The Mississippi State football team’s pursuit of winning a conference game this season continues as a valiant effort by the Bulldogs fell short in a 34-24 loss against Texas A&M.
Jeff Lebby’s squad scored first, outgained the Aggies offensively, and won the turnover battle, but could not come out on top. Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren threw three touchdown passes and had 242 yards in the air. The Bulldog ground game was also effective with Mississippi State (1-6, 0-4 SEC) amassing an unconventional 125 rushing yards.
Nonetheless, Mississippi State struggled on late downs, converting just five of 16 third-down attempts and moving the chains just three times in seven fourth-down situations. On the other side, Texas A&M (6-1, 4-0 SEC) was remarkably efficient late in drives and punished the Bulldogs’ defense on third down.
Amid an offensive gridlock, the biggest difference in the contest was seen on the defensive side of the ball. Mississippi State showed spunk, but Texas A&M had the better outing. The Bulldogs had one tackle for loss all game, whereas the Aggies were in the backfield 11 times and cost its conference counterpart to lose 44 yards.
Lebby’s team has done a lot right since conference play began and has given multiple top-25 teams a scare with the Aggies being the most recent foe. While these valiant performances have yet to result in victories, the Bulldogs appear to be trending in the right direction and have winnable games in the future.
Scoring summary
Mississippi State opened the ballgame with a 92-yard touchdown drive that was capped when Van Buren connected with running back Davon Booth for a score. Mike Elko’s group stole the momentum with back-to-back touchdowns — one a 20-yard pass from Conner Weigman to Noah Thomas and the other a nine-yard rush by Le’Veon Moss — to take a 14-7 lead with 10:29 left in the second quarter.
A 24-yard field goal by Bulldog Kicker Kyle Ferrie cut the Aggies’ lead to four midway through the first half. Texas A&M, looking to carry a double-figure advantage into the intermission, took a 21-10 lead with 1:48 left on the clock when Amari Daniels marched into the end zone from six yards out. With the clock dwindling, Van Buren and company pieced together a fruitful drive that concluded with freshman wide receiver Mario Craver catching a four-yard touchdown pass.
Mississippi State trailed 21-17 at halftime.
Texas A&M pushed the ball downfield in its lengthy first drive after the midway break, but had to settle for a field goal with 7:21 left in the third quarter. The Aggies took advantage of a failed Bulldog fake punt attempt and took a commanding 31-17 lead after Moss scored a three-yard touchdown.
While the Aggies had a two-score lead and momentum going into the start of the fourth quarter, Mississippi State was not ready to go away. Weigman gifted the Bulldogs a short field after throwing a pick in Texas A&M territory. Van Buren capitalized on the error by hitting Louisville transfer Kevin Coleman, Jr. for a 12-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game.
With 6:13 left in the contest, Aggy kicker Randy Bond split the uprights from 44 yards out to extend Texas A&M’s advantage to 34-24. Efforts by Mississippi State to put points on the scoreboard were unsuccessful the rest of the way.
Stat leaders
- Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren: 22-41, 242 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception
- Mississippi State running back Davon Booth: 12 carries and 79 yards
- Mississippi State wide receiver Kevin Coleman, Jr.: Eight receptions, 89 yards, and one touchdown
- Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss: 17 carries, 65 yards, and one touchdown
- Texas A&M linebacker Taurean York: 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks
What’s next
Mississippi State will host Arkansas at Davis-Wade Stadium next Saturday at 11:45 a.m. central. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
