Score and live updates from Arch Manning, Texas vs. Mississippi State: Longhorns lead in third quarter

Texas didn’t expect to have a single-digit lead at halftime, but that’s where the No. 1 Longhorns are, leading Mississippi State 14-6.

The Bulldogs held off possession for 21 minutes, 3 seconds compared to the Longhorns’ 8:57. The strategy makes sense considering Mississippi State is bringing a true freshman quarterback on the road, and it proved effective as it limited Texas to just four possessions in the first half.

A turnover wiped out one of those Texas drives in the red zone, and a missed third-down pass from Johntay Cook wiped out a long touchdown. Without these errors, Texas could be ahead by three or more points, but the margin for error decreases when it is difficult to gain possession.

Redshirt freshman Arch Manning had a solid performance in the first half, completing 15 of 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. He took better care of the ball and didn’t throw it into danger areas like he did in his first start last week against Louisiana-Monroe.

But the Texas offense fell largely on Manning’s shoulders, as the Longhorns only passed the ball to a running back six times for 12 yards. It will be interesting to see if the Longhorns have more possession in the second half.