Texas A&M vs Mississippi State takeaways: Penalties encouragingly evaporated
Early in the game, Texas A&M fans were groaning and rolling their eyes, as it looked like we were in for another flag-fest in College Station. Texas A&M just couldn't get out of their own way with the penalties, and it was taking a toll on the game— several promising drives were cut short thanks to the Aggies moving backwards on offense.
Seven such flags were thrown in the first half— but the Aggies only had one called on their offense in the third and fourth quarters. It was a false start, too, so only a five-yard loss on the play— a breath of fresh air after so many holding penalties being called against the Ags.
Maybe it's just a regression to the mean after so many calls being made over the last three halves of football, but it looked like a much more disciplined team out there in that second half. The Aggies have sorely needed to cut back on the penalties, and it looks like they did just that.
They have to put it all together, of course, but this was a step in the right direction. We'll learn even more next week when Florida is in town.