Cowbell Corner

Aggies’ Coach Mike Elko Praises Mississippi State’s Michael Van Buren

Mississippi State freshman QB Michael Van Buren has impressed on the road. Can he rise to the challenge in his first home start against Texas A&M?
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) during the first half at Sanford Stadium.
Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) during the first half at Sanford Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State football was at one of its lowest points of the season a month ago when the school announced starting quarterback Blake Shapen would miss the rest of the season.

Now, though, the Bulldogs are in a much better place and a big reason is the play of true freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren. Van Buren took over Shapen and in doing so, has completed 53 percent of his passes for 550 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

And he did that on the road against No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia. If Van Buren plays four more years of college football, he won’t experience a more difficult environment to play in.

Van Buren’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially with the coach for his upcoming opponent, Texas A&M.

Aggies’ first-year coach Mike Elko was asked about Van Buren during his weekly SEC teleconference appearance. He’s what he had to say:

“I think [he's] a kid who's certainly grown tremendously," Elko said. "You know, they haven't given him the easiest hand, having to go to two top-10 teams on the road in his first two starts, and I think he's handled it extremely well. I think he's got a big-time arm, I think he can throw the deep ball really, really well, I think you saw that last week. I thought in the second half, he got into a really comfortable rhythm back there and made some big-time throws against a really good defense. And so he's an extremely talented quarterback. I think he's getting more and more comfortable and certainly being at home, making his first home start this week, I'm sure he's really excited about that.”

It doesn’t sound like Elko is overlooking Van Buren, but that’s easy for a coach. It’s much more difficult to convince players not to overlook a true freshman, though and that’s what Bulldog fans are hoping for.

Read More Mississippi State Bulldogs On SI:

3 Key Texas A&M Players Mississippi State Must Stop to Avoid Defeat

Mississippi State Basketball Coach Chris Jans Talks SEC Competition, Josh Hubbard

Everything Jeff Lebby Said About Freshman QB Michael Van Buren

Mississippi State Loses Two Members of 2025 Recruiting Class

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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