Texas A&M 34-24 Mississippi State (Oct. 19, 2024) Game Recap

STARKVILLE, Miss. — — Le'Veon Moss rushed for two touchdowns and No. 14 Texas A&M held off Mississippi State for a 34-24 win Saturday.

Moss had 65 yards on 17 carries. His 3-yard TD run gave the Aggies a 31-17 lead with 3:24 left in the third quarter.

In his second game back after being sidelined with a shoulder injury, Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman was 15 of 25 for 217 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Jabre Barber had six catches for 92 yards.

The Aggies (6-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) have won six straight since their loss to Notre Dame.

“It’s a road win and that’s not easy in this league,” A&M coach Mike Elko said. “There's nothing easy about being at this conference, and they certainly didn't make it easy. We have to give our guys credit, I thought we fought and battled through the adversity.”

Michael Van Buren rushed for 242 yards and three touchdowns for Mississippi State. But the rookie also threw an interception.

“I think he’s getting better and better,” Bulldog coach Jeff Lebby said. “This is a young man with a lot of ability being thrown into the fire as an 18-year-old. I am incredibly proud of his process. He has to get better.”

The Bulldogs (1-6, 0-4) have lost six straight games. The matchup with the Aggies was their third straight game against a top-15 opponent.

Texas A&M finished with 367 yards on offense, compared to 353 for Mississippi State. The Aggies went 9 for 14 on third down conversions and hit nine of the first 11. The Bulldogs went 5 for 16 on third downs.

“I thought (A&M) did a really good job throwing and catching,” Lebby said. “We had a few opportunities to get off the field but couldn’t. We have to continue to be better in the third half. We have to be better on both sides in the third half.”

Texas A&M's defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage. The Aggies finished with three sacks as a team and 11 tackles for a loss.

Mississippi State scored on its first possession and mounted a 12-play, 92-yard drive. Van Buren threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Davon Booth on fourth-and-3.

But Moss scored on a 9-yard run in the second quarter and Amari Daniels had a 6-yard TD run to help the Aggies take a 21-17 halftime lead.

Randy Bond hit a 44-yard field goal in the fourth to help Texas A&M finish.

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M: Barber was Weigman's top target, but Noah Thomas had a 20-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Eight different players caught at least one ball for the Aggies.

Mississippi State: Although the record may not show it, the Bulldogs are improving under Lebby. At the end of the season, the team has a few manageable games ahead of them in the next few weeks.

NEXT

Texas A&M hosts LSU next Saturday.

Mississippi State hosts Arkansas next Saturday.

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