As the Mississippi State Bulldogs come to Austin, they will be without star (or should I say, "super") quarterback Kamario Taylor, after he was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury that will require surgery.
That means the Bulldogs will have backup QB Parker Puckett, a redshirt freshman who has appeared in just four games throughout his career, slinging the ball.
In other words, the dominant Texas defense is primed to have a field day against Mississippi State, but it may change star edge rusher Colin Simmons' tune on how he motivates his defensive unit ahead of game day.
Last week, while Simmons was sidelined with a sprained ankle, the edge rusher offered $500 to whichever player out of the entire Texas defense forced the first turnover against the Ole Miss Rebels.
That payout went to linebacker Justin Cryer, who picked off Trinidad Chambliss. However, when fellow linebacker Rasheem Biles brought in another INT against the Rebels, Simmons was worried that he would have to shell out another $500. Luckily, Biles cut him some slack and said it only needed to go to the first turnover creator of the game.
Colin Simmons, who did not play Saturday, offered $500 to the first person to get a takeaway, Rasheem Biles said.
— David Eckert (@davideckert98) October 26, 2026
That was Justin Cryer.
When Biles got the second interception of the game, Simmons asked him if he owed him $500 too.
"Nah, you good," Biles told him.
This week, with a backup quarterback leading Mississippi State's charge, and the Bulldogs' offense already beaten and battered, Simmons may not want to make his source of motivation a financial one,
Longhorns primed to continue turnover machine vs. Parker Puckett
Of course, the reason that Simmons was willing to offer up cash for something as simple as forcing a turnover was that the Horns had been in a rut on the defensive side of the ball, even while still boasting one of the best defenses in the country.
Before the win over Ole Miss, it had been five weeks since the Longhorns had last forced a turnover, going without an interception or a fumble recovery against Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Florida.
Against Ole Miss, the Horns racked up three interceptions, so the motivation may not have quite the same edge, no matter how much money Simmons is willing to offer. However, with Texas going up against a backup quarterback, the chances for the Longhorns to produce turnovers may be a little too easy for anyone to place a financial incentive on.
As Mississippi State lost to the Oklahoma Sooners last week, Puckett threw an interception while completing only 17 passes and throwing just one touchdown. In fact, Puckett actually has more interceptions (2) than passing touchdowns (1).
While facing some of the top defenses in the SEC over the last three weeks (Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma), Puckett has completed less than 70% of his pass attempts, has run for less than 80 yards, and has struggled to keep his offense on the field.
While Simmons is still sidelined with his ankle injury, the rest of the defense (now led by players like Biles, Cryer, and more) continues to be primed for dominance.
Add us as a preferred source on Google