Will Rogers rolled into College Station last season with a 408-yard 3-touchdown performance picking up a 26-22 win and putting his name on the map.
The Aggies return to Starkville this week for their revenge after back-to-back ranked victories over Miami and Arkansas, and it'll be a tough task for the Bulldogs.
Texas A&M got off to a rough start to the season, falling to Appalachian State at home in week two, but a quarterback switch from Haynes King to LSU transfer Max Johnson seems to be the right move so far for Jimbo Fisher. The QB switch has opened up the Aggies' rushing attack, and Mississippi State will need to contain that run game to help secure their first SEC victory of the season on Saturday.
1) Contain Achane
Texas A&M lost leading receiver Ainias Smith for the season when he suffered a leg injury in their win over Arkansas last week. The Aggies became more focused on the run, and it proved to be successful as junior Devon Achane rushed for 159 yards on 19 carries in the victory.
Achane could very well be the fastest player in the SEC, and A&M will use him in a variety of ways, whether that is running the football or getting him in space in the screen game. While facing an Aggies passing offense that has been lackluster all season, shutting down Achane will need to be the most significant point of emphasis for Zach Arnett's defense.
2) Convert in the Redzone
Former Ole Miss defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is in his first year in College Station, and he's someone the Bulldogs have seen twice under Head Coach Mike Leach. Mississippi State had success moving the football against Durkin's Rebels, picking up 30 first downs in last year's Egg Bowl, but they began to struggle in the red zone.
Coach Mike Leach said he doesn't see much difference in what Durkin has run at Texas A&M this season compared to what he's seen from his defenses at Ole Miss. The Rebels ran a lot of zone coverage which Will Rogers picked apart between the 20s, but as the field tightened up in the red zone, so did Durkin's defense, so Rogers will need to be precise in his decision-making near the goal line.
3) Protect Will Rogers
The Bulldogs could be without one of their starters on Saturday as left tackle Kwatrivous Johnson left last week's game with an injury. Johnson's status for this week is unknown, and if he were to be sidelined, left guard Nick Jones would likely kick out to left tackle with Middle Tennessee State transfer Steven Losoya filling in at guard.
The Mississippi State offensive line was overmatched in their SEC opener at LSU weeks ago, and it led to a rough day for the Air Raid offense on the bayou. Will Rogers took a season-high four sacks and threw for a season-low 212 yards due to the lack of time in the pocket.
While the pass rush hasn't been the strength of the Aggies' defense so far, with just six sacks through four games, it's a group with a lot of young talent that could present some problems for a depleted Bulldog front. Five-star freshman Shemar Stewart had a break-out performance against Arkansas last week with a sack and four tackles, and he could be someone to watch out for on the edge.
