STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State hoped its starting quarterback would be back on Saturday, but the comeback lasted only a few series as Oklahoma pulled away for a 27-7 win at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville.
Kamario Taylor, who had been nursing a foot and toe injury, was cleared to play when his name came off the pregame availability list. He looked limited from the start, hitting just 2 of his 5 throws for 10 yards, and was out of the game before the opening quarter ended, following a fourth-down snap. Parker Puckett, a sophomore and former walk-on, took over to open the second quarter.
The Sooners led 3-0 early in the second period and kept the Bulldogs offense in check most of the afternoon. Sam West threw Mississippi State’s lone touchdown pass of the game.
The loss is the third in a row for coach Jeff Lebby’s team. Mississippi State entered the weekend at 4-2 overall and 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play, and it fell to 4-3 and 2-3 with the defeat.
The slide began after Taylor was hurt against Missouri on Sept. 26. He played through it that night, then was limited a week later against Alabama and sat out the fourth quarter of a 56-23 loss. He missed the Oct. 17 game at LSU entirely, a 31-0 shutout in which Puckett made his first career start and threw for 121 yards.
Lebby had called Taylor day-to-day earlier in the week, and the program has not said exactly what the injury is. Taylor arrived at the stadium Saturday still wearing a boot on his right foot.
Two Sooners sat out after being ruled out before kickoff: receiver Elijah Thomas and Eli Bowen of the secondary. The Sooners also wore helmet stickers honoring offensive lineman Sean Hutton, who remains hospitalized in stable condition after a medical event earlier in the week.
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