Mississippi State University
Location: Starkville, Mississippi
Students: 20,242
Macot: Bulldogs (Bully the bulldog)
Head Coach: Dan Mullen (3rd season as head coach, 17-14 record as head coach)
Record vs. USC: USC leads the series 7-6
2011 Record: 3-3 overall (0-3 SEC)
Stadium: Davis Wade Stadium (Capacity 55,082)
Famous Alumni: Ronnie Parker, Founder of Pizza Inn, Will Clark (Former MLB), Fred Smoot (NFL), Buck Showalter (MLB manager), and Jonathan Papelbon( Boston Red Sox).
Lets break down the Bulldogs:
Bulldogs Offense: Just like the Gamecocks, the Bulldogs are going through a QB chance. Last week Coach Mullen pulled starting QB Chris Relf and put in Tyler Russell to lead the team to a 21-3 victory over UAB. Mullen’s said that he will play which every quarterback gives them the best chance to win. So the Gamecocks will probably see both Relf and Russell this weekend.
The Bulldogs are lead by running back Vick Ballard who has rushed for 531 yards on the season and has 5 rushing touchdowns. Ballard should be the main focus of the Gamecock defense, as if you stop Ballard, you stop the Bulldog offense. MSU’s top two WR’s are Arceto Clark who has 14 receptions for 197 yards and one touchdown. The other down field threat is Chad Bumphis, who has 13 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
On the season as a team the Bulldogs are averaging 389 total yards a game, and 26 points per game.
Bulldog Defense: The Bulldogs are lead on defense by senior linebacker Brandon Wilson who leads the team in tackles with 50. In the secondary, Connor Shaw will need to keep an eye on Charles Mitchell. Mitchell on the season from his safety position has 46 tackles and 2 pass breakups. Corner-back Jonathan Banks leads the team with 4 interceptions and will most likely be matched up with Alshon most of the game.
The Bulldog’s defense on the season is giving up 349 per game, and 20.2 points per game. The Bulldog’s defense is giving up 159 yards per game on the ground. Look for Lattimore to have a good game on Saturday. MSU will stack the box to slow down Lattimore, but Marcus will get his yards.
Prediction time: Conner Shaw will be making his first start on the road, and Miss St. will try to take advantage of this. Shaw will need to stay focused on the game, and not the ringing of cowbells to have success on Saturday. Lattimore will be the key to the game, but look for Alshon to have a big game.
The defense will come to play and end up holding MSU to less then 150 total yards of offense. The Bulldog defense will be good, but USC will open the playbook. Look for Shaw to come out throwing the ball all over the field. Getting Ellington, Byrd and Ace involved will be a big part of the offense as well.
Miss State 10 USC 28
