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No. 11 Texas Tries to Keep Its Surge Going as Wounded Mississippi State Visits Austin

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No. 11 Texas (5-2, 2-2 SEC) has spent two weeks turning its season around, and the Longhorns get a Halloween night stage to prove it is real when Mississippi State (4-3, 2-3 SEC) visits Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Texas was ranked 19th a week ago. Then the Longhorns beat then-No. 7 Ole Miss 34-27, their second top-10 win of the season, and shot up eight spots in the AP poll. Arch Manning went 18-of-30 for 212 yards and a touchdown in the win, and running back Raleek Brown carried the ground game with 157 yards on 23 carries. The foundation, though, is a defense allowing just 19.1 points per game, and an offense converting 92.9 percent of its red-zone trips into scores.

Mississippi State is heading the other direction. The Bulldogs opened 4-0 and climbed to No. 16, but three straight losses — 56-23 to Alabama, 31-0 to LSU and 23-15 to Oklahoma — have flipped their season. The offense is still dangerous on paper, averaging 30.0 points and 439.7 yards per game with balance (264.7 passing, 175.0 rushing), but the quarterback room is the week’s biggest question. Starter Kamario Taylor aggravated a right-foot injury in the first quarter against Oklahoma and was set to be evaluated early in the week; Puckett, who went 17-of-24 for 158 yards and a touchdown in relief, and AJ Swann are the next options if Taylor cannot go.

Texas has injury problems of its own. Left tackle Trevor Goosby was carted off with a knee injury against Ole Miss and wide receiver Cam Coleman left with a shoulder injury; coach Steve Sarkisian said neither situation looked good afterward. The Longhorns were already without edge rusher Colin Simmons and running back Hollywood Smothers.

The matchup that decides it is Mississippi State’s offense against that Texas defense. The Bulldogs have not beaten Texas since 1992 and lost both meetings since the Longhorns joined the SEC, including a 45-38 shootout in Starkville last season. If their quarterback situation stabilizes, they can score enough to hang around. If not, Texas keeps rolling toward November with its playoff path intact.

Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN. Venue: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas.

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Halloween Under the Lights in Ames: No. 24 Oklahoma State’s Air Show Meets a Desperate Iowa State

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October 28, 2026

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Iowa State gets its first night game of the season at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, and the opponent is the Big 12’s most entertaining surprise. No. 24 Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) visits the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1, with Halloween in Ames as the backdrop.

Almost nobody saw Oklahoma State coming. The Cowboys lost their opener to Tulsa, and first-year head coach Eric Morris — who brought quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins with him from North Texas — has gone 5-1 since, the only other loss a three-point game at Houston. Mestemaker has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country: 65.7 percent completions, 2,326 passing yards (second-most in the FBS), 20 touchdowns against six interceptions. Oklahoma State averages 40.0 points and 529.1 yards per game, and just hung 598 yards on Colorado in a 57-24 win that put the Cowboys back in the AP Top 25 after a one-week absence.

Iowa State’s week has been about a decision. After playing two quarterbacks in a 39-3 loss to Arizona, head coach Jimmy Rogers announced Tuesday that Jaylen Raynor will start. Raynor has started every game this season, going 93-of-158 for 1,107 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions, with 145 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. The Cyclones need three more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and their path runs through home: their only loss in Ames came against Utah, and their last home game was a 45-42 shootout win over West Virginia.

History gives Iowa State a real argument. The Cyclones won the last two meetings, 20-13 in Stillwater last season and 34-27 in Ames in 2023, though Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 34-22-3. The deciding matchup is Mestemaker against an Iowa State defense allowing 24.1 points per game: if the Cyclones can slow the Cowboys’ tempo and make this a fourth-quarter game, the crowd and the moment give them a shot. If Oklahoma State gets to 40 again, the ranking survives and the Big 12 race keeps its wildest story.

Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 7:00 p.m. ET. TV: FS1. Venue: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa.

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