Texas A&M @ Mississippi State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 9, 2013 ) Mississippi State 41, Texas A&M 51

Two of the more exciting quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference square off Saturday when Kenny Hill leads No. 7 Texas A&M into Mississippi State for a matchup with Dak Prescott and the 14th-ranked Bulldogs. Hill shook off some early struggles to finish strong and help the Aggies to a 35-28 overtime win against Arkansas last week. He finished with 386 yards passing and four more touchdowns, running his total for the season to 17 - which is tied for second among FBS signal-callers.

Prescott has had two weeks off since leading Mississippi State to an upset win at Louisiana State on Sept. 20. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for a career-high 154 yards on just 16 carries in a wild 51-41 loss at Texas A&M last year, one of two straight wins in the series for the Aggies since joining the SEC. Hill leads all FBS players who have at least 150 pass or rush plays with 9.3 yards per play, while Prescott is third at 8.5.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN. LINE: Mississippi State -2.5

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC): The Aggies are in the midst of a daunting stretch that will go a long way toward determining their fate in the SEC West, which it leads entering the weekend. They host undefeated Mississippi the following week before a visit to perennial favorites Alabama and then later a trip to defending league champ Auburn. With a win Saturday, Texas A&M would be 6-0 for the first time since 1994, when it went 10-0-1.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-0, 1-0): Prescott and the nation's 12th-ranked offense will garner the lion's share of the attention, but the Bulldogs - led by defensive lineman Preston Smith - have done the job defensively as well. Smith, who had two tackles for a loss and a sack against LSU, has been named the SEC's Defensive Lineman of the Week three times already for a unit that has forced 23 turnovers in its last nine games dating to last season. The Bulldogs lead the SEC in tackles for a loss (34) and are second to the Aggies with 14 sacks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. This is the first matchup of two top-15 teams in Davis Wade Stadium since Oct. 25, 1986, when Auburn defeated Mississippi State by a 35-6 margin.

2. The Bulldogs had a 299-91 advantage on the ground in last year's meeting but allowed then-Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel to throw for 446 yards and five touchdowns.

3. Mississippi State RB Josh Robinson ranks eighth in FBS play with 7.82 yards per carry.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 45, Texas A&M 41