Learn some more about the Bulldogs
Texas A&M gets back into the swing of things this week, coming off the bye and traveling to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. To learn a bit more about the MSU squad and how Bulldogs fans are feeling heading into this game, we reached out to Robbie Faulk, who covers the Mississippi State beat for On3 Sports as well as Starkville Daily News. Here’s what he had to say heading into the matchup.
Good Bull Hunting: 1. I assume some speed bumps were expected in year one of a new staff, but what’s the general feeling of the fanbase six games into the Jeff Lebby era?
Robbie Faulk: There’s certainly been an ebb and flow with it. The initial thought process was that State could be a 6-6 team this year and the fanbase would be happy with that considering the turbulence the program had been through over the last year. After a three-game losing streak to Arizona State, Toledo and Florida, that shifted to disarray and a little bit of apathy. State fans are generally happy with what has transpired the last two weeks, however, as the Bulldogs showed fight on the road against two top 5 teams and the promise from freshman QB Michael Van Buren gives hope for the future.
GBH: Tell me more about Van Buren. Where did he come from, what is his skill set and what did he do to piss off Kirby Smart?
Kirby Smart shoves Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren while arguing with official.
(via @SECNetwork)https://t.co/3JH351c7HR pic.twitter.com/zHYpnyClCg
— On3 (@On3sports) October 12, 2024
RF: Van Buren was a guy that Jeff Lebby recruited when the coach was at Oklahoma and they had a good relationship. He would initially commit to Oregon but he decommitted after Lebby took the job at State and was in the class in a matter of days. He’s not a big guy but has some nice elusiveness to him and is fairly accurate with a good deep ball. He has the makings of putting up big numbers in a Lebby offense. As for Kirby, well he might have been a little chapped with how Van Buren commanded the offense in the second half against the UGA defense.
GBH: Which do you think is the superior maroon?
RF: It’s hard to know because it seems like Adidas and Walmart don’t know the difference themselves.
At Walmart, the M in Texas A&M stands for “Mississippi State”
(via @mwnfootball) pic.twitter.com/KZgLgIa8mI
— Someone’s An Idiot (@SomeonesAnIdiot) June 22, 2015
GBH: What seems to be the biggest strength and weariness for the Bulldogs on each side of the ball?
RF: On offense, State’s biggest strength has been its wide receivers. The Bulldogs have three legitimate threats in single coverage with Kelly Akhariyi, Kevin Coleman and true freshman Mario Craver and they have the ability to break big plays. The rushing attack and the offensive line has been lacking and that’s something that Lebby needs for his offense to click like he wants it.
Defensively, it’s hard to find a strength with this team. They struggle to get a push up front and tackling has been an issue from day one. They’ve improved the tackling somewhat, but the talent and the depth up front isn’t conducive to winning battles in this league.
GBH: Other than Van Buren, who would you say are the three biggest impact players for MSU?
RF: The three wide receivers mentioned are probably those guys. Coleman and Craver are legit burners and have made some big plays down the field. Akhariyi has just begun to come into his own.
GBH: We’ve seen MSU get blown out by Toledo and also put up a solid fight at Georgia? Which version do you think we see against A&M?
RF: It feels like State has turned the corner, but who really knows? With a defense that struggles to get any stops at all, the offense can’t make very many mistakes in games. I think they’ll put up a fight again this week and should have a solid atmosphere behind them.
GBH: A&M enters as heavy favorites, but Davis Wade has been a house of horrors for Aggie fans. How do you think this game plays out?
RF: If the Bulldogs had any semblance of a defense, I would consider an upset. I don’t think it’s totally unrealistic based on what we’ve seen the last two ball games, but I also believe that A&M is in much better shape on gamedays with Mike Elko. The 2014 team is going to be in attendance this week so maybe they can bring some magic to the table. I’m still taking the Aggies.