Texas A&M vs. Mississippi St.: Score and Twitter Reaction

The No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies' College Football Playoff hopes were likely dashed Saturday, as they fell 35-28 to the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.

Mississippi State had a field day on the ground with 365 rushing yards—182 from sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. He scored two times with his legs and completed 18 of 31 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Fitzgerald's performance put him in elite SEC company:

Many were surprised when the initial CFP rankings placed one-loss Texas A&M ahead of undefeated Washington, but Saturday's loss dropped the Aggies to 7-2, and a second conference loss made winning the SEC West over Alabama nearly impossible. 

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, improved to 4-5 and helped their chances of making a bowl game despite a disappointing start to the season that featured losses to South Alabama, BYU and Kentucky.

It was apparent from the start that A&M was in for a tough battle, as its first drive lasted just six plays before Mississippi State took over and struck the first major blow of the contest.

On the Bulldogs' first offensive play from scrimmage, Fitzgerald ran 74 yards for a touchdown to put them up 7-0 after the extra point, as seen in this GIF courtesy of SEC Network:

After a three-and-out by Texas A&M, Mississippi State put together another drive that seemed certain to put more points on the board.

Fitzgerald threw a pick in the end zone to junior defensive back Nick Harvey, though, which prevented the game from getting out of hand early.

It was only a temporary reprieve for the Aggies, however, as their struggling offense punted it away again on the next possession, and the Bulldogs continued to march down the field.

The combination of Fitzgerald and sophomore running back Aeris Williams moved the ball methodically and capped the eight-play drive with a two-yard touchdown run by Williams to increase the margin to 14-0.

That was a key score, as Texas A&M has struggled to overcome large deficits on the road in recent years, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Texas A&M was in desperate need of a bounce-back drive, and it orchestrated precisely that after Mississippi State's second touchdown.

The Aggies went 75 yards in 11 plays, and senior quarterback Trevor Knight scored his 10th rushing touchdown of the season from 19 yards out with just three seconds remaining in the first quarter to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 14-7:

After the teams traded punts, Mississippi State's quick strike offense was on full display again, as it scored a touchdown on its first play of a drive for the second time.

On the second occasion, Fitzgerald showed off his arm by hitting senior wide receiver Fred Ross for a 60-yard touchdown to restore the 14-point lead at 21-7:

Another Texas A&M three-and-out put the defense back on the field quickly, and the Bulldogs decided to take their time in stark contrast to their previous drive.

Fitzgerald led Mississippi State on a 14-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown strike to Ross, which bolstered the senior wideout's already excellent season, per Bulldogs assistant athletic director Bill Martin:

With Mississippi State up 28-7, major holes were being poked in the theory that the Aggies were among the top four teams in the country, according to Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports:

Injury was added to insult for Texas A&M on its next drive, as Knight landed hard on his throwing arm and had to be replaced by junior Jake Hubenak.

All signs pointed toward the Aggies entering halftime down by 21 with no momentum to speak of when Mississippi State ran nearly three minutes off the clock and left just seconds remaining in the half when it punted the ball, but it made a critical error.

The Bulldogs punted to sophomore wide receiver Christian Kirk fresh off a game that saw him take two punts back for touchdowns, and he did it again Saturday with a scintillating 93-yard return for a score with just 19 seconds left in the half:

Per Texas A&M Football, not only did Kirk cut the lead to 14, but he set two school records in the process:

When the teams came out of the tunnel for the start of the second half, it was clear that Knight was done for the day, as he had his arm in a sling and was wearing street clothes, per TexAgs.

Both teams struggled to find offensive flow in the third quarter, but Mississippi State put together a strong drive late in the frame and had a chance to extend its lead.

For the second time in the game, however, Texas A&M intercepted Fitzgerald in the end zone, this time on a remarkable effort by junior defensive back Donovan Wilson:

Mississippi State's failure to put the game away despite multiple opportunities came back to bite it a few drives later when Hubenak connected with Kirk for a 54-yard touchdown to pull the Aggies within seven points with just less than 11 minutes remaining in regulation:

The pressure shifted to a Mississippi State team that has struggled all year, but Fitzgerald answered in emphatic fashion.

A short drive would have put the Bulldogs in dire straits; however, Fitzgerald managed to hold the ball for 14 plays over the course of more than seven minutes during a foray down the field that covered 73 yards.

Fitzgerald and Williams were chiefly responsible for advancing the ball with their legs, and it was the quarterback who penned the exclamation point with perhaps the toughest four-yard touchdown possible to make it 35-21 with just 3:08 left on the clock:

As Paul Jones of 247Sports pointed out, that touchdown was indicative of Fitzgerald's all-out effort:

Although Saturday was largely a struggle for the Aggies, they exhibited a never-say-die attitude after Fitzgerald's touchdown seemingly iced the game. They drove 75 yards in just one minute, 45 seconds and scored to cut the lead to 35-28 on a clutch fourth-down touchdown catch by senior wide receiver Josh Reynolds:

Mississippi State recovered the ensuing onside kick, but Texas A&M got one more chance, as the Bulldogs punted the ball to them with 27 seconds left.

The Aggies ran out of time, though, and their comeback effort finally ended when sophomore defensive back Mark McLaurin intercepted Hubenak to end the contest.

Texas A&M's loss opens the door for Washington and some of the top one-loss teams in the nation to assume a spot in the CFP Top Four next week.

It was a tough defeat for head coach Kevin Sumlin's squad since it has three winnable home games remaining on its schedule.

As for Mississippi State, the win goes a long way toward helping it potentially avoid its first losing season since 2009, which was head coach Dan Mullen's first year on the job.

Also, next week's clash with Alabama suddenly looks intriguing, as the Bulldogs could pose a major challenge to the Crimson Tide if their running game keeps firing on all cylinders.

Postgame Reaction

While the final score of Saturday's game was close on paper, Mississippi State was essentially in control throughout, and Sumlin was blunt about his team's struggles, according to Ben Baby of the Dallas Morning News:

The Bulldogs were dominant when it came to running the football, and Sumlin believed an inability to control either line of scrimmage was among the biggest factors in the game:

Some will naturally question whether the added pressure of being No. 4 in the CFP rankings contributed to Texas A&M's loss, but Kirk didn't believe it impacted the Aggies:

The 2016 season has been a trying one for Mississippi State thus far, but Saturday's victory was a signature win for the program. Per Michael Bonner of the Clarion-Ledger, Mullen feels as though his team is finally starting to come into its own:

Mullen also made it clear that he takes great personal pride and responsibility in the Bulldogs' success or lack thereof for much of the season:

Mississippi State has been a tough team to handle for much of Mullen's tenure, and while that hasn't always been the case this season, Saturday's win could be the catalyst needed to get the program back on track.

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