Five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 51-10 win over Mississippi State
Texas A&M (6-4, 4-3 SEC) defeated Mississippi State 51-10 on Saturday night in one of their most complete performances of the season behind the surprising play of third-string quarterback Jaylen Henderson in his first start of his young Aggie career.
Starting quarterback Max Johnson’s injury during the final minutes of last week’s road loss to Ole Miss placed him on the bench until further notice, leading to Henderson’s breakout performance as the sophomore duel threat threw 150 yards and two touchdowns while adding 60 rushing yards and two more scores in one of the more memorable Aggie debuts in recent memory.
Defensively, star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper stated after the game that his impressive performance against the Bulldogs (10 tackles, six solo) was fueled by being left off the Butkus Award semifinalists list, one of the biggest snubs of the year.
With five sacks on the night, freshman linebacker Taurean York continued his productive season (6 tackles, one sack, 1 TFL). At the same time, sophomore Jared Kerr delivered a massive hit on Bulldogs QB Mike Wright, resulting in a scoop and score by defensive tackle Shemar Stewart.
The bottom line is that this team was determined to wipe away last week’s loss, and, most importantly, these young men had fun after every score while ignoring all of the outside noise surrounding head coach Jimbo Fisher’s future.
With Abilene Christian set to visit, earning their seventh win is all that’s on the Aggies’ mind while the season finale matchup with LSU looms large. Here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s 51-10 win over Mississippi State.
UPDATE: Jimbo Fisher was fired from Texas A&M on Sunday, Nov. 12.
Have a day, Jaylen Henderson!
What a debut for former Fresno State quarterback Jaylen Henderson, who, due to Max Johnson’s recent injury, was thrust into the starting lineup with barely any collegiate experience on his resume, and all he did was account for four touchdowns on the night, including two on the ground.
Possessing a blend of poise and high-end athleticism, this may be new to those of us watching the young single caller make play after play, but according to Edgerrin Cooper, the Aggies knew what they had in Henderson all along.
“We love (Jaylen Henderson). We knew what he could do. We saw him at practice, and we were not surprised at all.”
While Johnson’s injury status remains a week-to-week ordeal, Jaylen Henderson is the man for now, and he’s already proven that he can be trusted to keep the offense rolling while under center.
Edgerrin Cooper is the best linebacker in the country. Yeah, I said it
Behind one of the best defensive fronts in college football, junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has thrived in both the pass rush and coverage and has consistently graded out as the top linebacker in the country.
Leading the Aggies in tackles, sacks, and tackles for loss, Cooper continued his impressive streak against the Bulldogs, recording a game-high ten tackles on the night. Shooting every gap and making his way to the backfield on nearly every pressure, those who reserve votes for the Butkus Award need to realize this isn’t a popularity contest and more about the consistent play on the field, win or loss.
Either way, expect Cooper to continue dominating the competition, including a bowl game after the Aggies earned their sixth win with Saturday’s win.
Texas A&M's O-line has improved the last two games
Going against a formidable Mississippi State front, the Aggies’ O-line held up well in pass protection, only allowing two sacks on the night. At the same time, Jaylen Henderson had plenty of time to read through his progression and make accurate passes for most of the night.
In run blocking, the Aggies produced over 246 yards on the ground, while three players rushed for over 50 yards and three touchdowns, led by Henderson (60 yards), and running backs Amari Daniels (59 yards) and David Bailey (56 yards).
With Abilene Christian on the docket, look for even more improvement next week against an undersized front.
Ainias Smith is an Aggie legend through and through
No matter what the future holds for Texas A&M, senior wide receiver Ainias Smith is one of the greatest players to ever end the program. After recording 64 receptions and a touchdown against the Bulldogs, Smith now had 19 career touchdowns, tying Uzoma Nwachukwu and Bob Long for the fifth-most in Texas A&M history.
With three games (including a bowl game) left in his Aggie career, expect more of the same of the versatile offensive weapon, who showed that no matter who’s throwing him the ball, he’ll adjust and make plays, as we saw last night.
As of Sunday, Nov. 12, Jimbo Fisher was fired from Texas A&M
Sending shockwaves through the college football landscape, Texas A&M and Athletic Director Ross Bjork informed Jimbo Fisher that he will not return for the 2024 season, ending his Aggie career with an underwhelming 45-25 program record.
As reported earlier today, associate head coach Elijah Robinson will now take over as interim head coach, and while nothing has come out regarding Fisher’s future successor, making such a drastic move less than 24 hours after a 41-point win with two games left in the regular season might indicate that this decision had been in the works for quite some time.
So, where will Jimbo end up? My guess is West Virginia or Samford (his alma mater.)
