GAME PREVIEW: Aggies Host Bulldogs on Military Appreciation Night

Nov 10, 2023 | Football

By: Athletics Communications

Gameday: Mississippi State

Saturday, Nov. 11 • 6:35 p.m. CT
Kyle Field • College Station
Live Stats: Click Here

THE MATCHUP

Texas A&M: 5-4, 3-3
last: lost at #11 Ole Miss, 38-35
Game Notes: Click Here
Mississippi State: 4-5, 1-5
last: lost to Kentucky, 24-3
Game Notes: Click Here

RANKINGS

Texas A&M: NR
Mississippi State: NR

WATCH

TV: ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Brian Custer
Analyst: Rod Gilmore
Sidelines: Lauren Sisler

LISTEN

Radio: TAMU Sports Network
1620 AM/94.5 FM (local), SiriusXM 113/207
Play-by-Play: Andrew Monaco
Analyst: Dave Elmendorf
Sidelines: Will Johnson
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App

Spanish Broadcast: Click Here
102.7 FM (local)
Play-by-Play: Michel Gonzalez
Analyst: Pedro Luna
Analyst: Alejandra Dorbecker
Listen Live: 12th Man Mobile App

Texas A&M closes out the home portion of its SEC schedule under the lights Saturday night when the Aggies host Mississippi State at Kyle Field. Kickoff is set for 6:35 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Night at Kyle Field. The game also marks the annual "Maroon Out", where fans are encouraged to wear maroon to support the Aggies, in a tradition dating back to 1998.

The Aggies, who are 4-1 at home in 2023, come into the weekend after a tough 38-35 loss at 11th-ranked Ole Miss last weekend. Mississippi State, meanwhile, enters on a two-game losing streak--most recently dropping a 24-3 decision to Kentucky in Starkville last Saturday.

A&M has won five of the 11 meetings between the programs since joining the SEC but has dropped the last two. Last season, State pulled away for a 42-24 win in Starkville, while the last meeting in College Station went to the Bulldogs (26-22) in 2021.

Saturday's forecast calls for overcast skies and a chance of light rain with temps in the low- to mid-50s.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Aggies return to Kyle Field this week to host Mississippi State ... Each team has earned two victories in the last four meetings in the series.
Graduate WR Ainias Smith has been a spark for the A&M offense, tallying 20 20-plus yard plays this season and has added at least 25 yards after the catch in five of A&M's six SEC games, including a season-high 68 yards against South Carolina ... Smith ranks eighth in the SEC averaging 72.4 receiving yards per game and ninth with a 16.7 yards-per-catch average.
Smith, the FBS active career leader in punt return yards, ranks sixth nationally and leads the SEC averaging 17.8 yards per return ... He also ranks sixth in the SEC averaging 108.6 all-purpose yards per game.
The A&M offense has tallied over 350 yards of total offense in seven of the team's nine games so far this season, most recently racking up 457 yards at Ole Miss, while ranking sixth in the SEC averaging 32.3 points per game.
Junior LB Edgerrin Cooper has been a beast for the Aggies in SEC play, tallying 12.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks through six league games ... Cooper leads the SEC and is tied for fifth nationally with 16.0 TFLs and is tied for 14th in the country and second in the league with 7.0 sacks, while his 59 total tackles on the year are good for ninth in the SEC.
A&M leads the Power 5 with 81.0 tackles for loss and ranks second with 34.0 sacks on the year ... The Aggies have tallied 62.0 TFL and 28.0 sacks through six league games this season.
The Aggie defense has shut down opponents on third down this season, ranking 14th nationally with a 29.7 opponent conversion percentage ... The unit is also eighth in the country allowing just 15.6 first downs per game, while its 50 rushing first downs allowed rank 10th among Power 5 programs.

