This is Halloween weekend with the holiday coming next Tuesday and it seems Texas A&M and Mississippi State decided now was the perfect time to dress up as each other but deprive their fans of any treats.
The maroon-clad Aggies and Bulldogs combined for a rough first half to watch offensively, as neither could sustain much success moving the ball before the visitors took a slim 14-0 lead at halftime in College Station.
The initial MSU scoring drive was at least a beauty at least: covering 16-plays, 86 yards over eight minutes of game action before Nick Fitzgerald eventually crossed the goal line for a touchdown. The dual-threat quarterback was the lone source of offense for the team through the air and on the ground despite tossing an interception on the team’s opening drive and getting sacked twice. Running back Aeris Williams chipped in with 53 yards but the Bulldogs otherwise mustered just two drives of over 25 yards in the entire half.
Things were much the same for a rusty Texas A&M in a half that could best be described as a punting showcase. The Aggies opened the game with four straight punts and didn’t reverse the trend much when QB Kellen Mond tossed an interception on their fifth possession. The team recorded just three first downs in two quarters of play and managed a minuscule 33 yards of offense all told (despite coming off a bye week).
Coming into this game, one thought that maybe the winner could have a solid claim on being the second best team in the SEC West. After a half of play at Kyle Field though, that does not appear to be the case given how rough things were offensively.