Texas makes its long-awaited SEC debut against Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon. While it will be the Longhorns' first official game as a conference member, they have plenty of experience with the league. Since 2000, the Longhorns have played SEC opponents 14 times, compiling a record of 6-8. Against current members of the SEC (excluding Oklahoma), Texas boasts a 178-89-8 mark.
Over the last 24 years, Texas has produced mixed results against its new league mates. It is especially familiar with Arkansas, which it has played five times with a record of 1-4. On the other hand, the Longhorns have a nice feather in their cap with a rare postseason win over Georgia in the Kirby Smart era.
Let's take a look back at how Texas has fared against the SEC in the 21st century.
Jan. 1, 2000: No. 24 Arkansas 27, No. 14 Texas 6
The Longhorns kicked off the new millennium with a date against former Southwest Conference foe Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl, and it was a long day for the offense. Quarterbacks Chris Simms and Major Applewhite were sacked a combined eight times, and Texas totaled 45 rushing yards as the Razorbacks camped out in the Texas backfield all day long.
Despite the Horns' offensive struggles, it was a 3-3 game late in the third quarter, but long rushing touchdowns from Michael Jenkins and Cedric Cobbs iced the win for Arkansas.
Jan. 1, 2003: No. 9 Texas 35, LSU 20
Three years later Texas met LSU in the Cotton Bowl and got a better result, but it didn't look like that would be the case early. The Longhorns fell behind 17-7 before rattling off 28 straight points to take control of the game.
The man largely responsible for that comeback was star receiver Roy Williams, who put on a show in Dallas. Not only did he catch four passes for 142 yards and a score, but he also found the end zone on a 39-yard rushing touchdown. On the other side of the ball, Texas made it tough for Tigers quarterback Marcus Randall to move the ball through the air, surrendering just three points in the second half.
Sept. 13, 2003: Arkansas 38, No. 6 Texas 28
Unranked Arkansas visited No. 6 Texas in Austin and proceeded to run wild. The Razorbacks stunned the top-10 Longhorns by jumping out to a 21-7 lead and rumbling for 305 yards on the ground.
Cedric Cobbs torched the Texas defense again with 119 yards rushing, while Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones ran for 124. Roy Williams posted 10 receptions for 117 yards, but it wasn't enough to avoid an upset.
In a bizarre play, Arkansas faced a 3rd-and-30 backed up on its own goal line and found a way to convert. It was that kind of day for the Texas defense.
Sept. 11, 2004: No. 7 Texas 22, Arkansas 20
This was legendary Texas quarterback Vince Young's first and only action against an SEC opponent, but he didn't have to do too much to secure this win. Instead, it was running back Cedric Benson who shouldered most of the offensive burden for the Longhorns, rushing for 188 yards and a touchdown.
As good as Benson was, the Texas defense was even better. They forced two interceptions and got a safety, which wound up being the difference in the game.
Jan. 7, 2010: No. 1 Alabama 37, No. 2 Texas 21
This will forever be a "what if" moment for Texas and its fan base. In the first quarter, Colt McCoy left the BCS National Championship with an injury after keeping the ball on an option play. That left freshman Garrett Gilbert tasked with beating Alabama on college football's biggest stage.
Following McCoy's injury, Alabama opened up a 24-6 lead with all of those points coming in the second quarter. However, the Longhorns started to chip away in the second half, and they had the ball down just three points with three minutes left.
That's when the Crimson Tide defense made a big play. Eryk Anders broke through the Texas offensive line and got to Gilbert for a strip sack. Alabama recovered the ball and scored just a few plays later to put the game out of reach.
In relief of McCoy, Gilbert completed just 15 of his 40 passes for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Jordan Shipley was on the receiving end of most of those throws, going for 10 catches, 122 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.
The Texas defense held Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy to just 58 yards, but Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson were a problem on the ground. That tandem combined for 225 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Sept. 15, 2012: No. 14 Texas 66, Ole Miss 31
Texas had no problem moving the ball in this one. The Horns finished the game with 676 yards of total offense and averaged 8.7 yards per play. Quarterback David Ash got whatever he wanted through the air, tossing for 326 yards and four scores.
Marquise Goodwin also had a mammoth day with absurd efficiency. He turned four touches into 182 total yards and two touchdowns.
The Longhorns defense picked off Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace three times, and Steve Edmond returned one of those for a touchdown. Perhaps the only real blemish on the day for Texas was allowing a 100-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
Sept. 14, 2013: No. 25 Ole Miss 44, Texas 23
One year after Texas dropped the hammer on Ole Miss in Oxford, the Rebels returned the favor in Austin. The Horns actually led this game 23-17 at halftime, but Ole Miss running back Jeff Scott took over from there.
Scott ran all over the Longhorns and finished the game with 164 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He also had a 73-yard punt return touchdown to end the third quarter, which was a backbreaker for Texas.
