No. 1 Texas heads into its SEC opener with strong momentum, but its first opponent in the new conference is hurting at the worst possible spot at the worst possible time.

Mississippi State announced late Saturday that starting quarterback Blake Shapen is out for the season with a shoulder injury and will need surgery.

As a result, the Longhorns (4-0, 0-0 SEC) start the week as 35.5-point favorites against the Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1).

The news came hours after Mississippi State lost to Florida at home. The quarterback left the game in the fourth quarter, but it’s unclear when exactly he suffered the injury.

“We’re all hurting for Blake after this unfortunate news,” Mississippi State first-year coach Jeff Lebby said in a statement. “Blake is the ultimate competitor and teammate and an unquestioned leader in our program.

“I know he will work incredibly hard to come back stronger than ever, and he will continue to serve as a team leader from the sidelines. We will support Blake every step of the way during his recovery process and explore all options to help him seek a medical hardship waiver to regain his lost year of eligibility.”

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Shapen was on the field when Mississippi State got stopped on the goal line late in the 45-28 loss to Florida. He was not hit on a fourth-down play but did not return for the next drive. Freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. came in on the next possession.

Shapen had the third-best quarterback rating among all SEC quarterbacks through four weeks. The senior completed 74 of 108 passes (68.5%) for 974 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception.

Van Buren was 7-for-13 for 100 yards against Florida. Redshirt freshman Chris Parson made one start for Mississippi State last season against Texas A&M. He completed five of 12 passes for 36 yards but also threw three interceptions.

The Longhorns aren’t taking anything — or anyone — for granted. The school has been waiting three-plus years to join the SEC. “I watched them today,” defensive back Jahdae Barron said after a 51-3 win over Louisiana-Monroe.

“Our process isn't going to change,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The one thing that I even talked to them about in the locker room was, hey, yeah, we’re starting SEC play next week, but what we do is good enough, if we do it the right way.”