Following a 24-3 loss to Kentucky last week, Mississippi State is back on the road Saturday as the Bulldogs (4-5, 1-5 Southeastern Conference) travel to Kyle Field to do battle with Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3). The game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Here are five keys to victory for MSU.
Ride the hot hand(s) in the running game
Even if Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks remains out for a third consecutive game, the Bulldogs have four running backs who are capable of finding holes and creating big plays. Last week, Simeon Price gained 16 yards on his only carry of the game, which came in the first quarter. It couldn’t have hurt to give Price more touches, even though he’s carried just four times all season.
Against an Aggies defense that allows just 100 rushing yards per game, tied for second fewest in the SEC, the Bulldogs should not be afraid to just keep handing the ball to whichever backs are running the ball well.
“Simeon had a great carry. That was actually a check call,” offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay said. “Sometimes as the game flows like that, guys get in and you just don’t get them another carry. That’s something I could be a bit more conscious of with all of our guys, and try to make sure we’re distributing the ball to all those running backs.”
Go back to using Mike Wright as a package quarterback
Will Rogers, who has not played since injuring his left shoulder against Western Michigan on Oct. 7, could return Saturday, but the last three games have made it clear that Wright’s best fit is how he was used when Rogers was healthy, coming in for designed runs, option plays and the occasional full series.
If Rogers is unable to suit up, freshman Chris Parson should take the majority of the snaps behind center. Parson made some nice throws late in the Kentucky game, and if nothing else, MSU will find out how the youngster will handle playing on the road in a 100,000-plus capacity SEC environment.
“Chris is a very smart, intelligent player,” Barbay said. “He’s really done a great job of preparing himself each week like he’s going to be the starter and asking Mike and Will questions. He’s really a joy to be around and he’s going to have a great career here.”
Blitz early, blitz often
The primary weakness of Texas A&M’s offense has been the line. Aggies quarterbacks have taken more hits than any other team with 33, per Pro Football Focus, and Texas A&M has allowed the 10th-most quarterback pressures in the country. The last time the Bulldogs faced an offensive line this patchy, they feasted against Arkansas by changing up the pressures and using both linebackers and defensive backs to blitz, registering seven tackles for loss and four sacks. A similar approach would be wise against the Aggies and quarterback Max Johnson.
Win in the red zone
Head coach Zach Arnett has emphasized over and over again the importance of scoring touchdowns in the red zone on offense and holding opponents to field goals inside the 20-yard line. With plays and possessions down in college football due to the clock no longer temporarily stopping after first downs, each drive becomes that much more critical.
Offensively, MSU is 99th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in offensive red zone scoring percentage, with 17 touchdowns and eight field goals on 32 trips. Against Kentucky, the Bulldogs managed just a field goal and a turnover on downs on their two trips inside the Wildcats’ 20. MSU’s defense, meanwhile, has been among the worst in college football at preventing scores in the red zone, conceding 17 touchdowns and seven field goals in 26 attempts.
Take the crowd out of the game
Kyle Field, with a seating capacity of more than 102,000, is the SEC’s largest stadium, and with Saturday being a night game and Texas A&M’s final home conference game of the season, the crowd will be revved up and ready to go. The Bulldogs won in College Station at night in 2021, and an early touchdown, turnover or defensive stop could make the crowd less of a factor.
“It’s one of the greatest challenges in all of college football,” running backs coach Tony Hughes said. “The fan support, their energy, their enthusiasm in the state of Texas, they take a lot of pride in it and (make) it loud. It’s a great place to play. That’s why you coach and play in the SEC, to have games like this.”
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