QUICK HITS

Sophomore Le'Veon Moss and junior Amari Daniels rank among the top 15 running backs in the SEC this season as Moss averages 62.7 yards per outing to rank 12th, while Daniels adds 53.1 yards per game off the bench ... Both backs reached the end zone at Ole Miss to up their season totals to four scores apiece.
Sophomore WR Evan Stewart has been a reliable target for the Aggies this season and ranks 13th in the SEC averaging 63.3 receiving yards per game.
Sophomore Bryce Anderson, along with junior Tyreek Chappell and graduate transfer Josh DeBerry have helped the team rank in the top 15 in passing defense among Power 5 teams (196.9 y/g) ... DeBerry is tied for third in the SEC with nine passes defended, while Chappell is tied for eighth in the league with five breakups and Anderson it tied for 21st with four.
Junior DL Shemar Turner has been a consistent disruptor on the line this season, recording at least 1.0 tackle for loss in seven of the team's nine games ... Turner is tied for 10th in the SEC with 5.0 sacks and tied for ninth with 9.0 TFL on the year.
The Aggies have limited the opposition to less than 225 yards of total offense five times this season, and have only allowed an opponent to tally over 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game once this year.
Junior PK Randy Bond is tied for ninth in the nation and ranks second in the SEC averaging 9.6 points per game ... His 18 made field goals on the season are tied for third nationally and lead the SEC.
The Aggies boast a 29-8 (.800 win pct.) record at Kyle Field under Coach Fisher.
Quick starts have been a key to Aggie victories in the Jimbo Fisher era ... The Aggies are 33-7 when scoring first and are 32-2 when leading after the first quarter.

MILESTONES TO WATCH FOR

Graduate WR Ainias Smith continues his climb through the A&M record books and needs just one receiving touchdown to move into the top five all-time with 18 career scoring grabs to-date.
Smith enters the week with 164 career receptions and is in pursuit of Terrence Murphy's (2001-04) 172 career mark to move into fourth on A&M's all-time list.
After moving into seventh and upping his career receiving yards total to 2,264 at Ole Miss, Smith is chasing Mike Evans' (2012-13) mark of 2,499, which is good for sixth all-time.
On the verge of breaking into another top five, Smith is currently in sixth with 818 punt return yards and is in need of 106 yards to move up a spot ... He is also 406 yards away from passing Leland McElroy's (1993-95) 4,441 career yards to move into seventh on A&M's all-purpose yards list, entering the week with 3,781 ... Smith is 23 yards away from reaching 1,000 AP yards in a season for the first time in his career.
Sophomore WR Evan Stewart made his way into A&M's career receptions list, currently tied with Mike Goodson (2006-08) in 26th with 90 career catches ... He is three receiving touchdowns away from breaking into the top 25 all-time at A&M, as well as 47 receiving yards away from cracking A&M's top 30.
Junior WR Moose Muhammad III is on the cusp of moving into the top 20 of A&M's all-time career receiving touchdowns list with nine career scoring receptions, while he is also 107 receiving yards away from reaching the 1,000-yard mark for his career.
Freshman LB Taurean York is 1.5 tackles for loss away from tying Dat Nguyen's (1995) No. 3 freshman TFL total of 7.0, not including sacks, and is four tackles away from the top-15 on A&M's freshman record book, entering the week with 50 takedowns.

SWISS ARMY KNIFE

Graduate WR Ainias Smith has been called a "Swiss Army Knife" by head coach Jimbo Fisher because of his do-it-all ability on the field.
A true quadruple threat, Smith has gained more than 250 yards as a rusher (401), receiver (2,264), punt returner (818) and kick returner (298) ... Among Aggies already in the 3,000-yard club, only six players even have stats in all four categories and just two -- Dante Hall and Larry Stegent -- had 250+ in all four.
Smith is the only 2,000-yard receiver in SEC history to also rack up at least 250 rushing, punt return and kickoff return yards in their career ... The other 1,000-yard receiver to hit the 250-yard mark in rushing and returns was Kentucky's Randall Cobb, who posted 1,661 receiving yards along with 1,313 rushing yards, 619 punt return yards and 1,081 kickoff return yards from 2008-10.
The active FBS leader in career punt return yards, Smith has etched his name into Aggie history, climbing into the top 10 on A&M's career receiving touchdowns (18), receiving yards (2,264), receptions (164), punt return (76-818) and all-purpose yards (3,781) lists.
Smith put his dependable versatility on display in the win over Arkansas, returning a punt 82 yards to the house in the fourth quarter to lengthen the Aggie lead and eventually total a career-high 131 punt return yards and 202 all-purpose yards ... This marked the second special teams touchdown of Smith's career after taking a punt 95 yards to the end zone in 2021 against South Carolina.
Smith has sparked the Aggies this season with his playmaking ability as he leads the team with 20 20-plus yard plays in his final season, including 16 catches of 20-plus yards ... At Ole Miss, Smith add 27- and 24-yard receptions in the second half to help set up Aggie touchdowns.
Dating back to the 2019 LSU game, Smith has caught a pass in 36 straight games ... This streak is the eighth-longest active streak in the nation, fifth among Power 5 receivers, while it is also the longest streak by an Aggie since Christian Kirk (2015-17) had a string of 39 games.
Smith recorded the sixth 100-yard game of his career when he led the offense with 118 yards on six catches in the win over South Carolina.
Smith has registered seven multi-touchdown games in his career, catching multiple TD passes in a game five times ... In the 2021 season opener, he hauled in a 63-yard scoring pass to put the Aggies up 17 points at the half and extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a 43-yard TD grab.

