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With New Mexico State disposed of in a 52-10 rout, Texas A&M could be poised for another big offensive show when the Aggies visit Mississippi State.
The Aggies (7-1, 4-1 SEC) and Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3 SEC) will kick off at noon ET Saturday in Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville with the SEC Network airing the game.
The Aggies, a surprise No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, go into the contest ranked second in scoring (38.4 points a game) and total offense (498.8 yards per game) in the Southeastern Conference.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 56-41 win over Samford in which they gave up 627 yards, 27 first downs, and 41 points to the FCS foe. They had 669 yards and 29 first downs themselves.
"Obviously, when you're playing a team like Texas A&M you're going to have to score some points because they score," Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. "They've put points on the board against everybody so you're going to have to score some points to keep yourself in the game."
The Aggies are a well-balanced offense with the split between rushing and passing yardage about as even as you can get. The number on the ground is 249.1 yards per game. Through the air it is 249.6 yards per game.
What would A&M coach Kevin Sumlin like?
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"Got to continue to get better offensively at what we want to do," he said, looking back on the 515-yard outburst against New Mexico State. "Thought we operated pretty well on third down early in game. Got to continue to get better every week.
"Look at everything Sunday, get with players Monday and talk about the good stuff and the things we need to get fixed. Monday practice mostly about fixing our own issues and not letting them pop up again."
Mullen is no stranger to Sumlin's offenses. This will be the seventh time in eight seasons the two have matched wits on opposing sidelines during Mullen's tenure at Mississippi State.
Sumlin is a 4-2 in those games head-to-head including his time at both Houston and Texas A&M.
"He's a really good offensive coach," Mullen said. "They do a nice job of trying to be innovative and spread the field and utilize players a lot in the same way that we do. He's not afraid to think outside the box and not afraid to tweak and change around the players that he's had."
Keying the Aggies' attack is quarterback Trevor Knight. The Oklahoma transfer has completed only 53.3 percent of his passes, but they have been good for over 233 yards a game. His favorite target, veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk, has 54 receptions for 446 yards, and Josh Reynolds provides big-play potential with 586 yards on 19 receptions, an average of 19.5 yards per play.
But Knight also provides a running threat. He is second on the team in rushing with 529 yards to running back Trayveon Williams' 776 and leads in rushing touchdowns with nine to Williams' six.
That doesn't bode well for a Mississippi State team that has struggled with its tackling. During its win over Samford, Mississippi State missed more than 20 tackles that resulted in over 300 yards after the catch.
"There's a lot different things going on that we've got to get cleaned up," Mullen said. "We missed tackles high, low, inside and outside. Guys have to have confidence running to the ball and have to have good form tackling."
Mississippi State also has a running threat at quarterback. Nick Fitzgerald has stepped in for Dak Prescott, now starting for the Dallas Cowboys, and has rushed for a team-best 657 yards.
"Not shocked at all," Sumlin said of Fitzgerald's performance. "Dan Mullen has done great job of developing quarterbacks, whether at Utah, Florida, Mississippi State.
"For you Cowboys fans, there's no mistake. Dak Prescott is a pretty good player. Also has experience based on where he came from that has helped him. This guy is no different.
"Big guy -- 6-5, 230. That's first thing that gets your attention. He can spin it. Can put it down and run it. Is a load when he runs it. Another one of those deals where you get later in season, quarterbacks that are young are starting to see more things and are getting better."
