No. 14 Texas A&M football has had a successful first half of the 2024 season. Few scenarios could have played out better for the Maroon and White. The Aggies are in year one of a new coaching regime, lost their starting quarterback for multiple games and are 5-0 since losing their season opener on Aug. 31.
Mississippi State’s first half of the season bears some similarities to the Aggies, but has taken a different turn. The Bulldogs are in the first year of coach Jeff Lebby’s tenure, lost their starting QB for the season and are in the middle of a five-game skid following a win in their season opener.
Saturday’s kickoff between the Aggies and the Bulldogs in Starkville, Mississippi is set for 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
The Aggies are coming off a bye week after beating then-No. 9 Missouri, 41-10. In that game, A&M saw the return of redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman, who led an offense that scored 34 points before Missouri could respond.
“Being back to feeling good finally is a good feeling,” Weigman said in Monday’s press conference.
The 1-5 Bulldogs have looked better than their record shows, as they remained competitive for large stretches in their losses to No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia.
“I know the results maybe aren’t exactly what they’ve wanted them to be,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “But if you look at the way they’re still competing, if you look at the way they’re still improving, I think it’s an extremely dangerous football team.”
Historically, the Bulldogs have remained neck and neck with the Aggies. The record between the two Maroon and White squads all-time is 8-8, and 6-6 since A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
The last time the Aggies played the Bulldogs in 2023, A&M came out on top, 51-10. The next morning, after the game, A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher. The 2023 campaign already felt lost for an A&M team that was 6-4 and had just lost three of its last five.
This time, the stakes are much different for an Aggie group sitting at the top of the SEC. Both No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Alabama have losses to SEC opponents, and the only two teams that are undefeated in the SEC outside of the Aggies are their two greatest rivals: No. 1 Texas and No. 8 LSU.
The Tigers come into town next Saturday for what could be A&M’s most important game yet. This game against the Bulldogs could be a trap game for an A&M team coming off a big win, a bye week and a rival coming into Kyle Field the following week. The Aggies must take their time and focus on the opponent in front of them if they don’t want to be upset.
“Full expectation is that we’re going to have our hands full going down to Starkville — we always do,” Elko said. “We’re not very good in Starkville as a program.”
A&M is 2-4 against the Bulldogs when they play in Davis Wade Stadium. The last time the Aggies and Bulldogs faced off in Starkville in 2022, the Bulldogs came out on top, 42-24, and gave A&M its first SEC loss in what was the start of a six-game losing streak.
“What makes it a hard place to play is they’re always really talented and they play well at home,” Elko said. “It’s going to be a really, really difficult place to play on Saturday.”
It’s been a point of emphasis this week to not underestimate the Bulldogs, sophomore linebacker Tauren York said.
“Coach Elko reminded us about our record in Starkville,” York said. “We’re excited for it, we’re looking forward to the challenge come Saturday.”
