Sarkisian Says Texas Must Prepare as if Kamario Taylor Plays: 'This Guy Is a Very Dangerous Player'

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is preparing for Mississippi State's best version on Halloween night, quarterback included. 'Mississippi State is, obviously, a very dangerous football team. Kamario Taylor is a fantastic quarterback,' Sarkisian said ahead of Saturday's game, in a report by Sports Illustrated's Mississippi State site. 'Understandably, he's going through some stuff from an injury standpoint, but we have to prepare as if he's going to play because this guy is a very dangerous player.'

The caution has a recent history behind it. Taylor emerged as a breakout star during the Bulldogs' 4-0 start, throwing 14 touchdown passes across the first four games and drawing early Heisman Trophy consideration, the report said. A right foot injury suffered against Missouri in Week 4, aggravated against Alabama, has complicated his season since: he returned against Oklahoma on October 24, exited after scrambling on a failed fourth-down attempt, and watched the rest of that game from the sideline wearing a boot. Mississippi State has not publicly clarified the exact nature of the injury.

The matchup, Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on ESPN, pairs a No. 11 Texas team (5-2) that has gone 1-2 in games played in Austin this month, per the report, with a Mississippi State team (4-3, 2-3 in the SEC) that has lost three straight after its unbeaten start and is seeking its first victory at Texas since 1992.

Last year's meeting is the other reason for care. Texas beat Mississippi State 45-38 in overtime in Starkville in 2025 - after the Bulldogs led 38-21 in the fourth quarter and the Longhorns scored 17 unanswered points to force the extra period. A team that has already taken Texas to that edge once, with a dual-threat quarterback Texas is choosing to plan for, is not one the Longhorns can afford to meet unprepared, whatever the final injury report says.