The Texas offense struggled to find a rhythm, especially in the second half, and Case McCoy ended his day with just 196 yards on 36 passing attempts. Jaxon Shipley managed to shake loose a couple of times, resulting in six catches for 83 yards.
Dec. 29, 2014: Arkansas 31, Texas 7
The Longhorns would probably prefer to throw the memories of this Texas Bowl into the trash. That's because Texas totaled just 59 yards of offense in this game. Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes had 57 of them through the air, and the Horns had a net of two rushing yards on the day. They averaged 0.1 yards per carry on 18 attempts.
On the other hand, Arkansas had no problem moving the ball on the ground. The Razorbacks tallied 191 yards rushing, and Jonathan Williams had 105 of them to go along with a touchdown. Quarterback Brandon Allen completed just 12 of his 23 attempts but did enough to throw for 160 yards and a pair of scores.
Dec. 27, 2017: Texas 33, Missouri 16
Texas head coach Tom Herman rolled with two quarterbacks in this Texas Bowl, and Sam Ehlinger wound up outplaying Shane Buechele. The former threw for 112 yards and a score while completing 11 of his 15 passes.
Daniel Young was also a star for the Longhorns as he made an impact on the ground and through the air. Young totaled 112 yards and a touchdown.
Young and Ehlinger were great, but the Texas defense did work in this one. That side of the ball intercepted Drew Lock once, forced three fumbles, and got on the scoreboard with a safety. That's more impressive when you remember Lock led the SEC in passing yards and touchdowns that season.
Jan. 1, 2019: No. 15 Texas 28, No. 5 Georgia 21
Texas had the chance to make a statement against No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and it did just that. The Longhorns controlled most of this game and handed the Bulldogs their third loss of the season while asserting themselves on the national stage.
This final score doesn't necessarily tell the full story because Georgia punched in a touchdown with 14 seconds left to make things look closer than they were. The Longhorns bottled up the Bulldogs' backfield for four quarters, giving up just 72 yards on the ground while also limiting Jake Fromm to 212 passing yards.
Sam Ehlinger, who totaled 233 yards and three rushing touchdowns, had his most memorable moment during the postgame interview. On behalf of Texas football, Ehlinger boldly proclaimed, "We're baaaaaack."
Sept. 7, 2019: No. 6 LSU 45, No. 9 Texas 38
There are no such things as moral victories for a program like Texas Texas, but the power of hindsight makes a seven-point loss to this LSU team look like a win. The future national champions left Austin with a win, but the Longhorns more than held their own.
As was the case all season, it was the Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson show. Burrow threw for 471 yards and four touchdowns. Jefferson ran wide open all night, finishing with 163 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Perhaps the biggest play of the game was Jefferson's 61-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-17 with 2:27 left.
To his credit, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger matched Burrow throw for throw. He carved up the LSU secondary for 401 yards and four touchdowns, adding 60 yards and a score on the ground. He was phenomenal, but it wasn't quite enough to overcome one of the greatest college football teams of all time.
Sept. 11, 2021: Arkansas 40, No. 15 Texas 21
This game exemplifies how far Texas has come under Steve Sarkisian. When the No. 15 Longhorns went into Fayetteville, few expected them to get blown out, but that's exactly what happened. The Razorbacks pushed the Horns around on the ground, running for 333 yards and averaging 7.1 yards per carry. By the end of the third quarter, the score was 33-7.
The Texas offense, on the other hand, looked lost at times. Hudson Card and Casey Thompson combined to throw for just 118 yards.
Sept. 10, 2022: No. 1 Alabama 20, Texas 19
This was another "what if" game for Texas against Alabama. Quinn Ewers left the game with an injury in the first quarter after dicing up the Crimson Tide secondary early. Hudson Card replaced him, and the offense never fully hit its stride again.
With Ewers hurt, the defense stepped up. The Longhorns limited Bryce Young to just 212 passing yards on 39 attempts, and aside from an 81-yard rushing score from Jase McClellan, they held the Crimson Tide in check on the ground.
This slugfest came down to the wire, with Texas kicker Bert Auburn hitting a 49-yard attempt to give his team the lead with 1:29 left. That's when Young found some extra magic, leading a scoring drive that ended with a Will Reichard field goal for the win.
Sept. 9, 2023: No. 11 Texas 34, No. 3 Alabama 24
The Longhorns made up for that heartbreaking loss when they visited Bryant-Denny Stadium last season. Texas went into Tuscaloosa and torched Alabama, demonstrating that the program had re-emerged as a true national title contender.
Quinn Ewers didn't let the hostile crowd rattle him at all, throwing for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy gave the Crimson Tide defense all kinds of problems, combining for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
The most impressive part of this win was that Alabama led 16-13 heading into the fourth quarter. Normally, if the Crimson Tide carry a lead into the fourth quarter at home, you can chalk that up as a win. Not this time. Ewers and the Longhorns scored 21 points in the final quarter to secure the comeback victory.