College Football57 min ago2 minute read

Injury Troubles Hit Texas Ahead of Ole Miss Matchup

Texas will be without Hollywood Smothers and Colin Simmons as they try to avoid a third straight loss.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Longhorns Missing Key Players Against Ole Miss

The No. 19 Texas Longhorns will be without top tailback Hollywood Smothers for Saturday's game against No. 7 Ole Miss. Smothers suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of last week's loss to Florida. He leads Texas with 289 rushing yards on 65 carries with two touchdowns this season.

With Smothers out on the SEC availability report, Raleek Brown and freshman Derrek Cooper should see increased carries. Texas is trying to avoid a third straight loss after rising to the No. 1 ranking earlier this year. The Longhorns are currently 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play.

The team will also be missing edge rusher Colin Simmons due to an ankle injury suffered against the Gators. Simmons leads the nation with 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. His 31.5 career sacks are third in school history and the fourth most by an FBS player through his first three seasons over the last 20 years.

Quarterback Pressure on Arch Manning

Starting quarterback Arch Manning has struggled recently. He had critical fourth quarter turnovers in back to back losses against the Oklahoma Sooners and Florida. Manning ranks tenth in the SEC with a 63.9 percent completion percentage, throwing five interceptions and 11 touchdown passes.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said he would evaluate everything about the offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback KJ Lacey took increased first team snaps in practice this week.

"Arch can play better for us," Sarkisian told reporters. "He's our starter. But I need a better version of Arch Manning." Sarkisian described Manning as edgy right now, adding that he looks forward to watching him compete on Saturday night.

What it means for the next game

Ole Miss Rebels at Texas Longhorns (College Football, Sat, 24 Oct): Texas Longhorns win 53%, Ole Miss Rebels win 47%; projected score Texas Longhorns 29, Ole Miss Rebels 25. Our safest pick: Over 43.5 points.

Mississippi State Bulldogs at Texas Longhorns (College Football, Sat, 31 Oct): Texas Longhorns win 78%, Mississippi State Bulldogs win 22%; projected score Texas Longhorns 33, Mississippi State Bulldogs 21. Our safest pick: Texas to win.