texas tries to beat a Mississippi State team that’s allowing 20.3 points and 351.3 yards per game.

More: Five things to know about SEC opponent Mississippi State

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Mississippi State is outscoring its opponents by a 72-19 margin in the first quarter, and 13 of the first-quarter points it has surrendered came against Power Four competition. Ranked Texas A&M and Arizona State teams were shut out over the first 15 minutes of their games against Mississippi State.

Last year, Texas made its SEC debut against Mississippi State. With Manning filling in for an injured Quinn Ewers at Royal-Memorial Stadium, Texas put together a five-play, 72-yard touchdown drive on its first offensive possession. The Longhorns also fumbled at Mississippi State’s 21-yard line in the first quarter of a 35-13 win.