Texas A&M Football: 3 reasons the Aggies will beat Mississippi State
Continued offensive improvement
We saw an, ahem, understated offensive performance in Max Johnson’s first start against Miami. In the opening minutes of the matchup against Arkansas, that trend looked to continue.
The first quarter came and went without the Aggies notching so much as a first down, much less mounting a scoring drive. However, a long run from star tailback Devon Achane sparked the Aggie offense, and the fumble return from Demani Richardson breathed new life into an A&M defense that had begun to look a little shaky, leading to a 253-131 yardage advantage for the Ags through the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
You never forget your first TD 😎@0fficial_evan 🍴 pic.twitter.com/j00GZKuQVl
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) September 28, 2022
Neither the efficiency nor the explosiveness, not to mention the playmaking, on display through those drives in the later part of the game (including the one drive the Aggies had in the 4th quarter) were present in the Miami game. Nor, of course, were they present in the Miami game.
The OL play has gradually improved, and with it, the rushing output. Johnson’s steady hand and lack of turnovers have been a boon for an offense trying mightily to find its sea legs as the rough waters of SEC play loom ahead.
Now, am I expecting a 400-yard day through the air or anything? No. But if this team has shown us anything, it’s that if you can just get to 24 points or so, that will be enough against anyone not named Alabama.
Let’s not forget, Max has played this vaunted MSU defense before, and ended the day with quite a nice statline (17-27 for 280, 4 TD and 1 INT). If he can manage the game, stay mistake-free, and maybe hit a deep pass or two as a cherry on top, then I feel good about this being A&M’s best offensive output since SHSU, despite this being the best defense they’ve yet seen.