Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State Preview: What the Stats Say

Here's how the Texas A&M Aggies and Mississippi State Bulldogs stack up on the stat sheet.

Oct 19, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko and Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby speak after a game at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

The Texas A&M Aggies' upcoming home matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs isn't exactly a test per say, but could be seen as an early pop quiz of sorts.

The Bulldogs were handily the worst team in the SEC last season, finishing 2-10 overall and 0-8 in conference play. However, they still gave the Aggies a decent fight in Starkville, with the latter walking out with a 34-24 victory. The Aggies moved to 6-1 on the season with the win, and thus secured bowl eligibility.

This season, the two maroon and white teams will meet again at Kyle Field on Oct. 4, and both have seemingly improved since last season. With that said, let's take a look at what the numbers say

How Texas A&M and Mississippi State Stack Up

As one might expect from a team that went winless in conference play, Mississippi State finished at or near the bottom of the league in most major stats, and that's especially true on defense. The Bulldogs' defense was truly awful in 2024, as they allowed 456.4 total yards (239.5 passing yards, 216.9 rushing yards) and 34.1 passing yards per game. Those numbers aren't just the worst in the SEC (except for passing defense, where they ranked as the second-worst team in the league), but among the worst of any Power Four team.

Understandably, the Bulldogs made some major changes on defense this offseason. They particularly focused on the defensive line, which makes sense as their 10 sacks last season were the second fewest of any team in the country, Power Four or not. Their few standout players, such as linebacker Branden Jennings (team-high five tackles for loss) and safety Isaac Smith (team-high 127 tackles) , also return, so the unit should be better in 2025.

Mississippi State was a bit better on offense, but still not exactly good. The Bulldogs averaged 377.2 total yards (239.3 passing yards, 137.9 rushing yards) and 25.8 points per game, ranking 13th and 14th in the conference, respectively. They only scored 30+ points once against SEC competition, though that game curiously came against Georgia of all teams.

The good news is that the Bulldogs will get back starting quarterback Blake Shapen, who only played four games due to injury last season. Their receiving corps took a bit of a hit in the transfer portal, with Mario Craver going to A&M being a particularly big blow, but Shapen should help elevate the passing game on his own.

The numbers obviously don't paint the Bulldogs in the best light, but it's important to remember that last season is in the past. The Aggies should be treating this team as a completely different one from the one they beat last season.