JOHNSON TAKES OVER AS QB1

Sophomore QB Max Johnson has stood ready for the Aggies and returned to the starting lineup under center Week 5 against Arkansas.
Johnson registered his first 300-yard passing game as an Aggie and the sixth of his college career when he completed a career-best 31 passes for 305 yards at Ole Miss.
In the win over the Razorbacks, Johnson posted 210 passing yards and 57 yards on the ground, while his two touchdown passes matched his previous best as an Aggie.
Johnson, who has played in 30 games as an SEC quarterback, was thrown into action in the second half of the Auburn game with A&M up 6-3 at the break after an injury to Conner Weigman and immediately tossed a pair of scoring passes in the third quarter to distance the Aggies and position the team for victory.
In his first season in Aggieland, Johnson led the Aggies to back-to-back victories over AP top-15 teams, topping No. 13 Miami 17-9 at Kyle Field in his first start for the Maroon & White before knocking off No. 10 Arkansas, 23-21 at AT&T Stadium ... Johnson's stint as the A&M starter was cut short the following week after suffering a season-ending hand injury at Mississippi State.
Johnson compiled an 8-6 record as the starter at LSU, surpassing the 300-yard plateau in passing yards six times in his two seasons in Baton Rouge, including career bests of 435 yards against Ole Miss in 2020 and five touchdowns against Central Michigan in 2021.

STEWART MAKES IMPACT

Sophomore WR Evan Stewart has become a favorite target for Aggie quarterbacks after making an immediate impact in his debut season and continuing to shine this year.
Stewart ranks 13th among SEC receivers, averaging 72.4 yards per game, while his four touchdown grabs on the year are tied for 10th in the league.
In just his 14th career game, Stewart eclipsed the 1,000 career receiving yard mark, which tied him with Ryan Tannehill (2008-11) as the third-fastest Aggie to reach the millennium mark ... Only Mike Evans (2012-13) and Christian Kirk (2015-17) did it faster with Evans reaching it in 12 games and Kirk in 13.
Stewart made it back-to-back 100-yard games as he set career highs with 11 catches for 142 yards against Miami ... He became the first A&M receiver to catch 10-plus passes in a game since the 2017 season and the first to record back-to-back 100-yard games since the 2019 season.
Stewart started his sophomore season in a big way, registering the third 100-yard game and first multi-touchdown game of his career, racking up 115 yards on eight catches and a pair of touchdown receptions against New Mexico.
As a newcomer, Stewart registered two 100-yard games and ranked eighth among all SEC receivers, averaging 64.9 yards per game last season, which led all FBS freshmen nationally ... He was also tied for 10th overall and led all freshmen in the league with 53 receptions.
A highly-touted recruit in A&M's top 2022 signing class, Stewart was an Under Armour All-American that was also a track standout ... He earned top-two finishes at the Texas 5A state championships in the long jump and triple jump, while also helping his 4x400m and 4x200m relay teams to medal finishes.

MAROON GOONS

The Texas A&M offensive line returns great experience from last season ... Led by graduate Layden Robinson, who has been a staple at right guard over the last two seasons, the Aggies returned three of five starters from a year ago.
The Aggies rank among the top five in the SEC, allowing 18.0 sacks and 43.0 TFL so far this season.
Robinson is in his third year as a starter after helping clear the way for one of the top running back tandems in the nation in 2021 and a 1,000-yard rusher last season.
The Aggies have seen Robinson, Trey Zuhn III, Mark Nabou Jr. and Chase Bisontis start all nine games so far this season, while Bryce Foster, Kam Dewberry and Dametrious Crownover have had key roles on the line early on.

