Makai Polk dove hard into the Kyle Field turf on third-and-16, the football bouncing harmlessly off the ground in front of him.

Then the Mississippi State wide receiver signaled for a penalty flag. As if in response, he got one. Texas A&M’s Andre White was whistled for pass interference, resulting in an automatic first down. Instead of having to punt, the Bulldogs had first-and-10 at their own 44-yard line just seconds into the fourth quarter.

Once again, Polk had come up big — without even touching the ball.

He did get his hands on it plenty during Mississippi State’s 26-22 win over the 15th-ranked Aggies. Polk caught a whopping 13 passes for 126 yards, including touchdown grabs of 15 and 20 yards from quarterback Will Rogers.

“Makai Polk’s pretty good, you know,” Rogers said in the understatement of the night.

The Cal transfer steadied the Bulldogs’ offense whenever they needed it Saturday.

Need a first down on the opening drive? Polk. Need a third-down conversion on the second series? Polk. Need a key facemask flag to keep a red-zone drive alive? Polk, though he didn’t have to do much when Texas A&M’s Jaylon Jones seized him late in the first quarter, drawing a flag.

And most importantly, when Rogers needed a red zone target, he looked no further than the redshirt sophomore from Richmond, California.

On a crisp five-play drive before the half, Polk caught a 15-yard pass up the seam for a score, the final blow on a 75-yard possession. Both Polk and Washington State transfer Jamire Calvin had two catches in the series, and Lideatrick “Tulu” Griffin had a 23-yard grab to set up Polk’s score.

Asked what helped the Bulldogs find that success, Polk said it was hitting the seams in the Aggies’ defense; Mississippi State’s quick tempo also probably helped.

“We do it in practice every day so it’ll translate, and it did today,” Polk said.

The Aggies’ Leon O’Neal Jr. broke up a pass intended for Polk on third down to end the Bulldogs’ first drive of the second half, but Polk made his presence felt again on his team’s next possession. He made four receptions on the 77-yard touchdown drive: consecutive catches of 6 and 5 yards, a 12-yard grab for another first down and then a 20-yard scoring snag on which Polk laid out along the sideline in the end zone to haul the football in.

“He’s just so quick,” Rogers said. “He can look like he’s doing one route, and then he just does the complete opposite of what you would think.”

In the fourth quarter, Polk continued to make his presence felt. He caught a 12-yard pass that was called back by holding on the period’s first play, was targeted again on second down and drew the key pass interference flag on third down that kept the series alive.

Mississippi State eventually missed a 49-yard field goal after a grotesque series of poor plays and penalties pushed the Bulldogs back, but Polk’s play allowed them to take valuable time off the clock.

It was his last contribution to another big game. Polk had at least 50 receiving yards in three of the Bulldogs’ first four contests: 57 against Louisiana Tech, 136 against Memphis and 78 against LSU. He now has four touchdown catches and a streak of three straight games with a score after one each against both sets of Tigers.

The wideout credited his offseason work with Rogers for their unique connection so far this season.

“I’m seeing it pay off a lot,” Polk said. “We worked every day after workouts, after practice and stuff like that. It’s all paying out right now.”

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.