STARKVILLE — Opponents of the Mississippi State football team have spent countless hours trying to find a way to neutralize the Bulldogs’ defensive line — most of the time to no avail.
Texas A&M had some success with screen passes, but it wasn’t enough to finish the job.
Trailing 21-13, the No. 16 Aggies regained possession with a little more than seven minutes remaining. Screen passes to Jashaun Corbin and Trayveon Williams helped Texas A&M reach the red zone, but MSU adjusted and used an interception in the end zone by Erroll Thompson for a critical stop that it used to earn a 28-13 victory.
“It was to neutralize the pass rush because they knew our scheme,” defensive back Jaquarius Landrews said. “I feel like we were good coming off the edge, so they had to throw screens to neutralize it.”
The completions on screen passes helped quarterback Kellen Mond (23-for-46 for 232 yards) finish with a respectable completion percentage in the face of MSU’s pressure.
Little from Sternberger
Texas A&M entered the game with a tight end, Jace Sternberger, leading the team in receiving. But MSU limited him to two catches for 13 yards.
“We planned for him the whole week,” Thompson said.
MSU undermanned
The Bulldogs pulled the upset without running back Kylin Hill, wide receiver Keith Mixon, defensive tackle Braxton Hoyett, and defensive back Brian Cole. All four missed the game with injuries.
In Hill’s absence, former West Point High School standout Aeris Williams had nine carries for 35 yards and Nick Gibson ran four times for 22 yards. In Cole’s absence, junior Jaquarius Landrews turned in a career game with seven tackles, two-and-a-half for a loss, two sacks, and three pass breakups.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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