Game To Watch: #11 Texas A&M at #15 Mississippi: November 13, 2021

Texas A&M will travel to Oxford to take on Mississippi this Saturday at 7:00 EST. The Aggies have now won four straight games after back to back losses in their first two SEC games this year, running their record to 7 -2 overall and 4 – 2 in conference. The Rebels bounced back from a loss against Auburn with a 27 – 14 win over Liberty last week, they are also 7 – 2 overall and 3 – 2 in conference play. The two SEC West foes cannot afford another conference loss to have any chance at playing in the SEC title game this year.

Recent History

Texas A&M is 9 – 1 all time against Mississippi and is riding a three game winning streak. The Rebels did win three straight games in the series from 2014 to 2016, but two of those three wins were later vacated. The Aggies won the 2019 match-up in Oxford, 24 – 17 behind their strong defense. Seven of the ten games that have counted between the two teams were decided by one score.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

An Explosive Offense vs a Stingy Defense

Mississippi has followed the lead of their explosive offense led by star quarterback, Matt Corral. He has led a Rebels’ offense that averages 37.8 points per game this year and is top three in the conference in both rushing offense and passing offense. Corral has done whatever the offense has needed as he and several skill players have battled injuries this year but kept the offense moving. Texas A&M will present another defensive challenge. The Aggies have the second best scoring defense in the conference, allowing just 14.7 points per game. The defensive line is disruptive and deep, making it difficult for opponents to establish any consistency in the running game and creating negative plays. The secondary features several play-makers who are not only locking up receivers but creating big plays for the defense. Both of these units will be tested by the other on Saturday and the outcome of the game will be determined by which one can control the game.

Can Mississippi Slow Down Spiller?

Texas A&M’s offense is dependent on a strong performance from the running game, led by Isaiah Spiller. Spiller has run for 100 yards in six of nine games this year and has averaged over 5.3 yards per carry in seven of nine games. The only games Spiller struggled in were against Colorado, when he only had eight carries and against Alabama. He has been the key for the Aggies’ offense and his strong play stimulates the entire offense. With Spiller running well, Texas A&M is able to open up passing lanes for Zach Calzada and wear the defense down for his teammates to take advantage. Mississippi’s run defense has not been particularly strong this year. The Rebels rank 10th in the conference with 4.3 yards per carry against and 13th in the conference with 195.3 rushing yards per game against. They will have to elevate their play to slow down Spiller and keep the Aggies from dictating the way the game is played.

Will Mississippi be Healthier this Week?

Mississippi’s offense has been dealing with plenty of injuries recently that have caused the unit to be less effective. Matt Corral played through injuries the past few weeks and was clearly not 100 percent. Star running back Jerrion Ealy missed one game and has not been carrying a full load since returning. At receiver, Dontarrio Drummond missed last weeks game against Liberty, Jonathan Mingo has been out since the Tulane game and will likely miss this week and Braylon Sanders was injured against Tennessee and returned against Liberty but was not 100 percent yet either. With a plethora of injuries the Rebels have been forced to find new weapons and lean heavily on their quarterback in recent weeks. Texas A&M’s defense is too good to beat without a healthier offensive attack, but it’s not clear if the Rebels’ offense will be in better shape this week.

Prediction

Texas A&M’s defense has the ability to control the game early against a battered Mississippi offense. This will allow the Aggies to play at their pace and lean on Spiller and the running game, while choosing when to take their shots downfield. Lane Kiffin is a capable offensive coach and he will make a few adjustments, allowing Matt Corral to show off his ability, but the Rebels don’t have enough firepower to beat the Aggies’ defense consistently. Texas A&M 28 Mississippi 20.

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium 01 image taken by Matthew Nichols is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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