STEADY BACKERS

The Aggie linebacker trio of junior Edgerrin Cooper, true freshman Taurean York and senior Chris Russell Jr. have come into their own and sparked an aggressive A&M attack in SEC play.
Cooper has been a dominating force in SEC play, racking up 12.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks in A&M's six league games as he paces the Aggies with 59 total tackles on the season ... His 16.0 TFLs on the year lead all SEC players and rank fifth nationally, while his 7.0 sack total is tied for 14th in the country and tied for second in the SEC.
York has immediately stepped into a leadership role as a true freshman, quarterbacking the defense at mike linebacker ... His 50 tackles on the season are second on the team, while ranking second among Power 5 true freshman linebackers and sixth among all freshman defensive players ... York was named SEC Freshman of the Week after leading the A&M defense with 11 tackles, 2.0 for loss, in the win over Auburn.
Russell has given the Aggies reliable production off the bench this season, tallying 22 tackles, including 2.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks ... In the win over Arkansas, Russell scored the first touchdown of his career when he got ahold of a tipped pass and returned it 16 yards to the end zone to lengthen A&M's lead in the third quarter.
The defense as a whole ranks 15th in the nation and second in the SEC in total defense (296.9 y/g), while leading the Power 5 in the tackles for loss (81.0) and ranking second in sacks (34.0).
As a unit, the linebackers accounted for more than half of A&M's tackles for loss and sacks in the win over Auburn, as they tallied 6.5 of the team's 15.0 TFL and 4.0 of the team's 7.0 sacks.

NO FLY ZONE

The A&M secondary has shut down the opposition's passing game, landing the Aggies among the nation's best in total defense and passing defense ... Veteran leader and fifth-year starter Demani Richardson helps lead the group with 46 total tackles on the season.
Graduate transfer Josh DeBerry burst on the scene in the season opener, filling out the stat sheet and leading the way in his first game in the Maroon & White ... DeBerry matched his single-game career highs from Boston College with 10 tackles, a solo sack, a pick and a hurry.
DeBerry leads the way ranking fourth among league players with nine passes defended ... Junior Tyreek Chappell is tied for 10th in the SEC with five breakups on the year, while sophomore Bryce Anderson also ranks among the top 21 in the league with four breakups.
The Aggies currently rank second in the SEC and 15th among Power 5 schools allowing 196.9 yards per game through the air ... They have held five of their nine opponents to less than 135 passing yards.
Under Coach Fisher, the Aggies have limited their opponent to 100 passing yards or less on 11 occasions, recently holding Tennessee to 100 yards through the air.
Richardson leads all defensive players with two career touchdowns, recording 82- and 27-yard fumble returns to the end zone in the wins over No. 10 Arkansas and No. 6 LSU, respectively, last season.

DEPTH ON THE D-LINE

A&M boasts one of the most talented and unpredictable defensive lines in the nation this season, led by the veteran experience of senior McKinnley Jackson on the inside and consistent production from junior Shemar Turner on the outside.
Jackson and Turner have been joined in the starting lineup by junior Fadil Diggs and sophomore Walter Nolen in seven of the nine games this season, while the Aggies have consistently used a full second rotation in every game this season that played in at least 11 games a season ago.
The line plays a vital role in the Aggies ranking second in the SEC and 15th in the country in total defense (296.9 y/g) ... A&M leads all Power 5 teams with 81.0 tackles for loss and is second in the Power 5 with 34.0 sacks on the year, after beginning SEC play with 15.0 TFL and 7.0 sacks in back-to-back games.
A&M ranks 15th in the nation in rushing defense (100.0 y/g) and is is tied for sixth nationally allowing just five rushing scores all season .. The line recently held South Carolina to just 33 yards on the ground, marking the fourth time this season it has kept the opposition's run game in double figures, also limiting New Mexico (91), Miami (77), Arkansas (42) and Alabama (23).
As a unit, the defensive line has been a key part of the Aggies' success in shutting down their opponents on third downs as they are second in the league and 14th nationally allowing just 35 conversions on 118 attempts this season, good for a 29.7 conversion percentage.
Individually, Turner leads the line with 9.0 TFLs and 5.0 sacks, both good for top-10 in the SEC ... Nolen and Diggs rank 19th in the SEC with 4.0 sacks this season while Diggs' 9.0 tackles for loss are good for eighth.