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Mississippi State

QUICK RECAP: Bulldog offense falters as Texas A&M rolls, 31-9

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk10/05/25RobbieFaulkOn3
blake shapen28
Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen (Photo by Maria Lysaker, USA Today Sports)

Mississippi State’s defense brought the fight on Saturday night, but the Bulldog offense stayed in Starkville.

Despite holding the Aggies to seven points for over two and a half quarters, State’s defense wore down and the Aggies took full advantage. A&M would outscore the Bulldogs 24-6 in the second half and hand the Bulldogs a second-straight loss in a 31-9 game.

In one of the worst offensive performances of the Jeff Lebby era, the Bulldogs laid an egg and put the defense in tough spots throughout the night.

The Bulldogs had their chance early in the game to get some control and specifically on the second possession of the game. As Blake Shapen led the team down the field, the Bulldogs were inside the 1 yard line with a chance for the first points via a touchdown. State would have a false start and then couldn’t get into the end zone as it settled for a field goal.

The State defense held down the Aggies for most of the next two quarters with just a 7-3 disadvantage midway through and a 14-3 mark going to the fourth, but the Aggies scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to pull away.

It was an all around bad night for the State offense. The Bulldogs had just 219 yards of total offense with a putrid 1-of-10 night on 3rd downs and the team also appears to have a serious injury that could take out top running back Fluff Bothwell.

Trailing 31-9 in the final minutes, a throw to Bothwell led to him having a lower leg injury that saw him carted off the field. Bothwell had 14 carries for 60 yards in the game before leaving in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldog offensive line was dominated all game long without right tackle Albert Reese. Shapen threw for 142 yards on 15-of-20 and a touchdown but was sacked four times a week after being sacked five times by Tennessee. Bothwell and Davon Booth had 22 carries for 119 yards but the 36 yards lost in sacks dropped State to 2.5 yards a rush in the game.

Anthony Evans led the team with five catches for 41 yards and Brenen Thompson had the only big highlight offensively with his 44-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.

The State defense was strong for most of the game until it ran out of gas. A&M racked up 482 yards of total offense with 299 on the ground and 180 through the air. Reuben Owens had 21 carries for 142 yards while former State receiver Mario Craver had six catches for 80 yards and two carries for 35 yards and a touchdown.

The loss drops State to 4-2 and 0-2 in the SEC heading into a much-needed bye week, but questions remain about what the rest of the schedule looks like for the Bulldogs. State has had two of its starters out for the season in RT Blake Steen and DE Will Whitson and now Bothwell looks iffy the rest of the way. Additionally, Reese and LB Isaac Smith missed the game and will be reevaluated the next two weeks.

State returns to the field in two weeks to take on Florida on the road in Gainesville on October 18 in the 2:30-3:30 p.m. window.

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