AggieYell.com's look at the matchup between No. 15 Texas A&M (3-1, 0-1 SEC) and Mississippi State (2-2, 0-1 SEC) begins with a breakdown of the Aggie offense against the Bulldogs defense.
The scene
Location: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Time: 6 p.m. central time
TV: SEC Network
Weather: Temperatures in the mid-to-low 80s
Texas A&M depth chart (spread base)
QB: #10, Zach Calzada; RS-So.; 6-4, 200
#14, Blake Bost; Fr.; 6-2, 195
#13, Haynes King; RS-Fr.; 6-3, 200
RB: #28, Isaiah Spiller; Jr.; 6-1, 225
#6, Devon Achane; So.; 5-9, 185
TE: #85, Jalen Wydermyer; Jr; 6-5, 255;
#88, Baylor Cupp; RS-So.; 6-7, 240; OR
#42, Max Wright; RS-Jr.; 6-4, 260
WR #2 Chase Lane; RS-So.; 6, 190
#5 Jalen Preston; RS-Jr.; 6-2, 210 OR
#8 Yulkeith Brown; Fr.; 5-10, 175
WR: #0, Ainias Smith; Jr.; 5-10, 190
#7, Moose Muhammad; RS-Fr.; 6-1, 195;
WR: #81, Caleb Chapman; RS-Jr.; 6-5, 200
#1, Demond Demas; RS-Fr.; 6-3, 180
#9, Hezekiah Jones; RS-Sr.; 6, 180
LT #58 Jahmir Johnson; Gr-TR; 6-5, 300
OR #76, Rueben Fatheree; Fr.; 6-8, 320
LG: #74, Aki Ogunbiyi, RS-Fr.; 6-4, 315
#70, Josh Bankhead, RS-Fr.; 6-5, 325
C: #61 Bryce Foster; Fr.; 6-5, 325
#75, Luke Matthews, Jr.; 6-4, 320
#77 Matthew Wykoff, Fr.; 6-6, 330
RG: #64, Layden Robinson; RS-So.; 6-4, 325
#52, Smart Chibuzo; RS-Fr.; 6-4, 320
#66, Jordan Spasojevic-Moko; So.; 6-5, 340
RT: #55, Kenyon Green; Jr.; 6-4, 325
#53, Blake Trainor; So..; 6-7, 330 OR
#60, Trey Zuhn; Fr.; 6-6, 315
Mississippi State depth chart (3-3-5 base)
DE: #5, Randy Charlton; RS-Jr.; 6-3, 265
#9, De’Monte Russell; RS-So.; 6-4, 265
NG: #93, Cameron Young; RS-Jr.; 6-3, 310
#22, Nathan Pickering; Jr.; 6-4, 300
DT: #94, Jaden Crumedy; RS-Jr.; 6-5, 310
#15, Jack Harris; RS-So.; 6-3, 270
SAM: #2, Tyrus Wheat; Sr.; 6-2, 265
#34, Sherman Timbs; RS-Sr.; 6-2, 265 OR
#54, Rodney Groce Jr.; RS-Fr.; 6-2, 240
MIKE: #14, Nathaniel Watson; RS-Jr.; 6-2, 240
#16, DeShawn Page; So.; 6-2, 225
WILL: #3, Aaron Brule; RS-Jr.; 6-1, 230
#44, Jett Johnson; RS-Jr.; 6-2, 235
CB: #1, Martin Emerson; Jr.; 6-2, 200
#30, Decamerion Richardson; So.; 6-2, 195
FS: #19, Collin Duncan; Jr.; 6, 205
#36, Jay Jimison; RS-Sr.; 6, 200
SS: #0, Jalen Green; Sr.; 6-1, 200
#24, Dylan Lawrence; RS-So.; 6-4, 205
DOG: #38, Fred Peters; Sr.; 5-10, 205
#12, Shawn Preston Jr.; RS-Jr.; 6, 205
CB: #13, Emmanuel Forbes; So.; 6, 180
#27, Esaias Furdge; RS-Jr.; 6, 185
Injury update
Texas A&M: QB Haynes King (broken leg), WR Hezekiah Jones (shoulder) are out. WRs Chase Lane and Caleb Chapman are “day-to-day”.
