STARKVILLE — The No. 22 Texas Longhorns (6-2, 3-1) managed to escape Starkville after defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-4, 0-4) in overtime, 45-38, after a major second-half comeback.

Texas got off to a hot start, forcing the Bulldogs to a three-and-out before driving 63 yards down the field in two plays to score a touchdown and take an early 7-0 lead after quarterback Arch Manning ran the ball in from three yards out.

Both teams traded three-and-outs on offense before Mississippi State’s offense regained possession of the ball. After moving the ball 31 yards downfield, the Bulldogs attempted a field goal, which was blocked by Texas’ Ethan Burke.

However, it was the usual story for the Longhorns’ offense, as it went three-and-out. After punting back to Mississippi State, the Bulldogs found rhythm, scoring in just six plays as Mississippi State’s quarterback, Blake Shapen, threw a 13-yard touchdown.

Once the Bulldogs tied the game at seven points, both teams went scoreless for a couple of drives before the Longhorns’ offense ran four minutes off the clock on a four-minute-long 10-play drive to score and regain the lead.

But the Mississippi State offense found rhythm of its own, going 83 yards in 11 plays to tie the game for the second time.

A couple of drives later, Manning made his first big mistake of the game, throwing an interception to Bulldog cornerback Kelley Jones. The Bulldogs took advantage of the turnover, driving down the field and kicking a field goal to take the lead.

The Texas offense then lost six yards in three plays and punted, giving Mississippi State the ball with 1:36 left in the half.

Mississippi State put together a drive that consisted of six plays, three of which went for more than 10 yards, and ultimately finished it up with a touchdown as Shapen found Bulldog wide receiver Brennen Thompson for a 23-yard touchdown.

By halftime, Manning had thrown just 12-19 for 99 yards, while the entire offense had only acquired 31 rushing yards.

The second half went relatively slowly, though, as the first score came as the Bulldogs found their way to the end zone after going 80 yards in eight plays, extending their lead and making it a 31-14 game.

However, the Texas offense finally found momentum of its own. Manning got things going fast, starting the drive off with a nice 15-yard pass to wide receiver Emmett Mosley. He then found wide receiver Ryan Wingo for a big 62-yard gain a couple of plays later. It was Wingo’s second play of 60 yards or more, and it assisted the Longhorns in scoring just four plays later.

As Texas’ momentum seemed to be building after it made it a 10-point game, Shapen found Mississippi State running back Devon Booth for a short check-down. However, he found his way behind the defense and scored a 62-yard touchdown, increasing the Mississippi State lead back to 17 points, making it even more difficult for the Longhorns.

But the Longhorns proved the task wasn’t too much for them. The Texas offense that had been missing all season finally hit the field. Manning threw 5-8 for 55 yards, and with the help of just one 5-yard rush, Texas scored to make it a 10-point game.

The Longhorns’ defense had the energy and momentum, stepped up and forced a three-and-out. On the next drive, Texas found more success, moving the ball effectively. The Longhorns went 53 yards down the field and kicked a field goal.

After the Bulldogs’ offense went three-and-out again, Ryan Niblett made his name known again, returning the Mississippi State punt 79 yards for a big touchdown to tie the game at 38 with under two minutes to go.

The Longhorns then held Mississippi State to just 25 yards in seven plays, forcing a punt, effectively taking the game into overtime. It was a half to be remembered, as Texas scored 24 unanswered points, with Manning throwing for 257 yards.

In overtime, Manning got started with a 13-yard rush to put Texas on the 12-yard line. However, Manning struggled to get up. After sustaining an injury on the run, Manning went to the medical tent, and quarterback Matthew Caldwell came out.

Running back Tre Wisner ran up the middle for a gain of seven on the next play, but it got offset after a penalty on the Longhorn pushed the offense back by five yards. Then, on the 10-yard line, Caldwell hit Mosley in the back right corner of the end zone on a dime, which Mosley impressively hauled in on a toe tap for a touchdown to take a 45-38 lead.

The Texas defense then had perhaps its best and most important drive of the season. As the Bulldogs hit the field, the Longhorns forced three straight incompletions before sacking Shapen on fourth down to secure the victory.

The Longhorns are now 6-2 overall, and 3-1 in SEC play. Next up for Texas is No. 10 Vanderbilt at home.