Texas didn’t expect to hold a single-digit lead at halftime, but that’s where the No. 1 Longhorns are, leading Mississippi State 14-6.

The Bulldogs have played stay away, with 21 minutes and 3 seconds of possession compared to the Longhorns’ 8:57. The strategy is a good one, as Mississippi State is fielding a true freshman quarterback, and it has been effective, limiting Texas to just four possessions in the first half.

A turnover killed one of those Texas drives in the red zone and a dropped third-down pass from Johntay Cook erased what could have been a long touchdown. Texas could be up by three or more scores if not for these mistakes, but the margin for error shrinks when possessions are hard to come by.

Redshirt freshman Arch Manning was solid in the first half, going 15 of 19 for 202 yards and a touchdown. He has taken better care of the ball and not thrown it into danger zones like he did in his first start against Louisiana-Monroe last week.

But the Texas offense has been mostly on Manning’s shoulders, as the Longhorns have only handed the ball to a running back six times for 12 yards. It will be interesting to see if the Longhorns run the ball more in the second half.