Meeting Mississippi State football opponent: Week 11 – Texas A&M Aggies

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - OCTOBER 21: Jo'Quavious Marks #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball in the second half of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on October 21, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks 7-3. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - OCTOBER 21: Jo'Quavious Marks #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs runs the ball in the second half of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on October 21, 2023 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks 7-3. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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As the Mississippi State football team gets set to face the Texas A&M Aggies, let’s get familiar with what Jimbo Fisher has in store for MSU.

Meeting the Opponent is back this week with, yep, you guessed it, Mississippi State’s opponent this weekend! Texas A&M is on the docket for Saturday night and oh boy will it be a football game. While it may not have any national implications, I very much do think this a key game for both programs to try and keep the metaphorical boats from taking on water.

This week we have Graham Harmon from Gig ‘Em Gazette, our Aggie counterparts of the FanSided blogosphere, so a big shout out to him for being a team player.

Let’s go!

Overall records show that MSU and A&M are not far apart in terms of what has been accomplished this season on the field. But, of course, as you dig into weekly results, scores start to tell a different story. Does it feel like the Aggies have been a team on the brink all season? What has been the thing that has kept A&M from finding a way to win those games?

Just like with the last two seasons for A&M, many Aggie fans feel like the team is better than their record. The losses to Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss were all by one score. SP+ and other advanced statistical models have the Aggies in the top 20. At the end of the day, though, wins and losses are the ultimate statistic, and the Aggies keep seeming to fall short there over the last few years. I personally think it has to do with the Aggies not being able to put together a complete game on both sides of the ball; when the defense plays well (most games this year), the offense can’t execute; when the offense plays well (Ole Miss), the defense is deficient.