# College Football Week 9: Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-3) vs. Texas Longhorns (5-2) Game Preview and Predictions

Source page: https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/news/college-football-week-9-mississippi-state-bulldogs-4-3-vs-texas-longhorns-5-2-game-preview

> Texas hosts Mississippi State on Saturday night as the Longhorns try to build on a win while the Bulldogs try to snap a three-game slide.

By Cole Saturday · Published 2026-10-30 23:41 UTC

_Drafted with AI from our own data and checked by an editor._

Texas tries to make it two straight while Mississippi State tries to find any kind of answer after three losses in a row.

The [Mississippi State Bulldogs](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/mississippi-state-bulldogs) come in at 4-3 and carry an L3 streak into Austin. The [Texas Longhorns](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/teams/texas-longhorns) sit at 5-2 and ride a W1 streak into Saturday night's kickoff at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.

## Game details

- When | Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET
- Where | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium
- TV | ESPN
- Line | Texas Longhorns -20 | O/U 50.5 (market view)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs record | 4-3
- Texas Longhorns record | 5-2

## The matchup

Mississippi State's slide has been rough to watch on paper. The Bulldogs lost 15-23 to the Oklahoma Sooners, then got shut out 0-31 by the LSU Tigers, then got run off the field 23-56 by the Alabama Crimson Tide. Before that stretch, though, the Bulldogs could score with anybody, beating the Missouri Tigers 31-24 and the South Carolina Gamecocks 41-34.

Texas has been up and down too, just in a different way. The Longhorns beat the Ole Miss Rebels 34-27 in their last outing, but that followed back-to-back one-score losses, 24-27 to the Florida Gators and 24-27 to the Oklahoma Sooners. Before those two slipped away, Texas handled the Tennessee Volunteers 20-17 and the UTSA Roadrunners 30-6.

## Key matchups

This one comes down to Texas's defense against a Mississippi State offense trying to get back on track. The Longhorns have allowed just 134 points all season, a number that stands out next to a Bulldogs offense that has scored 210 points on the year.

Flip it around and Texas's offense, which has put up 215 points this season, faces a Mississippi State defense that has given up 194. Whichever side wins the field-position battle early figures to control how fast this one gets out of hand.

## The pick

The market has Texas favored by 20.0 points with a projected score of 35-15 and a total of 50.5. Given Texas's defensive numbers and Mississippi State's three-game skid, including a shutout and a blowout loss, the Longhorns look like the side with the real edge here.

Mississippi State has shown it can score in bursts against the right matchup, so the total is worth watching, but nothing in the Bulldogs' recent results suggests they can slow down a Texas team that just found its footing again.

## Recent results

- Team | Last games
- Mississippi State Bulldogs | Wk8 L 15-23 vs Oklahoma Sooners, Wk7 L 0-31 vs LSU Tigers, Wk5 L 23-56 vs Alabama Crimson Tide
- Texas Longhorns | Wk8 W 34-27 vs Ole Miss Rebels, Wk7 L 24-27 vs Florida Gators, Wk6 L 24-27 vs Oklahoma Sooners

[**Game page**](https://profootballnewshub.com/ncaa/game/3057)

*Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our [editorial standards](https://profootballnewshub.com/editorial-standards).*

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