Texas crushed Mississippi State 31-3 on Halloween night, but the scoreboard didn't tell the whole story. Five key Longhorns left injured, adding to Steve Sarkisian's already depleted roster. So much for an easy win. Now, with multiple players potentially facing extended absences, Texas could pay a steep price heading into a brutal November stretch.
Texas was already without starting offensive tackle Trevor Goosby, who has been ruled out for the season, along with edge rushers Colin Simmons and Richard Wesley. Now, five more injury concerns have left Sarkisian with difficult roster decisions ahead of Missouri.
"Graceson Littleton didn't finish the game, Cam Coleman didn't finish the game, Kade Phillips didn't finish the game, Hollywood Smothers didn't finish the game, Ryan Wingo didn't finish the game," Sarkisian said after the win. "The severity of all those guys is unknown at the moment. … That recovery has to start now for a lot of these guys."
Among the biggest concerns are running back Hollywood Smothers and defensive back Graceson Littleton, both of whom exited against Mississippi State with apparent lower-body injuries. Subsequent injury reporting suggested Smothers could miss the remainder of the regular season, while Littleton could also face an extended absence. Sarkisian, however, expects a clearer assessment of the injured players by midweek.
Smothers, who had recently dealt with a shoulder injury, went down in the second half and was seen holding his left knee before trainers helped him off the field. The incident drew an audible reaction from the crowd watching the replay. He finished with four carries for minus-six yards.
Meanwhile, Littleton exited early with an apparent ankle or heel issue. Despite testing his movement with trainers during halftime, he never returned. The defensive back has recorded 27 tackles, five passes defended, and one interception this season, making his potential absence particularly concerning for Texas.
To make matters worse, sophomore cornerback Kade Phillips also failed to finish the game. He saw limited action in the second half after reportedly dealing with a lingering groin issue, leaving his availability for the upcoming Missouri matchup in question.
Will Muschamp's defense could now face a depth problem at cornerback. Warren Roberson replaced Littleton at outside corner against Mississippi State, allowing Bo Mascoe to shift into the slot. Both could see increased responsibilities if the injured players remain unavailable.
Over on offense, the wide receiver room took another hit when Cam Coleman exited in the first half. Coleman had opened the game with two catches for 61 yards and a touchdown before returning to the sideline in street clothes.
He appeared to be favoring his left arm, raising concerns after he had already dealt with an upper-body injury following a hard fall against Ole Miss the previous week. Coleman is reportedly questionable for Missouri, putting another important offensive weapon at risk of missing time.
The concern doesn't end there. Ryan Wingo also failed to finish the game and is reportedly undergoing further evaluation for a shoulder injury. Losing another deep threat for an extended period would further complicate Texas' passing attack.
With Coleman and Wingo's availability uncertain, the Longhorns could face a shortened receiver rotation against Missouri. That would put additional pressure on quarterback Arch Manning, who is already playing without starting left tackle Trevor Goosby.
The running back situation isn't much better. With Smothers potentially facing an extended absence and Derrek Cooper dealing with a lingering injury, Texas could lean more heavily on Raleek Brown and Michael Terry III. Cooper managed just one carry for five yards against Mississippi State.
Thankfully, it isn't all bad news for Texas fans. Star EDGE rusher Colin Simmons could provide some much-needed relief, with Texas reportedly hoping to get him back within the next week or two.
"What's gonna be the emphasis for this week? Not only getting these guys back, but obviously Colin. And as many of these guys as we can get back, the better team we're going to be," Sarkisian said.
The timing makes the situation even more concerning. Texas faces consecutive road games against Missouri and LSU, with three of its four November matchups scheduled away from home.
"Big picture, November is obviously a critical month for any team, but most notably for us [is that] three of the four are on the road," Sarkisian said. "It's gonna take all three phases… That's what it's gonna take, when you go on the road in this league, you've gotta pack it all."
Not going to lie, getting Simmons back would give this battered team a much-needed boost. But with five fresh injury concerns and an already depleted roster, Sarkisian could be forced to navigate Texas' most demanding stretch without several key contributors.
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