Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M: Game Grades, Analysis for Bulldgos and Aggies

The No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies (5-0, 2-0) took down No. 21 Mississippi State (3-2, 1-2) on Saturday with a 30-17 victory in a battle of SEC West teams.

Aggies quarterback Kyle Allen was terrific, completing 25 of 41 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Allen also ran for 66 yards on 12 carries. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Pass Offense	C+	C+
Run Offense	B	C+
Pass Defense	D+	B-
Run Defense	B-	B
Special Teams	C	C
Coaching	C+	C+

Pass Offense: Dak Prescott wasn't bad—he just didn't appear as comfortable as he had in the previous four weeks. He was under pressure all night and was off target on some big throws, including a fourth-down pass that led to a turnover on downs. 

Run Offense: Prescott ran 18 times for 96 yards and looked like the Prescott of 2014 on the ground. It was smart of Dan Mullen to use Prescott as much as he did on the ground, but the Bulldogs running backs combined to run 15 times for 41 yards. Wide receiver Malik Dear had 52 yards on one play. 

Pass Defense: It was a struggle to slow down Allen and Texas A&M's outstanding receivers. The biggest issue for MSU's pass defense was a lack of pressure on Allen. Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz needs to bring more pressure if his front four can't create it. 

Run Defense: The Bulldogs didn't get gashed on defense and made the Aggies earn their yards. Overall, Mississippi State allowed 194 yards on 45 carries. While MSU would prefer not to allow almost 200 yards rushing, it was the pass defense that lost this for the Bulldogs. 

Special Teams: There were no big plays for Mississippi State on special teams. The Bulldogs made their only field-goal attempt. However, MSU's punt team struggled a bit in both punting the ball and limiting Christian Kirk in the return game. 

Coaching: Mullen needs to find more ways to get the running backs going. MSU's running game either consists of Prescott or one of the receivers making a big play out of the backfield. Diaz needs to dial up more pressure on defense.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Pass Offense	A	B-
Run Offense	B+	B
Pass Defense	A-	B+
Run Defense	C+	B
Special Teams	A	B+
Coaching	A	A

Pass Offense: Allen was unstoppable in the first half. He had some struggles in the third quarter with accuracy but recovered to make some good throws in the fourth quarter. Allen was strong throwing the football downfield and in the intermediate areas, too. 

Run Offense: Tra Carson had a consistent game, finishing with 110 yards on the ground. Allen chipped in with 65 yards as well. Texas A&M's running game was good from start to finish. 

Pass Defense: Texas A&M's pass rush bothered Prescott all night long. Myles Garrett was everywhere. Give credit to A&M's secondary, especially Brandon Williams, who continues to be targeted since moving over to cornerback and answers the challenge every time. 

Run Defense: The Aggies couldn't stop Prescott on the ground, but in all fairness the senior quarterback didn't make any huge plays with his legs. MSU's biggest play came on a handoff to a wide receiver in the first half. A&M stopped the Bulldogs running backs all game long. 

Special Teams: Taylor Bertolet missed one field goal, but he nailed a 55-yarder in the first half. Punter Drew Kaser averaged 49 yards per punt and pinned MSU deep in its own territory on one occasion. Kirk had three punt returns for 41 yards. It was a strong all-around performance by Texas A&M's special teams units. 

Coaching: Kevin Sumlin called a good game for his quarterback. He didn't put him in one bad situation the entire game. Sumlin also deserves credit for even attempting a 55-yard field goal. Defensive coordinator John Chavis could make the Aggies a national championship contender. He was the most underrated coaching hire in all of college football this past offseason.