Keys to Victory: Three Things Mississippi State Must Do to Win This Weekend

Mississippi State will travel to College Station to face the 15th ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday.

After beginning the season 2-0, the Bulldogs have fallen to 2-2 after back-to-back losses to Memphis and LSU.

Although these losses were only by a combined five points, the team's struggles to compete for an entire 60 minutes are what ultimately cost them the victory. Here are the top three things that the Bulldogs must do to secure a victory over a talented Texas A&M team.

1. Attack Downfield Offensively

Statistically, quarterback Will Rogers had a great game against LSU last Saturday. He completed 47-of-62 passing attempts for 371 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Despite his high total yardage numbers, Rogers' longest play was a 29-yard touchdown pass to Makai Polk near the end of the third quarter.

Of his 47 completions, only seven were completed for 15 yards or greater. Four of those seven were in the final 19 minutes of the game. The majority of Rogers' completions were short passes and checkdowns, which explains why the team struggled to maintain drives against the LSU defense. So far this season, MSU has been most productive when Rogers has been confident enough to push the ball further downfield. This won't be an easy task against a Texas A&M defense that gives up less than five yards per passing attempt, but it is vital to the Bulldogs' success this weekend.

2. Continue Cutting Down on Penalties

In the first game of the season against Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State had 12 penalties for a total of 95 yards. Since then, the Bulldogs have been on a downward trend in terms of total penalties committed. The team had 9 penalties for 60 yards against NC State on September 11th, and 6 penalties for 55 yards the following weekend at Memphis. Most recently, the Bulldogs had 6 penalties for only 36 yards against LSU. This trend looks promising for Mississippi State, and shows how the players can continue to improve heading into the most difficult part of the schedule.

3. Hold Onto The Football

Through the first four games, Mississippi State has had five fumbles -- four of which were lost. That number isn't necessarily terrible- it's not unusual to have a turnover or two each game- but it is a big momentum killer. In last Saturday's game, a fumble at the LSU 30 yard line on MSU's opening drive resulted in an early 7-0 deficit for the Bulldogs. Up until that point, Mississippi State had been quickly marching down the field against the Tiger defense.

Even without an added score, being on the field more often due to a turnover can tire a defense quickly. The Bulldogs have struggled to hold onto the ball against hard-hitting defenses since the beginning of the season. Texas A&M might be one of their biggest challenges so far. The Aggies have an offense that averages 24 points and 396 yards per game, and they will capitalize on every opportunity they get. MSU must prevent Texas A&M from getting any extra drives if they want to compete closely this weekend.

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