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Mississippi State

QUICK RECAP: No. 22 Texas 45, Mississippi State 38 (Overtime)

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk6 hours agoRobbieFaulkOn3
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Blake Shapen, Colin Simmons (Petre Thomas-Imagn Images)

Mississippi State had every opportunity to go take an SEC game for the second week in a row.

After a Davon Booth 64-yard touchdown, the Bulldogs took a 38-21 lead with under 13 minutes left and Davis Wade Stadium was riding high. Nearly 12 minutes later, the game was tied.

Texas sent the game to overtime, and the No. 22 Longhorns took it in overtime 45-38. The loss was the 16th-straight SEC defeat for the Bulldogs and dropped head coach Jeff Lebby to 0-12 in conference games.  

“It takes us being together. That’s the only way this happens,” Lebby said of trying to find a way to a win. “Everybody having great ownership, taking great responsibility and finding ways to go close the game out,” Lebby said. “We’re up 17 points two different times in the fourth quarter. The only way we get done what we want to get done is being together, putting our head down and fixing it.”

The Longhorns (6-2, 3-1 SEC) trailed 38-21 with 12:29 remaining in the ball game when Booth had a 62-yard catch and run for a touchdown for the Bulldogs. A 21-yard passing touchdown from Arch Manning to Emmett Mosley with 9:34 left and then a Mason Shipley 26-yard field goal in the final 5 minutes closed the game to a score.

Manning finished the game 29 of 46 for 346 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and he had a rushing touchdown. He left the game after the first play in overtime due to an injury and backup quarterback Matthew Caldwell threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Mosely.

For the Bulldogs (4-4, 0-4 SEC) it was total devastation. Quarterback Blake Shapen was having a career ball game and finished 26 of 42 for 381 yards and four touchdowns, but the QB couldn’t find a way to win.

State had 445 yards of total offense as the Longhorns surrendered their most yards and points of the season. Texas finished with 428 yards on the day. The Bulldogs had 5.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss, but the Longhorns’ 7.0 sacks were the difference as Shapen was dropped four times in the final 5 minutes of regulation and overtime.

The Bulldogs had 134 yards rushing before sacks, but the Longhorns bagged Shapen 7.0 times holding the Bulldogs to a total of 63 yards and 1.5 yards per rush. It negated another really good game from Booth as he had 24 carries and 99 yards, just missing a second-straight 100-yard performance. He had three catches for 85 yards and a touchdown as well.

For the better part of three seasons, the Bulldogs have found ways to lose SEC games. They did it again on Saturday in spectacular fashion and lost their 16th-straight conference game.

“It’s frustrating. We’ve got to be able to close games out better,” Shapen said. “It comes down to who wants it more. I think our team does want it more, but we’ve got to be able to show that more.”

State now has to travel to take on another team that’s been finding ways to lose games in Arkansas. The Razorbacks (2-6, 0-4 SEC) will host the Bulldogs in Fayetteville next Saturday at 3 p.m. on SEC Network.

“We’re going to find out what kind of foundation we have as we go on the road and play another really good football team,” Lebby said. “We’ve got to find a way to knock that door down. Incredibly disappointing, frustrating to say the least. We’ve got to finish the game and go win it and our guys understand that.”

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