The No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs are 3-1, with their lone loss coming to LSU. The No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies are 4-0 and have home field advantage. However, the Bulldogs have what it takes to hit the road and pick up a big SEC win. Here are three reasons why the Bulldogs will beat Texas A&M this weekend.
Dak Prescott
Prescott is one of the best QBs in college football. While he's often viewed as a runner, he's developed into a much better passer this season. He's running the ball less and has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,069 yards, 7 TDs and zero INTs. He hasn't thrown a pick in 191 passes, a streak that dates back to last season's bowl game. It's the longest active streak in the NCAA and the sixth longest in SEC history. With Prescott at the helm, the Bulldogs will leave Kyle Field with a win.
Fewer Penalties
The Bulldogs just do not commit penalties. Mississippi State leads the SEC with the fewest penalties per game, with just 4.25. Texas A&M commits six per game. That might not seem like a big difference, but in a close game, it's huge. This will be a close game, and the Bulldogs' lack of penalties will give them the small advantage they'll need to win.
Red Zone
Mississippi State has had tremendous success in the red zone this season, on both the defensive and offensive side. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in touchdown efficiency in the red zone on offense, converting on 12 of their 15 chances. Texas A&M, however, is just 15 of 24. On defense, the Bulldogs have allowed opponents to punch it into the end zone just 4 of 14 times. Texas A&M has allowed 8 of 17 chances to go for six. Those differences make a huge on the scoreboard. If Mississippi State continues its strong play inside the 20s, the Bulldogs will win.