Mississippi State endured a frustrating trip to the Lone Star State last week, falling 30-17 to Texas A&M in a game that was a little closer than the score might suggest.

This is a good week to take out some of that angst as Troy visits Starkville for a non-conference clash (4 p.m. ET, SECN).

The Bulldogs are a 30.5-point favorite, but Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is talking up the Trojans in an effort to keep his team focused.

“We’ve got a tough game this week against Troy,” he said. “They have a new head coach and guys that are believing in the system and what they’re doing. They play really hard and run the football well. We’ve played them a couple of times in some close games. It will be a good challenge for us.”

Troy is off to a 1-3 start under former Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown with that lone win coming against FCS Charleston Southern. So, this figures to be — on paper, at least — a mismatch.

Still, this is the perfect time for the Bulldogs to get its rushing game (with actual running backs) going and for the defense to build a little confidence for the tougher games that still remain on the schedule.

With that in mind, here are four Mississippi State players and one Trojan to keep an eye on this weekend.

1. QB Dak Prescott — Prescott’s Heisman campaign hasn’t really gotten off the ground, but he’s still having a solid senior season. He’s third in the SEC in passing yardage and is actually inside the top 20 in rushing yards as well.

I don’t think we’ll see much of that this week as Mullen and his staff would surely like for the running backs to shoulder the rushing load.

2. RB Aeris Williams— The true freshman had a chance to stake his claim for more carries in last week’s game but had a crucial fumble inside the Aggies’ 5-yard line. Still, he managed 23 yards on 3 carries, and he has the size (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) to run between the tackles in the SEC.

One thing seems certain. One of the running backs needs to emerge to take some pressure off Prescott in the running game. I’m guessing Williams gets another shot to be that guy this time out, though if I were going to hedge a little, I’d mention Malik Dear, too. I know he’s listed as a wide receiver, but after last week’s 52-yard touchdown scamper, a return to his high school position shouldn’t totally be out of the question.

3. WR Fred Ross — Ross ranks second in the league with 33 catches on the season, and he hauled in 11 balls for 103 yards last week. He’s been a steady force in the Bulldogs’ passing game, but he has yet to find the end zone in 2015.

I think Ross builds on last week’s performance and scores his first touchdown of the season this week.

4. CB Cedric Jiles — Senior corner Will Redmond leads the Bulldogs with 2 interceptions, but he’s questionable with an ankle injury. That could mean more snaps for Jiles and Tolando Cleveland. Facing another “Air Raid” offense this week, anyone lining up in the Mississippi State secondary figures to be busy.

5. WR Teddy Ruben — The senior does a little bit of everything for the Trojans. He leads the team in catches (17), receiving yards (197) and touchdowns (2). In addition, he ranks 16th nationally with 17.3 yards per punt return to go with a touchdown.

He’s not big (5-foot-7, 161 pounds), but he’s been one of Troy’s most reliable weapons this season.