Mississippi State football vs Texas A&M: Score prediction, scouting report in SEC Week 11
STARKVILLE — Despite Ole Miss’ 38 points and 518 yards against Texas A&M last week, Mississippi State football has a tall task on Saturday against the Aggies defense.
Coach Jimbo Fisher’s squad ranks 15th nationally in rushing defense and sits in the top 40 for passing defense. The Aggies’ 34 sacks lead the SEC and are third nationally. With 81 tackles for loss, Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3 SEC) is seven ahead of Tennessee for the conference lead.
Mississippi State (4-5, 1-5), with the SEC’s worst scoring offense, is entering dangerous territory on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2) at Kyle Field against a defense fueled by a strong front seven.
“They do a good job,” MSU tight ends/tackles coach Mike Schmidt told reporters Tuesday. “They come from all over the place. Not only are they talented, they don’t just sit in front of you. There’s going to be some movement we’ve got to deal with. There’s going to be some late rotations we’ve got to be able to understand and see from a protection perspective and from a run-targeting perspective as well.”
Does Will Rogers play for Mississippi State vs Texas A&M?
A key part of what MSU can do against the Texas A&M defense depends on who starts at quarterback. Coach Zach Arnett said Monday that Will Rogers is making progress from an injury suffered on Oct. 7 and has been participating in practice.
If he’s cleared to play, Arnett said, Rogers will start. The senior quarterback won at Kyle Field in 2021, so returning his experience would be crucial.
If Rogers can’t go, MSU will likely use a combination of Mike Wright and Chris Parson. Wright, a Vanderbilt transfer, started the three games Rogers has missed. However, he was benched last Saturday in a 24-3 loss against Kentucky for Parson, a freshman.
Even with Rogers available, MSU has used Wright in designed packages – mostly runs.
Texas A&M QB Max Johnson injury update
Texas A&M also had questions at quarterback entering the week after Max Johnson was injured late in the loss at Ole Miss. However, it appears he’ll be ready to go against MSU.
Fisher said on Wednesday’s teleconference that Johnson has been practicing and it expected to play. He averages 181.5 passing yards per game.
Lideatrick Griffin should have chances on kickoffs
Texas A&M ranks 11th in the SEC with a touchback rate of 52.46% on kickoffs. That could provide a chance for MSU kick returner Lideatrick Griffin to make an impact.
If Mississippi State wants to pull off an upset as an 18.5-point underdog, a big special teams play may be necessary.
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Mississippi State score prediction vs Texas A&M
Texas A&M 28, Mississippi State 10: MSU’s defense has been better the last three weeks, but I’ve got too many questions about the offense. The Aggies should roll.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State score prediction vs Texas A&M: College football Week 11
