Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment of our “Scouting the schedule” series, which breaks down every game on Mississippi State’s 2022 football schedule. Part 4 detailed the Bulldogs’ game against Bowling Green, while Part 6 will break down MSU’s home game against Arkansas.
There’s probably a pretty good chance Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher wants a piece of Alabama’s Nick Saban.
Fisher will get it, too, when the Aggies and Crimson Tide battle Oct. 8 in Tuscaloosa.
So maybe Mississippi State fans are hoping Fisher will be a little distracted the prior week when A&M takes a trip to Starkville.
Of course, no such distraction was necessary when the Bulldogs visited College Station last October. MSU knocked off the Aggies, 26-22, for its first conference win.
If things break right against LSU and the Bulldogs can handle their business elsewhere, they could be 4-0 heading into this game.
If so, it could just be extra motivation for an Aggies team that hasn’t forgotten 2021.
Mississippi State welcomes Texas A&M to Starkville on Oct. 1.
Texas A&M quick facts
2021 record: 8-4 (4-4 SEC)
Coach: Jimbo Fisher, fifth year
ESPN Football Power Index: No. 12
All-time series: 8-7, Mississippi State leads
Last meeting: Oct. 2, 2021
History
Mississippi State’s 2021 upset at Kyle Field actually gave the Bulldogs the lead in a far-from-storied series.
The two teams have met only 15 times in all, with only one matchup since before World War II — the 2000 Independence Bowl — coming before Texas A&M joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012.
The two are an equitable 5-5 in their SEC matchups so far.
The Bulldogs and Aggies met three times in the 1910s before a 1937 contest played in Tyler, Texas. They did not play again for 63 years.
2021 season
A solid but otherwise unforgettable 2021 season was irrevocably changed by Texas A&M’s upset of Alabama at Kyle Field.
The Aggies took down the previously unbeaten Crimson Tide last Oct. 9 in College Station for an impressive upset victory. A&M won its next three games before going 1-2 to end the regular season, falling to Ole Miss and LSU on the road.
A&M was slated for the Gator Bowl but did not participate, citing COVID-19 concerns as its reason for withdrawal.
The Aggies’ season included a ranked win over Auburn but also losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State as they posted a 4-4 mark in the SEC.
Quarterback Zach Calzada transferred to Auburn after the season, totaling 2,185 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions with the Aggies.
Running back Isaiah Spiller, who ran for 100 yards against Mississippi State, will not return after a 1,000-yard season — he was a fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL draft. But Devon Achane, who racked up 910 yards and a team-leading nine rushing touchdowns, returns to lead the Aggies’ backfield.
Tight end Jalen Wydermyer (515 yards, four touchdowns) has moved on, but wide receiver Ainias Smith (509 yards, six touchdowns is back in 2022.
On defense, Texas A&M has lost a lot. DeMarvin Leal and Tyree Johnson led the Aggies in sacks with 8.5 apiece. Both are now Pittsburgh Steelers — Leal as a third-round pick and Johnson as an undrafted free agent.
Defensive end Micheal Clemons was a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets after finishing behind only Leal with 11 tackles for loss. Leading tackler Aaron Hansford is out of eligibility.
Key additions
Texas A&M can fill its myriad holes on offense and defense with the best recruiting class in the sport.
The Aggies landed eight of the 34 consensus five-star players in the 247 Sports composite rankings, more than any other team — Georgia is next best with five.
A&M’s class includes No. 2 overall recruit Walter Nolen, a defensive lineman from Tennessee; Florida D-lineman Shemar Stewart is also in the top 10 nationally.
Texas wideout Evan Stewart, Georgia defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton and Florida D-lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy all rank between No. 11 and No. 20 nationwide.
Five-star quarterback Conner Weigman will challenge returnee Haynes King and LSU transfer Max Johnson at signal-caller, while Texas wideout Chris Marshall and Philadelphia edge rusher Enai White are the last of the Aggies’ five-star players.
Because of its strong incoming freshman class, A&M’s transfer group is not deep. Besides Johnson, the Aggies’ only other transfer is Liberty defensive lineman Micaiah Overton.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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