When coach Mike Elko returned to Aggieland to take control of Texas A&M football, there was an expectation that he would bring the expertise to transform the defense into an elite unit. While the Wrecking Crew took its lumps earlier in the season, it has rounded into one of the SEC’s finest groups — only allowing 13 points in its last seven quarters.
On paper, it may be easy for A&M to overlook Mississippi State’s 49th-ranked scoring offense, but its bombs-away nature and penchant for chunk plays creates conflicts for defenses.
Once the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, senior Baylor transfer Blake Shapen, went down for the year in Week 4 with a shoulder injury, it made sense for the offense to pull back the reins and mitigate the burden on true freshman QB Michael Van Buren Jr.
Instead, coach Jeff Lebby has continued to push the ball downfield, resulting in 13.5 yards per completion, the nation’s 28th-best mark.
“[Mississippi State’s] ability to stretch the field is probably the most impressive thing that jumps off the tape,” Elko said. “[Van Buren] has great arm talent, he can throw the ball a mile and I think he’s getting more comfortable with the rhythm and timing with his wideouts.”
Junior wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. has been the Bulldogs’ most productive option in the passing game. The St. Louis product has already reeled in 36 catches, good for third in the conference at 447 yards. Coleman and freshman WR Mario Craver will likely draw junior cornerback Will Lee III in several one-on-one matchups. The long corner is having a breakout season and has already gotten his hands on eight balls in addition to an interception.
“I think they have three elite wide receivers,” Elko said. “Kevin Coleman and Mario Craver are kids that can really stretch the field and take the top off of the coverage.”
Mississippi State’s spread offense uses wide splits from the wide receivers to space the middle of the field in an attempt to give the quarterback cleaner looks. The drawback of stretching the skill players so much is that the offensive line can be left isolated, lacking support from tight ends or receivers for blocking. Consequently, the Bulldogs have given up 19 sacks, tied for ninth-most in the nation.
A&M’s defensive front has been heating up, sacking the passer 14 times in total this season. Junior defensive end Nic Scourton has led the way with 4.5 sacks, 3.5 of which have come in the last two weeks. With Van Buren not being much of a threat to run, the defensive line should be able to get after the passer without worrying about containing the quarterback.
Similar to the passing game’s go-big-or-go-home mentality, the ground game for the Bulldogs has been hit-or-miss. The team crossed the 150-yard threshold in three games, but also failed to reach 80 yards in three games. It would be generous to call the backfield a two-headed monster, but Mississippi State has maintained a fairly even split between junior running back Johnnie Daniels and senior RB Davon Booth. Each player has toted the rock more than 50 times for a combined 486 yards.
The A&M run defense was leaky early in the season, allowing a couple games of more than 180 yards to open the season. The Aggies have responded well and have proved their mettle against the run since, only allowing 2.8 yards per carry the last two weeks.
“Rule number one for me on defense is to stop the run, so I’m very pleased with how the D-line and front seven as a whole has taken [on] the challenge to stop the run no matter who we’re playing,” sophomore linebacker Taurean York said.
Despite the Bulldogs’ grim 1-5 record, the Aggies cannot look to the future to more imposing opponents quite yet. Mississippi State’s offense has the capacity for explosive plays to quickly change the tide of a game, exhibited by hanging 31 on No. 5 Georgia a week ago.
“[Mississippi State] is a team that is getting better every single time they go out on the field,” Elko said. “I think it’s a very dangerous football team.”
