Texas vs. Mississippi State 2026: Kickoff Time, TV Channel & Preview
On paper this is the softest SEC game on the Texas home schedule. Last October it was the hardest ninety minutes of the Longhorns' season.
Texas hosts Mississippi State on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. The SEC has slotted it into a night window of 5 to 7 p.m. CT, with the network still to be assigned. It closes a three-week home stand and is the last game before three November road trips.
Quick Facts
| Matchup | Mississippi State Bulldogs at Texas Longhorns |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, October 31, 2026 |
| Kickoff | Night start: 5–7 p.m. CT |
| Venue | Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin |
| TV | Network not yet assigned |
| All-time series | Texas leads 3-2 |
| Last meeting | Oct. 25, 2025 — Texas 45, Mississippi State 38 (OT) |
| Context | Third of three straight home SEC games |
| Next up | Three November road trips begin at Missouri |
Why This Texas Football Game Matters
There is a version of this preview that treats the game as a formality — a Halloween evening against a Mississippi State side that lost sixteen consecutive conference games across recent seasons. That version would be wrong, and last October is the reason.
Texas went to Starkville ranked 22nd, trailed 31-14 after three quarters, and was seventeen points down with twelve minutes left. Ryan Niblett returned a punt 79 yards to tie it with 1:47 remaining, Arch Manning left injured, and backup Matthew Caldwell threw the winning touchdown in overtime. Sarkisian called it a culture win afterwards. It was also very nearly a season-ending defeat.
The scheduling context sharpens it further. This is the third of three straight home games and the last comfortable date on the calendar. What follows is Missouri away, LSU away, Arkansas at home and Texas A&M away. A team with one eye on November is exactly the team that loses this one.
Series History: Texas Leads 3-2
This is among the shortest series Texas has with any SEC opponent. It began in 1921 with a 54-7 Texas win in Austin, went dormant for seventy years, then produced three meetings in the 1990s that ended with a Texas victory in the 1999 Cotton Bowl.
Mississippi State took two of those 1990s games, which is why the series sat level at 2-2 when Texas arrived in the SEC. The overtime win in Starkville last season put the Longhorns ahead for the first time in a quarter of a century.
The 2026 meeting is the first in Austin since the series resumed, and the sixth overall.
Key Matchups
Not repeating Starkville
Texas trailed 31-14 after three quarters in this fixture last season and needed a punt return and overtime to survive. Whatever the records say in October, the tape from that afternoon is the reason nobody in Austin will treat this as a walkover.
A Halloween date before a brutal November
This is the last home game before road trips to Missouri and LSU. Teams looking ahead to November lose games exactly like this one, against exactly this kind of opponent.
Explosive plays through the air
Mississippi State threw for 381 yards in last year's meeting. If the Bulldogs can move the ball in chunks again, a game that looks straightforward on paper becomes a nervous afternoon quickly.
Finishing three home games unbeaten
Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State in consecutive weeks in Austin is the friendliest stretch on the Texas schedule. Going 3-0 through it is close to essential given what follows.
Prediction
No line posted this far out. Texas should open a heavy favourite at home, though anyone who watched last year's meeting will be slower to lay the points than the number suggests.
Texas comfortably
Home field, a considerable talent gap and a Bulldogs programme that has struggled badly in conference play all point the same way. The caveat is that every one of those things was true last October too, and Texas needed overtime. Expect a win, but not necessarily a relaxing one.
Odds move all week. Check a current sportsbook before kickoff. Please gamble responsibly. Nothing on this page is betting advice.
How to Watch and What to Know
The night window is set at 5 to 7 p.m. CT; the network has not been assigned. Expect confirmation around six days out, with the game likely landing on SEC Network or ESPN2 unless Texas is in the national title conversation by late October.
Tickets should be among the easier gets on the home schedule, and late October in Austin is close to ideal weather for watching football. Check the current clear bag policy before travelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Texas vs. Mississippi State in 2026?
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Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. The SEC has given it a night window of 5 to 7 p.m. CT, with the exact time confirmed closer to the date.
What channel is the game on?
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Not yet assigned. SEC games are spread across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and SEC Network, with the specific network typically confirmed about six days beforehand.
Who leads the all-time series?
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Texas leads 3-2. It is one of the shortest series among the Longhorns' SEC opponents, starting in 1921 and including three meetings in the 1990s.
What happened the last time they played?
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Texas won 45-38 in overtime at Starkville on October 25, 2025. The Longhorns trailed 31-14 after three quarters, tied it on a 79-yard Ryan Niblett punt return with 1:47 to play, and won in the extra period.
Is this a home game for Texas?
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Yes, in Austin. It closes a three-game home stand that starts with Florida on October 17 and continues with Ole Miss on October 24.
Who does Texas play after Mississippi State?
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The Longhorns go on the road to Missouri on November 7, then LSU on November 14, before hosting Arkansas on November 21 and finishing at Texas A&M on November 27.
When did the series start?
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1921, when Texas won 54-7 in Austin. The programs then met three times in the 1990s, with Texas taking the 1999 Cotton Bowl.
How do I get tickets?
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Through the official Texas ticket partner or a verified resale site. As a late-October home game against a non-marquee opponent, this should be among the more affordable dates on the home schedule.
What's the weather like in Austin on Halloween?
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Typically mild. Late October and early November is comfortable football weather in Austin, well past the September heat.
What's the bag policy at DKR?
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Clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, one-gallon clear storage bags, and small clutches up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches. All bags are inspected at entry.