COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher points out several areas where his team can be better, but the Aggies head into Saturday's opener of a three-game homestand against Mississippi State in position to clinch a bowl berth before a brutal late-season schedule. The Aggies, who finish with road games at No. 9 Georgia and No. 3 LSU, used a defensive touchdown to survive two turnovers and two missed field goals in last week's 24-17 road win over Ole Miss.
TV: Noon ET, SEC Network. LINE: Texas A&M -10.5
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Fisher told reporters Monday that while the Aggies are nowhere near playing to their capabilities, there are plenty of positives after rallying in the second half, adding his players, "showed a lot of maturity in those situations, going on and making the plays which they had to make at the end of the game." While Texas A&M has won two of its past three games to reach .500 in SEC play, the Bulldogs have dropped three in a row as they prepare for their third road game in four contests. Mississippi State committed 13 penalties in last week's 36-13 home loss to LSU and saw junior running back Kylin Hill held to fewer than 100 yards for the third consecutive game. "Right now, on offense, defense and special teams, it is not the ability," Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead told reporters Monday. "It's the consistency."
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (3-4, 1-3 SEC)
Hill has run for more than 100 yards four times this season and is fourth in the SEC in rushing with 643, but has just 92 yards total the past three weeks as the Bulldogs offense has averaged just 15.3 points per game in that span. Freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader showed promise in his second start last week, completing 17-of-28 pass attempts for 238 yards and a touchdown while adding 66 rushing yards and a score on 19 carries. Junior linebacker Erroll Thompson is tied for ninth in the SEC with 51 tackles, but the Bulldogs have allowed 37.3 points per game during their losing streak.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC)
The Aggies' defense helped turn around last week's game, as junior linebacker Buddy Johnson returned a fumble 62 yards for a touchdown while recording his second-consecutive game of 10-plus tackles in earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Junior quarterback Kellen Mond finished 16-of-28 passing for 172 yards and a touchdown last week while rushing for 76 yards on 15 carries. Freshman running back Isaiah Spiller added a game-sealing 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter en route to 78 yards rushing on 16 carries.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Bulldogs lead the SEC and are tied for seventh in FBS in rushing plays of 10 yards or greater (54) - 22 coming from Shrader and Hill.
2. Texas A&M freshman TE Jalen Wydermyer (four) and freshman WR Ainias Smith (three) are the highest-scoring freshman receiving duo in FBS.
3. Mississippi State has won three in a row over Texas A&M and four of the past five meetings, including a 28-13 home triumph last season.
PREDICTION: Texas A&M 34, Mississippi State 14