'Operation Blackout' commences as No. 6 Aggies strive for a 5-0 record
Just when Texas A&M football is shining bright, everything is going dark.
That’s not a bad thing, though.
The No. 6 Aggies (4-0, 1-0) will don black jerseys for the fifth time ever on Saturday against Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1) in an “Operation Blackout” game at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Kyle Field.
A&M has changed from its traditional maroon jerseys to black on four previous occasions. The Aggies are 3-1 in black uniforms.
They’re also 4-0 for the first time since 2016 and have posted back-to-back impressive wins over Notre Dame and Auburn.
To keep the streak going, the Aggies just need to keep doing what they’ve been doing. They’ve amassed more than 400 yards of total offense in each of the last three games.
Quarterback Marcel Reed is fifth in the SEC in passing. Receiver Mario Craver, who transferred from Mississippi State, is second in the nation in receiving. Receiver KC Concepcion is third in the SEC. They’ve combined for 35 receptions of at least 10 yards and 14 of 20 yards or more.
Further, All-SEC running back Le’Veon Moss has rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns in the last two games. He had 139 rushing yards against Auburn.
A&M’s defense is emerging, too. The Aggies held Auburn to just 177 yards of total offense and posted five sacks last week. Once an area of concern, the defensive line has been surprisingly strong.
“You never know until you know,” A&M coach Mike Elko said of the emergence of A&M’s defensive line. “I think we were quietly hopeful. I think we felt like we were going against a really good offensive line (in practice). We felt like we would be able to hold our own. We felt like we would be able to rush the passer. We felt like we were going to be able to do some of those things.
“To see that play out, especially in the Notre Dame game and the Auburn game, I think that’s probably the biggest positive to take away from where we were.”
The Aggies figure to need another strong showing from the defensive front.
A&M, which sacked Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold five times, hopes to put similar pressure on Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen to thwart throws to big-play receivers Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans III.
Protecting Shapen could be difficult. Mississippi State has allowed 12 sacks. The Bulldogs have already lost starting left tackle Blake Steen for the season to injury. Starting right tackle Albert Reese IV is doubtful with an “upper body” injury sustained last week in a 41-34 overtime loss to Tennessee.
That’s problematic when facing an A&M rush that has produced 14 sacks. Defensive end Cashius Howell leads the way with four.
The Aggies also must contain the Bulldogs’ running back duo of Fluff Bothwell and Davon Booth. They’ve combined for 612 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Last week, Bothwell gained 134 yards and scored two touchdowns. A year ago, Booth rushed for 79 yards on 12 carries in a 34-24 loss to A&M.
“They’re an extremely talented backfield,” Elko said. “We saw that first-hand with Booth last year. He had a really good day against us last year.
“We didn’t see the quarterback (Shapen was injured last season). I thought they were a more efficient offense when he was playing quarterback last year. They’re certainly a more efficient offense with him at quarterback this year.”
A&M is looking for more efficiency from its offense after last week. The Aggies moved the football effectively between the 30s, but drives were frequently stalled by penalties.
In the last two games, the Aggies have been penalized 26 times for 205 yards in losses. They had 13 for 119 yards vs. Auburn.
“We just had too many penalties. Penalties kill drives,” Elko said. “Too many penalties kill explosive plays, kill drives, kill our rhythm and just ultimately kill our ability to score.
“It’s a problem. It’s something we have to address and get fixed. We won’t continue to win games if we don’t solve that problem.”
But if a solution is found, A&M's outlook may get brighter, even in a “Blackout.”
