Mississippi State loses to Texas 31-3 as AJ Swann sustains injury

Mississippi State Sustains Another Quarterback Injury in 31-3 Loss to Texas

Mississippi State football dropped its fourth straight game on October 31, 2026, falling 31-3 to No. 11 Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The defeat pushed the Bulldogs to 4-4 overall and 2-4 in SEC play, while compounding a mounting injury toll that has thoroughly disrupted the team’s offense.

Starting quarterback AJ Swann was knocked out of the game shortly before halftime. Swann suffered a strip-sack that Texas defender Maraad Watson returned 61 yards for a touchdown, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 17-0 with 1:13 left in the first half. Swann landed on his left shoulder during the play and was replaced by Billy Puckett for the remainder of the contest.

Swann’s departure left the Bulldogs without their top remaining signal-caller after star quarterback Kamario Taylor underwent season-ending foot surgery on October 28. Entering the matchup with a depleted roster, Mississippi State was already playing without star quarterback Kamario Taylor.

Offensive Struggles and Second-Half Fallout

The Mississippi State offense continued a prolonged slump in Austin, having scored just 18 points over its last 13 quarters of play.

Mississippi State loses to Texas 31-3 as AJ Swann sustains injury — Photo: sports.yahoo.com

The Bulldogs managed only a single score on the night, a 30-yard field goal by Kyle Ferrie with 8:58 remaining in the third quarter. That kick followed an Arch Manning backward pass that was recovered by Zakari Tillman at the Texas 28-yard line.

Texas answered immediately in the third quarter when Arch Manning connected with Raleek Brown for a 4-yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 24-3. Manning later found Emmett Mosley V for a 42-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring at 31-3.

Physical attrition compounded the offensive difficulties for Mississippi State in the final period. Starting running back Fluff Bothwell walked to the locker room after sustaining an injury early in the fourth quarter, and starting left tackle Miles McVay exited shortly afterward with an apparent upper-body injury. Backup linebacker Derion Gullette also spent the later stages of the game on the sideline wearing a boot on his right foot.

Looking Ahead at the Remainder of the Schedule

With a 4-4 record through October, Mississippi State faces a series of upcoming matchups against Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Tennessee Tech.

However, the feasibility of those goals depends heavily on the health of a rapidly thinning roster. As the team prepares for its November schedule, the immediate status of Swann, Bothwell, and McVay remains central to the offense’s ability to recover from a challenging stretch in conference play.