Here’s why I’m NOT worried about Saturday afternoon morning when the Bulldogs face the Lebby Luddites:
1. Both teams have played a lot of close games. In MSU’s 4 conference losses, 3 of them were 1 score differentials, the exception being a strong A&M team that was held to their 2nd lowest point total of the season. Georgia also has 4 SEC games with 1 score differentials. The good news here is that we’ve won 3 of them. Their best win is probably a close home win against Arizona State, and ours is beating
a top 10 Ole Miss. They may be moving in the right direction in Jeff Lebby’s second season in Starkville, but they still have a long way to go.
2. After starting the season with a strong rushing attack, the Georgia Bulldogs have wavered when facing some stiffer defenses. In the first 3 SEC games, UGA averaged over 200 yards a game on the ground and over 4.5 yards per carry. The last 3 have averaged over 50 yards less, and almost a full yard less per carry. This could be the week to get the Georgia running game back on track.
Mississippi State hasn’t been very successful stopping the run. They’ve allowed over 5 ypc in 3 of the last 4 games. And on first downs, teams are able to get about 5 yards when running the ball. Which could suit Mike Bobo. Opponents have 45 rushing plays in excess of 10 yards – 3 times as many as Georgia has allowed. And the Burgundy Bulldogs tend to wear down – the second half run defense stats get progressively worse. And that is just when Kirby clicks the headset button to Mike Bobo telling him to start the death march.
3. Could we also solve our sack woes? Because MSU has allowed 29 sacks through 9 games, which is the 7th worst in the country. They also incurred 67 total tackles for loss. This is with fairly mobile quarterback(s). They are firmly middle of the pack in rushing offense. It seems their offensive line allows more penetration than… never mind. Podunkdawg just appeared on my shoulder and frowned on my original analogy. Anyway, even with an injured Jordan Hall and a banged up Christian Miller, we should be able to get some pressure in the Mississippi St. backfield.
Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch so here’s what does worry me about playing Mississippi Mudpuppies:
1. This isn’t the week for secondary coverage busts. I mean, it wasn’t last week either, but let’s not gamble like that again. MSU has some good wiedouts, led by two upperclassmen with lots of experience providing lots of production.
Senior Brenen Thompson has 6 receiving scores on the season, and is averaging over 17 yards a catch. He wears #0, and is of the smaller, quicker, possession type receiver. He catches on the run and makes guys miss in the open field. He is complemented by Anthony Evans. You may remember him from his spot duty and occasional kick return days in Athens. Evans has blossomed as a full time starter in Starkville, and now leads them in receptions and is second in yards and touchdowns. These are experienced receivers who have seen a lot of SEC defenses and know how to get open.
2 . At one point there were some soft calls to bench QB Blake Shapen. His lone thrown pick in the Florida game essentially cost them the win, or at least overtime. But let’s face it, he never should have had the option to throw that in the first place. What you might not remember is that he threw for over 300 and had put MSU in that position. The next week he completes 26 passes with no picks and 4 touchdowns over a usually stout Texas defense. Then he leads a furious 2H comeback at Arkansas, sitting out some plays going through concussion testing, then coming back to lead 3 scoring drives which gave the Dogs the victory. It looks like he has let all naysayers know he is the entrenched QB1. That should give us enough pause.
Yet QB2 is a fabulous freshman by the name of Kamario Taylor. He’s a big boy, at 6’4” 230 lbs, and has flashed athleticism. Not just relegated to emergency or mop up duty, they seem to have installed some packages for him specifically. Last week Taylor ran 6 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, but also threw 5 passes including another touchdown. Prepare only for Shapen at your own risk – because Taylor can make you pay.
3 . This is a motivated team. They just secured their first conference win in a couple of years, after pushing Texas to overtime the week before. They’ve scored 38 points in consecutive games so the offense is clicking. And to win last week on the road, they engineered 3 straight 4th quarter scoring drives. They’ve got some confidence now, and they have a goal in mind.
MSU has to play Georgia, Missouri, and Ole Miss the final 3 games of the season, and that is a tall task. They currently sit at 5 wins. They know they have to win just a single game to get bowl eligibility, so why not do it at home now? Missouri is on the road, and you can never predict how the Egg Bowl will turn out. So they’re focused on securing that win Saturday, and we are in their way.
Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Let us know in the comments what you’re feeling about the last SEC road game in 2025. And as always…
GO ‘DAWGS!!!
