STARKVILLE — It’s been an eventful few weeks in Starkville.
After a dismal loss in Knoxville to lowly Tennessee coupled with an encouraging effort against No. 2 LSU last weekend, Mississippi State has seemingly found some kind of inspiration.
And while the on-field product looked markedly improved Saturday against the Tigers, rumors of coach Joe Moorhead’s connection to the open head coaching job at Rutgers have left a metaphorical cloud over the program.
That said, with five games remaining, the Bulldogs remain three wins shy of bowl eligibility — needing to go 3-2 over the next six weeks. First up in that quest is a date with Texas A&M Saturday in College Station.
One week after suffering a scare against Ole Miss, the Aggies have been streaky at-best this year. Not quite the offensive juggernaut they were expected to be in Jimbo Fisher’s second year at the helm, Texas A&M enters the week seeking its third win in four weeks.
Here are three matchups to watch in College Station Saturday:
MSU linebackers coach Chris Marve vs. Texas A&M offensive line
It’s an overblown narrative to this point, but MSU has downright struggled to generate much of a pass rush this season.
One year after boasting the nation’s No. 1 defense, the Bulldogs have mustered just 13 sacks through seven games.
Despite the struggles, last weekend’s matchup against LSU offered a glimpse at how the MSU linebacking corps can help generate more push up front.
Speaking with the media Wednesday, linebackers coach Chris Marve explained an added energy has aided the team’s front four on passing downs.
“The guys were just playing fast,” he said of the linebackers against LSU. “When guys can play with confidence and know what’s going on, and obviously being in Davis Wade gives you a little bit more juice, gives you some excitement and the guys were just excited to go.”
Opposite Marve’s unit, the Aggies come into this weekend’s game allowing 2.71 sacks per game — good for 103rd nationally. Further, that number ranks No. 12 in the SEC ahead of only, ironically, MSU.
Facing an offensive line that has struggled to protect quarterback Kellen Mond, this week marks a chance for Marve’s unit to wreak havoc in the Aggie backfield.
Garrett Shrader vs. Texas A&M secondary
It’s no secret freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader is learning on the fly — at least to some degree.
Shrader entered the year as a midyear enrollee and a likely redshirt candidate but has quickly been thrust into the spotlight given Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens’ ineffectiveness and junior Keytaon Thompson’s entrance into the transfer portal — though he did subsequently return to the team.
Through six games, the Charlotte Christian School product has been mostly productive, having completed 62 of 106 passes for 828 yards and four touchdowns passing while also adding another 440 yards and three touchdowns rushing on just 78 attempts.
That aside, Shrader is still a freshman — something Moorhead referenced in his Monday press conference.
“I don’t want to say it was a performance indicative of a true freshman but when you look in that position, in that environment against that team and against that defense, the mistakes he made and the interceptions he threw were pretty simple things to solve,” Moorhead said of Shrader’s two-interception outing against LSU. “You chalk it up to experience, and he is going to be better moving forward from it.”
With youth under-center for the Bulldogs, this week’s matchup is particularly intriguing from a passing perspective. The Aggies aren’t exactly the 1985 Chicago Bears, but their secondary is capable enough.
Of the six Texas A&M players with at least one interception this year, five are defensive backs. Myles Jones and Roney Elam also have two a piece — though Elam has been “unavailable” the past four weeks for undisclosed reasons.
The Aggies also enter the contest as the SEC’s sixth-best passing defense — coming in ahead of both Auburn and LSU, teams that allowed the Bulldogs a combined 454 total pass yards this year.
With Shrader still grasping the offense, coupled with the fact he has yet to throw for more than 240 yards in a game this season, his effectiveness through the air could decide whether MSU hangs around Saturday.
Kylin Hill vs. Texas A&M rush defense
Junior running back Kylin Hill has undoubtedly struggled. Since bursting onto the scene this season with four-straight 100-yard games, Hill has totaled 92 yards combined over the past three games — including a 13-yard, 11 attempt performance against a bad Tennessee defense.
That aside, this week marks a chance for the Columbus product to get back on track. The Aggies come into Saturday ranked as the SEC’s eighth-best rush defense — allowing 135.29 yards per game. Granted they have been markedly better against the run at home — conceding just 119.50 rushing yards per game at Kyle Field.
With Hill a virtual nonfactor the past few weeks, Shrader’s passing numbers have suffered. The freshman signal caller has averaged a completion percentage a meager 54.3 percent when Hill is held under 100 yards.
Further, the Bulldogs are 61 in games Hill goes over 100 yards in his career. If MSU has a chance at springing the upset on the road Saturday, the 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior has to be effective in the ground game.
“When you are playing against the defenses in this line of scrimmage football league, there are going to be games where he doesn’t hit 150 or 100 — he may even get 50,” Moorhead said. “The thing I am most excited about right now is that we are averaging more passing yards than rushing yards. We want to continue to get the rushing yards up.”
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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