Mississippi State University football will collide with the Texas A&M University Aggies Saturday in an SEC West showdown. 
After dropping the 2022 SEC opener, the Bulldogs pulled together as a team and bounced back against Bowling Green last Saturday. 
Junior quarterback Will Rogers threw for 409 yards and tied his single-game career-high with six touchdown passes. Wide receiver Caleb Ducking caught seven passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns – tying his career-high – and he  now has five total touchdown receptions on the season, which is second in the SEC.
At the end of a dominant performance against the Falcons, 13 different Bulldogs caught passes, with eight wideouts racking up 20 or more yards. 
Texas A&M is the second SEC matchup for MSU in 2022, so there is an abundance of pressure to perform well and show improvement after losing to a rebuilding LSU team. However, the Bulldogs will not be the only team on the gridiron in Davis Wade Stadium Saturday with a chip on their shoulder.
The Texas A&M Aggies are riding the momentum of two huge wins against ranked opponents in Miami, Florida, and Arkansas. This earned the Aggies a spot at No. 17, and Texas A&M is bringing talented and high-volume competition to Starkville. However, defeating a ranked Texas A&M could potentially gain the Bulldogs some national recognition.
Both teams have a record of 3-1, with Texas A&M’s loss coming from a non-conference upset by Appalachian State in College Station, Texas. MSU’s only loss this season has come from the likes of SEC West foe LSU. Saturday is an immensely important game for both teams, especially MSU, as a win would bring the Bulldogs their first conference win of the 2022 season. Texas A&M previously bested Arkansas, who Mississippi State will host next week. 
The Bulldogs have secured three of the previous four meetings against the Aggies. Last year’s matchup was a close game at Kyle Field, with the Bulldogs earning the victory over Texas A&M 26-22. The odds are high for another intense and competitive matchup against the two SEC West teams Saturday.
Rogers said that he respects the Aggies and the talent they are bringing to Starkville Saturday.
“Obviously, Texas A&M is a really good team, and they obviously recruit really good; I have a lot of respect for their defensive coordinator (DJ Durkin), and he did well against us last year (when Durkin was at Ole Miss). They are a great team with a great coaching staff and great players,” Rogers said.
During this week’s presser, Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach gave his insight on Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, who has been with the Aggies since 2018.
“I’ve known him for a long time, and of course, he has been at it for a long time and has always been an offensive guy, and really has just a lot of good experience and has just built on his career,” Leach said. 
The Bulldogs resume SEC play at Davis Wade Stadium Saturday, welcoming the Texas A&M Aggies at 3 p.m. The showdown between MSU and Texas A&M will be streamed on the SEC Network.