Texas wins but loses five key players in Halloween rout

Texas football players left the field in pain on Saturday night after a 31-3 victory over Mississippi State. Three offensive skill players and two defensive starters exited the game in Bixler Field and did not return. Head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the injuries in a postgame interview. The Longhorns will face the Missouri Tigers next week.

The offensive losses included wide receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, along with running back Hollywood Smothers. Coleman left the game in the second quarter. He sat out the remainder of the contest on the sideline without his uniform. Wingo did not finish the game, according to Sarkisian. Smothers entered the medical tent in the fourth quarter after holding both legs on the turf.

The defensive unit lost two starters as well. Defensive backs Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips both left the game due to injury. They did not return to the field. Their absence removed two key pieces from the defense built by coordinator Will Muschamp.

Sarkisian said the team must focus on recovering these players immediately. He stated that getting as many of them back as possible will improve the team's performance. The coach declined to specify the nature of any of the injuries. Coleman has now missed time due to injury in back-to-back games. He left the previous week's win over Ole Miss in the third quarter with an apparent shoulder injury.

Quarterback Arch Manning completed three touchdown passes and threw four incompletions during the win. He was sacked five times and carried the ball 13 times. Manning limped after several hard hits on the ground. His hand was bloodied and wrapped with tape in the second quarter. Manning said the blood came from a scab that ripped open.

Sarkisian expressed concern about the number of sacks his quarterback took. He noted that the offensive line was not proud of that performance. The coach said he did not want Manning to endure that many hits. He acknowledged that running is part of Manning's game but warned that there is a line the team must not cross to keep him healthy.

Left tackle Trevor Goosby is out for the rest of the 2026 season with a knee injury. The team received potential good news regarding edge rusher Colin Simmons. Simmons missed the last two games with an ankle sprain. He was listed as questionable on Wednesday and doubtful on Thursday before being ruled out on Friday. However, he participated in drills near full speed during warmups on Saturday. He could return to the field as early as next week. His return would add a pass rusher to a defense that ranks fourth in the SEC against the pass.