COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M has been looking for a few things so far this year: a complete performance from its offense, solid play from its offensive line and opportunistic play by its defense. On Saturday, it got all three.
The Aggies (5-3, 3-2 SEC) dominated offensively throughout the game, putting up their highest point total in a regulation game against an SEC opponent since 2013. It also marked the first time the Aggies have beaten Ole Miss and Mississippi State (3-5, 1-4 SEC) in the same season since 2013.
In spite of chilly conditions and an 11 a.m. start, it didn't take long for the Aggie offense to find its stride. On their second possession, the Aggies went 51 yards on 5 plays, including 24- and 12- yard runs by running back Isaiah Spiller (22 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD), capping the drive with a 1-yard plunge by quarterback Kellen Mond.
After being pushed off the field quickly on its first two possessions, the Mississippi State offense got a little momentum on its next drive, aided in part by a questionable late hit out of bounds call on A&M defensive end Tyree Johnson. But on 3rd and 10 from the Aggie 45, freshman QB Garrett Shrader (13-30, 194 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) threw a short pass to tight end Farod Green that was taken away by redshirt sophomore nickel Devin Morris for his first career interception.
"That was a heck of a play," head coach Jimbo Fisher said. "That was a huge play by Devin. I told him so in the locker room. that was a big momentum swing."
The Aggies responded with a 9-play, 55-yard march that was capped off by another scoring run by Mond (17-23, 234 yards, 3 TD; 9 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD) to go up 14-0.
Mississippi State responded with a 4-play, 75-yard drive of their own that was capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass from Shrader to Stephen Guidry that also cost the Aggies their top corner, Elijah Blades, who re-aggravated a shoulder injury on the play. But unlike previous games where the Aggies struggled to regain momentum, A&M immediately responded.
A&M went on a 7-play, 65-yard march that was highlighted by a 25-yard run by Mond to the Mississippi State 4, where he was hit by Bulldog safety C.J. Morgan. After the hit, which was reviewed for possibly targeting, Morgan picked up Mond's shoe and started to run off with it, only to be knocked to the turf by Aggie center Colton Prater. That resulted in a 15-yard penalty that moved the Aggies back to the Mississippi State 19 -- and only served to pad A&M's stats. Mond lofted a perfect pass to Jhamon Ausbon, who was heading to the left corner of the end zone, on the next play.
"We all kind of stepped up for him and just had his back. It was good to take that -- even though we got a flag, taking the score and putting it in the end zone for Kellen and just show him we're there for him and just help him out," Ausbon said.
After the two teams traded punts, Mississippi State made another major mistake. Running back Nick Gibson was met by safeties Leon O'Neal and Demani Richardson at the Bulldogs 15, and Richardson pulled the ball free. Corner Debione Renfro recovered, and the Aggies scored another touchdown three plays later when Kendrick Rogers rolled over three Mississippi State defenders but never went down en route to a 16-yard score.
"Mars, Pluto, Saturn and Venus all lined up," Fisher quipped.
Mond elaborated a little more, telling reporters that freshman wideout Ainias Smith had run the right route on the play, but Rogers didn't.
:He really ran -- he made a mistake on that play," Mond said to laughter. "He made a big play and he made up for that mistake. So that's the type of Kendrick that we're used to seeing and him battling a lot of injuries and stuff and him being able to make plays two back-to-back weeks."
The Aggies allowed Mississippi State to pick up a field goal before halftime, but hit the Bulldogs with a dagger almost immediately after halftime. Rolling to his left at the A&M 48, Mond found a crossing tight end Jalen Wydermyer (3 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD), who took off down the sideline and flattened multiple Mississippi State tacklers en route to a 52-yard score, the longest scoring pass of the year for A&M.
"He's big. He's strong. And when you have that body type, man, it makes a big difference," Fisher said.
The Aggies and Bulldogs would trade touchdowns for the rest of the third quarter, but when corner Myles Jones stripped Guidry of the ball after a 25-yard completion and Keldrick Carper recovered at the Mississippi State 40, any hopes of a comeback were squashed. The Aggies finished that drive with a 2-yard scoring run by Cordarrian Richardson (6 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD) to make the score 49-24 with five minutes left.
Even though Mississippi State would score once more to close the final gap, the Aggies walked away with a feel-good win.
"There's a lot of things we're getting better at. And the little things, hopefully we can continue and just keep sawing wood and keep chopping. And, hopefully, we'll have a pretty good football team when it's all over with," Fisher said.