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) continues with a breakdown of the Bulldogs offense against the Aggie 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
Mississippi State depth chart
QB: #2, Will Rogers; So.; 6-2, 210
#9, Chance Lovertich; Sr.; 5-11, 190
RB: #7, Woody Marks; So.; 5-10, 205 OR
#23, Dillon Johnson, So.; 6, 215
X: #4, Malik Heath; Sr.; 6-3, 220
#5, Lideatrick Griffin; So.; 5-10, 180
H: #6, Jamire Calvin; Gr.; 5-10, 160
#82, Rufus Harvey; RS-Fr.; 5-10, 170
Y: #85, Austin Williams; RS-Sr.; 6-3, 200 OR
#11, Jaden Walley; So.; 6, 185
#24, Christian Ford; RS-Jr.; 5-11, 175
Z: Makai Polk; Jr.; 6-3, 200
#17, Caleb Ducking; RS-Jr.; 6-5, 205
LT: #67, Charles Cross; RS-So.; 6-5, 310
#66, Nick Jones; RS-So.; 6-3, 300
LG: #58, Kameron Jones; RS-Jr.; 6-5, 305
#57, Cole Smith; RS-Jr.; 6-3, 305
C: #63, LaQuinston Sharp; Sr.; 6-3, 300
#57, Cole Smith; RS-Jr.; 6-3, 305
RG: #67, Kwatrivous Johnson; RS-Jr.; 6-7, 320
#77, Cordavien Suggs; RS-Sr.; 6-6, 305
RT: #78, Scott Lashley; RS-Sr.; 6-7, 315
#76, Albert Reese IV; Fr.; 6-7, 315
Texas A&M depth chart
DE: #8, DeMarvin Leal; Jr; 6-4, 290
#3, Tyree Johnson; RS-Sr.; 6-4, 240
#18, Donnell Harris; RS-Fr.; 6-3, 220
#37, Jahzion Harris; Fr.; 6-3, 220
DT: #35, McKinnley Jackson; So.; 6-2, 325
#6, Adarious Jones; RS-So.; 6-4, 315 OR
#93, Dallas Walker; RS-Fr.; 6-3, 325
DT: #92, Jayden Peevy; Sr.; 6-6, 310
#34, Isaiah Raikes; So.; 6-1, 330
#5, Shemar Turner; Fr.; 6-4, 285
DE: #2, Micheal Clemons; RS-Sr.; 6-5, 270
#10, Fadil Diggs; RS-Fr.; 6-5, 260
WLB: #1, Aaron Hansford; RS-Sr.; 6-3, 240
#45, Edgerrin Cooper; RS-Fr.; 6-2, 215 OR
#24, Chris Russell, Jr.; 6-2, 240
MLB: #32, Andre White; Jr.; 6-3, 225
#45, Edgerrin Cooper; RS-Fr. OR
#23, Tarian Lee; RS-So.; 6-2, 245 OR
#22, Antonio Doyle; So.; 6-3, 250
CB: #0, Myles Jones; Gr.; 6-4, 185
#16 Brian George; Sr; 6-2, 190
#11, Deuce Harmon; Fr.; 5-10, 200
CB: #17, Jaylon Jones; So.; 6-2, 205;
#7, Tyreek Chappell; Fr.; 5-11, 185 OR
#31, Dreyden Norwood; Fr.; 6, 180
S: #9, Leon O’Neal; Sr.; 6-1, 210
#13, Brian Williams; Jr.; 6-1, 215
S: #26 Demani Richardson, Jr.; 6-1. 215
#14, Keldrick Carper; Gr.; 6-2, 200,
#20, Jardin Gilbert; Fr.; 6-1, 185
Nickel: #27, Antonio Johnson; So.; 6-3, 200
#4 Erick Young, Jr.; 6-1, 205
#11, Deuce Harmon; Fr.; 5-10, 200
Injury update
Texas A&M: The status of CB Brian George is unknown. He left the Arkansas game early and there has been no update. S Keldrick Carper's status is also uncertain. CB Myles Jones should play, but he is not 100%.
Mississippi State is not reporting their injury status.
Mississippi State statistical leaders
Passing: Rogers, 169-225 (75.1%), 1,454 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Johnson, 23 carries, 130 yards (5.7 YPC), 1 TD
Marks, 35 carries, 130 yards (3.7 YPC), 2 TD
Receiving: Polk, 33 catches, 304 yards (9.2 YPC), 2 TD
Marks, 31 catches, 161 yards (5.2 YPC), 2 TD
Texas A&M statistical leaders
Tackles: Antonio Johnson, 26
Hansford, 23
Leal, 18
Tackles for loss: Hansford and Peevy, 4.5
Leal, 4
Sacks: Leal, 2.5
Hansford, 2
Turner, 1.5
Interceptions: O’Neal, 2
Cooper and Peevy, 1
Forced Fumbles: Clemons, 1
Mississippi State by the numbers
Total offense: 426.2 YPG (48th nationally, 9th SEC)
Scoring offense: 28.2 PPG (74th, 11th)
Rushing offense: 62.8 YPG (129th, 14th)
Passing offense: 363.5 (6th, 1st)
Third down conversion percentage: 46.4% (33rd, 7th)
Red zone offense: 87.5% (60th, 10th)
Sacks allowed: 7 (46th, 6th)
Tackles for loss allowed: 13 (8th, 1st)
Time of possession: 34:19 (7th, 1st)
Turnovers: 7 (91st, 10th)
Turnover +/-: EVEN (69th, 9th)
Texas A&M by the numbers
Total defense: 290.2 YPG (22nd nationally, 6th SEC)
Scoring defense: 9.25 PPG (2nd nationally, 2nd SEC)
Rushing defense: 170.8 YPG (90th, 12th)
Passing defense: 119.5 YPG (3rd nationally, 2nd SEC)
Team sacks: 12 (32nd, 5th)
Team tackles for loss: 36 (10th, 4th)
Third down conversion defense: 32.3% (38th, 5th)
Red zone defense: 50% (3rd, 1st)
Turnovers forced: 4 (86th, 10th)
Turnover +/-: -3 (91st, 10th)
What the Bulldogs want to do
Throw. A lot. And this comes as absolutely no shock to anyone who has ever seen a Mike Leach offense. What may shock people is that he's not going as up-tempo this year as he has in the past. In fact, the Bulldogs have tried to control the clock so far this season.
Like his coach, Will Rogers hasn't found a pass he doesn't like. He's thrown an incredible amount of passes so far this season and that won't change. Unlike last season, the offensive line hasn't given up sacks left and right. But the Bulldogs still haven't been able to get the ball down the field. They're 127th in the nation in yards per completion, and that's where they want to change. They want to the short pass to work as their running game, but also want to find a way to get the ball deep.
So that's the gameplan for Mississippi State. Play a little bit of keep away, plug away with high-percentage passes and then see if they can find a way to push the ball down the field and add some explosiveness.
How the Aggies may try to counter
Do what they did last year. A&M used a six-DB look last season, with three safeties (O'Neal, Richardson and Carper) along with Erick Young and Antonio Johnson at nickel. This year, it'll just be Johnson, but the premise remains the same.
What A&M wants to do is keep the ball in front of them, and then make tackles in space. Drop seven or eight, make Rogers check down and then make the plays. Then on occasion bring blitzers off the edge. It was highly effective last season, as A&M picked up six sacks.
The Aggies know what they need to do, adding one thing: come out strong out of the gate. A&M has been dominant defensively after the first quarter, but they've had struggles in the opening stanza. They can't afford to start slowly today, because the Aggies don't want to have their offense working from behind.
