Texas A&M 30, Mississippi State 17: Aggies Beat Ranked Opponent

The Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, improving their record to 5-0. Last year, A&M also started 5-0, but this year's squad doesn't seem poised to repeat the mid-season collapse. That's mostly thanks to a defense that has improved substantially from last season.

The Aggie defense created two turnovers, and held the Bulldogs to multiple empty possessions. It doesn't hurt having quarterback Kyle Allen go 25-of-41 passing for 322 yards, and two touchdowns. Moreover, Tra Carson did his job, running for 110 yards on 26 carries.

The Bulldogs were led, predictably, by quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw for 210 yards while adding another 96 on the ground. The 3-2 Bulldogs now turn to a remaining schedule that should be light over the next three weeks, but their division hopes are probably gone. In the weeks ahead, Mississippi State will have to discover a more diversified offensive game plan. There's not much of a running game outside of Prescott, and teams can game-plan one dimensional attacks, even if that one dimension is someone as significant as Prescott.

A&M moves to a quiet 5-0 and might make some noise in the division. It's early, but the defensive improvement is encouraging going along with the offensive stewardship.