Mississippi State Faces Texas in First SEC Match Without Quarterback Shapen

The Mississippi State football team is set to play its first game without starting quarterback Blake Shapen following his recent injury in last week’s loss to Florida. Freshman quarterback, now thrust into his first career start, will lead Mississippi State (1-3, 0-1 SEC) as they face the Texas Longhorns (4-0) in their conference debut at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The game is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

Texas holds the No. 2 ranking nationally, boasting victories over Colorado State, Michigan, UTSA, and Louisiana-Monroe. The matchup against Mississippi State marks Texas’s entry into Southeastern Conference (SEC) play.

During the game, Texas’s quarterback, Manning, made a notable connection with DeAndre Moore Jr. on a 49-yard touchdown pass, occurring with only 29 seconds left in the second quarter. Mississippi State demonstrated promising ground play and robust defensive tactics, noteworthy as Kyle Ferrie secured his second field goal of the half, a 31-yard goal before halftime. Mississippi State capitalized on a strategic play as Zakari Tillman partially blocked a punt, giving them advantageous field position.

The Longhorns made a swift impact with their initial touchdown in just five plays, as Jaydon Blue crossed into the end zone with 6:06 left in the first quarter.

This game is pivotal for Mississippi State, yet the current roster challenges with six players, including key positions, sidelined due to injuries, including Shapen, Keyvone Lee, Creed Whittemore, Trent Hudson, and Kalvin Dinkins. Texas also faces uncertainty with quarterback Quinn Ewers‘ status marked as questionable. The weather forecast predicts a warm kickoff at 95 degrees with breezy 8 mph winds and no expected rain.

Looking at both teams’ performances to date; Mississippi State opened their season against Eastern Kentucky, lost to Arizona State, Toledo, and Florida before confronting Texas. Meanwhile, Texas dominated its early season games against Colorado State, Michigan, UTSA, and Louisiana-Monroe.