OL Luke Matthews (shoulder) is doubtful. OL Layden Robinson (ankle) and Jahmir Johnson are probable.
Mississippi State: The status of CB Emmanuel Forbes (carted off vs. LSU with an undisclosed injury) is unknown. Mississippi State does not discuss injuries.
Texas A&M statistical leaders
Passing: Calzada, 57-108 (52.8%), 609 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT
King, 22-35, (62.8%), 300 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Spiller, 52 carries, 345 yards (6.6 YPC), 2 TD Achane, 35 carries, 227 yards (6.5 YPC), 2 TD
Receiving: Smith, 15 catches, 170 yards (11.3 YPC), 2 TD
Wydermyer, 13 catches, 159 yards (12.2 YPC)
Demas, 4 catches, 113 yards (28.25 YPC), 1 TD
Mississippi State statistical leaders
Tackles: Johnson, 29
Peters, 27
Emerson, 22
Tackles for loss: Brule, Forbes and Jackson, 2.5
Sacks: Charlton and Odom, 2
Interceptions: Forbes, 2
3 players with 1
Forced fumbles: Johnson and Odom, 1
Fumble recoveries: Green and Odom, 1
Texas A&M offense by the numbers
Total offense: 396 YPG (70th nationally, 11th SEC)
Scoring offense: 23.8 PPG (98th,12th)
Rushing offense: 168.8 YPG (57th, 8th)
Passing offense: 227.2 (72nd, 8th)
Third down conversion percentage: 42.6% (58th, 8th)
Red zone offense: 66.7% (117th, 14th)
Sacks allowed: 10 (89th, 12th)
Tackles for loss allowed: 26 (92nd, 14th)
Time of possession: 29:41 (68th, 8th)
Turnovers: 7 (94th, 10th)
Turnover +/-: -3 (108th, 11th)
Mississippi State defense by the numbers
Total defense: 263 YPG (17th nationally, 4th SEC)
Scoring defense: 25.8 PPG (79th nationally, 12th SEC)
Rushing defense: 70.8 YPG (8th, 2nd)
Passing defense: 252.5 YPG (98th, 14th)
Team sacks: 8 (75th, 13th)
Team tackles for loss: 21 (90th, 12th)
Third down conversion defense: 28.3% (14th, 3rd)
Red zone defense: 66.7% (17th, 2nd)
Turnovers forced: 7 (30th, 3rd)
Turnover +/-: EVEN (94th, 10th)
What the Aggies want to do
Run. The. Football. It's pretty simple; the Aggies can still run the football in spite of their problems in other areas. Mississippi State has held their opponents to just 71 yards rushing, but two of their opponents are among the absolute worst running the ball in the nation-- period. They haven't faced an opponent with the size and disposition of A&M's front yet.
That is, if A&M takes the approach they did last year.
The Aggies have been way too quick to go to the air, even if Zach Calzada is struggling mightily. The reality that they have to run the ball more has likely sunk in after last week's frustration in Arlington, so look for A&M to try to pound the ball with Spiller and Achane and control the clock.
When A&M decides to throw, Calzada needs to try to push the ball down the field, at least in the mid-range area. That means getting Jalen Wydermyer involved. The All-American has been an afterthought so far this year, especially since King got hurt. That has to change. If the Aggies start running the ball and can get Wydermyer involved in the offense, then they can try some play action and try to get Smith and Demas involved down the field.
How the Bulldogs may try to counter
Mississippi State has been a bend but don't break defense so far, giving up a lot of yards in the passing game but trying to stop opponents from scoring. That has had mixed results so far. But they've done two things well: stopped the running game and third down conversions. And that's what they're going to try to do tonight. They know A&M is going to want to run and they're going to want to put this in Calzada's hands. They're going to have a lot of guys up in the box, blitz off the edge and try to slow the run. If they can do that, they'll make this game the slugfest they need it to be.
