First-And-10 To Know: State vs. Texas

STARKVILLE – A tall task, but a great opportunity, awaits Mississippi State this weekend in the Lone Star State.

The Bulldogs will be in Austin to take on No. 1 Texas at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. It's a somewhat historic matchup, too, as the game will be Texas' first-ever Southeastern Conference tilt since officially joining the league this past July.

All that you probably know, but there are some things you might not.

So, let's have a look at 10 items to be aware of headed into State's showdown against the Longhorns:

Saturday's game will be the fifth all-time meeting between MSU and Texas and the first since State fell to the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl following the Bulldogs' 1998 SEC Western Division championship. MSU is 2-2 in the series against Texas, dropping the first-ever game against the Longhorns way back in 1921 before former State head coach Jackie Sherrill led his Dawgs to a 13-6 win in Starkville in 1991 and a 28-10 triumph in Austin in 1992.
When State and Texas square off, it'll mark the 13th time in history the Bulldogs have faced the Associated Press' top-ranked team. Eight of those times have come against Alabama, two against Tennessee, one against LSU, one against Georgia and now, one against Texas.
MSU would love to have a little history repeat itself on Saturday. Back in 1980, Mississippi State topped the nation's top-ranked squad when the Bulldogs beat No. 1 Alabama 6-3 in one of the most memorable State games ever.
No matter what happens Saturday, MSU will repeatedly have chances to earn huge wins in the weeks to come. Including the Texas game, six of State's final eight opponents are ranked inside the Top 25. Five of those games are against foes ranked 11th or higher. There's a chance State could face the country's top two teams in consecutive games as after Texas and a bye week, MSU is slated to battle current No. 2 Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 12.
The Bulldogs will have a new starting quarterback under center this week. Veteran Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending injury last Saturday, so per MSU head coach Jeff Lebby, true freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. will get first crack at guiding the Bulldog offense against Texas. Redshirt freshman Chris Parson could also see time at quarterback. Parson played in two games and started one for the Bulldogs last year.
Van Buren, who came to State as a four-star prospect, will be playing in his third career game. He saw action against Eastern Kentucky in this year's season opener ahead of entering against Florida last week following Shapen's injury. Van Buren didn't throw a pass against EKU, but against the Gators, completed seven of his 13 throws for 100 yards.
One of Van Buren's best potential weapons in Saturday's game could end up being another Bulldog true freshman. Receiver Mario Craver continues to impress early on in his MSU career. Last week against Florida, Craver caught three passes for 62 yards. He now ranks third among all SEC freshmen in receiving touchdowns. Craver is also tied for sixth nationally and is second in the SEC in total touchdowns among freshmen.
The Bulldogs could certainly benefit on Saturday from building on the best rushing performance of the Lebby era. MSU rushed for a season-high 240 yards last week against Florida. Johnnie Daniels ran for 77 yards while Davon Booth added 75.
Meanwhile, on the defensive side, safety Isaac Smith will look to continue his strong start to the season, pending his availability after he left last Saturday's game due to injury. Smith has been State's leading tackler in all four games this year and now has 51 for the season. That total is the third-most in all of college football.
Following Saturday's affair, MSU will enjoy its first of two bye weeks this season. In addition to not having a game on Oct. 5, the Bulldogs will also be off on Nov. 16.

Mississippi State University Athletics

First-And-10 To Know: State vs. Texas

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Players Mentioned

Davon Booth

Mario Craver

Johnnie Daniels

Chris Parson

Blake Shapen

Isaac Smith

Michael Van Buren Jr.

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