Texas A&M Aggies Week 7 Way-Too-Early Opponent Preview: Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Texas A&M Aggies will hit the road for their second SEC road game on Oct. 19 vs. the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Matt Galatzan | Jul 15, 2024

Nov 11, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Seth Davis (23) is tackled by Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Sam Mathews (12) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

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Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies are set to hit the road in Week 7 vs. the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, in what will be their second SEC road game of the 2024 season.

And just like the Aggies, the Bulldogs are entering the year with a fresh start.

After firing head coach Zach Arnett after a 4-6 start in his second season with the program, the Bulldogs finished 1-7 in conference play and 5-7 overall, making them a bottom-three team in the SEC in 2023.

But the Bulldogs rebuilt in the offseason. They called on Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to become the school's 34th head coach in school history and added former Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen to lead the school into a new era of SEC football.

This offense will be brand new, with a projected eight starters on offense coming from the transfer portal. Lebby has worked quickly to build an offense he wants, and it could be sneaky strong in 2024.

The two maroon and white squads are set to kick off in the 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm window, with the television details yet to be revealed.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

2023 Record: 5-7, 1-7 in SEC

Head Coach: Jeff Lebby

Offensive Leaders

Passing: QB Blake Shapen

2023 stats: 184 completions on 298 attempts for 2188 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions at Baylor.

Rushing: RB Seth Davis

2023 stats: 59 carries for 356 yards and one touchdown.

Receiving: WR Kelly Akharaiyi

2023 stats: 49 catches for 1033 yards and seven touchdowns at UTEP.

Defensive Leaders:

Tackles: SAF Corey Ellington

2023 stats: 30 solo, 36 assisted, 66 total

Interceptions: LB Stone Blanton

2023 stats: one interception at South Carolina

Sacks: SAF Corey Ellington

2023 stats: two sacks

Published Jul 15, 2024|Modified Jul 15, 2024

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and MizzouSportsTalk.com, as well as the Editor-In-Chief of InsideTheBears.com, TheGroveReport.com, RamDigest.com, AllSeahawks.com, and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com