Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

No. 14 Texas A&M (5-0) hasn't generated a ton of hype just yet, but a wire-to-wire 30-17 win over the No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-2) on Saturday night bolstered the Aggies' profile in a major way. 

According to B/R Insights, Texas A&M has now started back-to-back seasons 5-0 for the first time since 1940-41. 

A week after the Aggies scraped past an underwhelming Arkansas Razorbacks side in overtime, Kevin Sumlin's team controlled the pace of play and imposed its will behind the production of quarterback Kyle Allen. 

The sophomore completed 25 of 41 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns. He's now thrown for at least 300 yards in consecutive games after putting up 358 through the air against the Razorbacks.  

Allen completed passes to seven different receivers in the win, with Josh Reynolds topping the bunch by compiling seven catches for 141 yards.  

"They have guys that can go and make plays that other people can’t," Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said, per the Clarion-Ledger's Michael Bonner. "Good coverage isn’t always an issue for them. You can be all over them and they have multiple guys that can go up and take the ball away.”

The Aggies were all systems go on offense in the early going. Allen kept the chains moving at wildly efficient rates, and Texas A&M came away with touchdowns on its only two drives of the first quarter. 

Texas A&M's opening drive spanned 91 yards and resulted in a Ricky Seals-Jones score from one yard out. The star receiver was later ejected in the second quarter for targeting. Allen's second march down the field lasted just over two minutes and covered 75 yards as Damion Ratley found the end zone, per ESPN College Football on Twitter:

Allen completed his first nine passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns before throwing his first incompletion of the game in the second quarter. 

Tempo was the name of the game for the Aggies throughout the first half, and Rivals.com's Mark Passwaters took note of the rate at which Sumlin's offense was humming: 

Mississippi State's offense had moments of brilliance, but they proved to be fleeting, as the Aggies defense stepped up and forced two fumbles that halted the Bulldogs' chances of a comeback after entering halftime down 14. 

Quarterback Dak Prescott was hit-and-miss in the loss, as he averaged just 6.2 yards per completion while throwing for 210 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. However, he did tote the rock a season-high 18 times for 96 yards and a score.

The Bulldogs fell to 1-2 in SEC play with the loss, but brighter days are ahead. Five of the team's final seven games will come in Starkville, and consecutive matchups against Troy, Louisiana Tech and Kentucky are on deck. It would be a stunner if the Bulldogs didn't enter their Nov. 5 showdown against the Missouri Tigers 6-2. 

Texas A&M's reward for dispatching the Bulldogs is a bye week, but a meeting with the Alabama Crimson Tide looms on the Horizon. The Aggies will be nice and rested for what could be the biggest game of their season, but after the Crimson Tide walloped the Georgia Bulldogs, Sumlin's boys should have their hands full. 

Post-Game Reaction

According to Passwaters, Texas A&M was motivated to strike back after getting trounced, 48-31, by the Bulldogs last October: 

Additionally, Allen told reporters the Aggies were determined to snag a win before they were faced with preparing for Alabama, per the Houston Chronicle's Brent Zwerneman:

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen explained that turnovers ultimately doomed the Bulldogs as they tried to pull the upset: