Aggies’ rushing attack meets the staggering Bulldog defense

After a week of rest and recovery following a 41-10 win over then-No. 9 Missouri, No. 14 Texas A&M Football returns Saturday against Mississippi State at 3:15 p.m. The Aggies are coming off their most complete offensive performance of the season, but they would do well not to overlook the Bulldogs, who gave No. 5 Georgia all it could handle in a 41-31 loss last week.

Questions were asked about which quarterback would start the game against the Tigers, but coach Mike Elko named redshirt sophomore quarterback Connor Weigman to lead the offense, and he didn’t disappoint. Weigman lit up the field against the normally stout Missouri defense, throwing for 276 yards and completing 18 of his 22 passes.

The game plan called for everyone to participate as ten different receivers caught a pass. Freshman athlete Terry Bussey was used heavily as a receiver for the first time and showcased his dynamic RAC skills. Bussey’s role should continue to evolve as offensive coordinator Collin Klein figures out more ways to get the ball in his hands.

Despite the balanced passing performance, the Aggie rushing attack dominated the game, as it has all year, with its fourth week of over 200 rushing yards this season. The Maroon and White relied on the thunder and lightning pairing of junior running backs Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels and they did not disappoint.

Daniels scored A&M’s first two touchdowns against Missouri, each from one yard out, but after that it was a lot of Moss. The Tigers’ defenders simply couldn’t bring Moss down, and he showed off his high speed for a 75-yard touchdown, his longest of the year.

While Mississippi State has had a solid defense in the past, the Bulldogs appear to have lost their impact this year. The Bulldogs are comfortably last in the SEC with 33.2 and 465.7 points and yards allowed, respectively, and have not given up fewer than 30 points in a game since their opener against FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky. They had a hard time getting takeaways, but they doubled their number of interceptions this year by picking off Georgia senior QB Carson Beck twice, and Elko took notice.

“[Sophomore safety] Isaac Smith and [sophomore cornerback] “Brice Pollock highlights her secondary and it’s a better group every week,” Elko said. “We expect we will have our hands full getting to Starkville. We always do.”

The Bulldogs have athletes on their defensive line, but they have failed to convert that athleticism into production early in the season. Junior linebacker Stone Blanton is a strong hitter and leader of Mississippi State’s linebacker corps and should be a player the Aggies should pay attention to if they make it to the second level.