Mississippi State’s struggling offense leads to 23-15 loss to Oklahoma

Even with a solid performance on the defensive side of the ball, Mississippi State lost to Oklahoma 23-15 on Saturday as the offense stumbled for most of the game.

Star sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor, who missed last week’s 31-0 loss to LSU, suited up to play for the Bulldogs but exited after the first quarter. Jeff Lebby again turned to former walk-on Billy Puckett. Puckett helped the offense get 15 points on the board, though a late comeback attempt fell short.

Here’s how the entire game between Mississippi State (4-3, 2-2 SEC) and Oklahoma (4-3, 2-2) played out in Starkville.

Scoring summary

Mississippi State went three-and-out on its opening possession and failed to score in the first half. Taylor completed two of five passes for 10 yards and took two sacks in the first quarter. He later took a hit when running the ball on fourth down and was taken to the locker room, missing the rest of the game.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Bulldogs’ defense allowed just one score on Oklahoma’s first four possessions. Tate Sandell opened the scoring with a 42-yard field goal on the Sooners’ first drive but missed another attempt before halftime.

Mississippi State appeared poised to score in the second quarter, but Puckett fumbled at the Oklahoma 3-yard line, and the Sooners recovered. Oklahoma capitalized on the turnover with a 14-play drive that ended when quarterback John Mateer found Isaiah Sategna III for a 36-yard touchdown just before halftime.

Oklahoma led 10-0 at the break.

The Sooners extended their lead early in the third quarter when Mateer connected with tight end Rocky Beers for a 32-yard touchdown pass, making it 17-0 with 13:44 remaining in the quarter. Mississippi State failed to respond on its next possession, but Beers fumbled near midfield on Oklahoma’s ensuing drive. Safety Kendel Dolby recovered the ball at the Sooners’ 49-yard line.

The turnover provided a much-needed spark for the Bulldogs, who finally reached the end zone on an 18-yard fourth-down double-pass from tight end Sam West to Camden Capehart with 6:55 left in the third quarter. The touchdown cut Oklahoma’s lead to 17-7.

The Sooners answered with a seven-play drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal, extending the lead to 20-7 with 3:33 remaining in the third quarter. Mississippi State then turned the ball over on downs.

Oklahoma missed two consecutive field goals, but Mississippi State failed to capitalize. The Bulldogs again turned the ball over on downs, and Puckett threw an interception in the back of the end zone.

The Sooners eventually added to their lead with a 38-yard field goal with 4:26 remaining in the fourth quarter, making it 23-7.

Mississippi State continued to fight, putting together an eight-play drive that ended with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Puckett to Sanfrisco Magee with 2:15 left. Magee caught the two-point conversion, pulling the Bulldogs within eight points at 23-15.

Lebby made the strategic decision to turn to his defense – which had been more reliable than the offense – instead of lining up for an onside kick. The decision backfired, though, as Mateer and the Sooners’ rushing attack picked up the necessary yardage to run out the clock.

What the coach said

Lebby, who was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma before accepting the Mississippi State job heading into the 2024 season, was pleased with his team’s defensive showing. But he did note that some of the explosive plays allowed by the unit were due to missed plays or broken coverages.

“I thought we were in position on a couple of them, and we didn’t make the play,” Lebby told reporters. “[Oklahoma’s defense] did make the plays. We had busts where we can’t have busts situationally.”

When asked about Taylor’s injury, Lebby said it was a decision to pull the sophomore quarterback based on protocol.

“On his scramble, when he took off, he felt [pain] a little bit and so I felt like the right thing to do was get him out of the game,” Lebby said. “We’ll know a lot more tomorrow. We’ll know more Monday as we move through.”

Taylor has been dealing with a turf toe injury in his right foot.

Numbers

Oklahoma outgained Mississippi State 467 yards to 352 yards.
Mississippi State running back Fluff Bothwell, who played for the first time since Oct. 3 against Alabama, came back from injury and rushed the ball 17 times for 111 yards. The Bulldogs had 166 yards on the ground.
Mississippi State quarterback Billy Puckett was 17 of 24 passing for 158 yards and a touchdown with one interception. He added 37 rushing yards on seven carries.
Mississippi State wide receiver Sanfrisco Magee was the only Bulldog receiver with extensive yardage, totaling 65 yards and a score on three catches.
Fatt Forrest and Tyler Lockhart led Mississippi State in tackling with 10 each, while Jaray Bledsoe had a sack and Jardin Gilbert forced a fumble.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was 22 of 29 passing for 283 yards and two touchdowns. He added 37 yards on nine carries.
Oklahoma wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III had a career day with 164 yards and a score on eight catches.
Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell, who won the Lou Gorza Award for the country’s best kicker in 2025, missed three field goals, finishing 3 of 6 on the day. He missed a total of three throughout the entire 2025 season.