With bowl in sight, Bulldogs’ win streak ends with 45-31 loss
Heading into Saturday’s game against the University of Arkansas, Mississippi State had a simple game plan: stop Heisman hopeful running back Darren McFadden. For the majority of the game, the plan worked, with State’s defense holding the All-American back in McFadden to just 88 yards rushing.
However, with all of the attention focused on the Razorbacks’ star runner, that left plenty of plays to be made by Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick. The offensive attack of the Razorbacks, combined with five Mississippi State turnovers, lead to a 45-31 Razorback win Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
While State got the required six wins it needed to become bowl eligible with an upset win over Alabama last week, a win over the Razorbacks would have given the Bulldogs a greater chance of being invited to a more prestigious bowl.
The loss also marked the Bulldogs’ ninth consecutive loss to Arkansas, and State has still yet to beat the Razorbacks on their home turf.
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs’ offense racked up 501 total yards, its highest total since 2002.
With so much focus on McFadden, Dick finished the game having completed 14 of 17 passes and was able to throw for 199 yards and four touchdowns against a State defense whose was clearly on containing McFadden.
“We went into the game with a lot of focus on Darren McFadden,” senior defensive end Titus Brown said. “[Arkansas’ offense was] able to divert to others, and they capitalized on our mistakes.”
Senior linebacker Gabe O’Neal said the approach Arkansas took was surprising.
“We came in and thought they were going to pound the ball,” O’Neal said. “They executed in their passing game and that helped them out a lot.”
In the first half, Mississippi State (6-5, 3-4 SEC) was able to contain McFadden, allowing the tailback only 39 yards rushing in the half. However, the attention McFadden received allowed Dick to throw touchdown passes to three different receivers.
Arkansas (7-4, 3-4 SEC) scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter and took a 24-7 lead into halftime.
State was forced to come out in the second half and attempt to play catch-up, which it hasn’t had much success this season.
Despite the fact that State was able to score 24 points in the second half, the team could not get the game back to a manageable position, with both teams swapping scores throughout the half.
On State’s first possession in the third, State kicker Adam Carlson added a 25-yard field goal, but on Arkansas’ second, Dick found McFadden open in the flat, and the speedy back broke up the left sideline for a 57-yard touchdown.
After a 25-yard touchdown pass from Wesley Carroll to Tony Burks, McFadden tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Robert Johnson to make the score 38-17.
The trend would continue throughout the half, and Bulldogs head coach Sylvester Croom said his team just couldn’t get close enough.
“We never could get it less than 14 [points],” Croom said. “That was the idea. If we could just get it back to seven, we had a chance to win the game.”
Despite the never-quit attitude of his team, it was State’s five turnovers, including four in the second half, that drew the ire of the fourth-year coach.
“The turnovers hurt us a lot,” Croom said. “We made some big plays that kept us in the game, but it was the turnovers that hurt us.”
Forced to throw more during the second period, State starting quarterback Wesley Carroll threw four interceptions in the half, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
“We didn’t execute well,” Croom said as he recalled several of the turnovers. “We had a chance to go out and win the second half, but we had too many missed assignments and turnovers to beat a good team on the road in their place.”
At the same time Croom saw his young quarterback struggle, he also saw him have a productive afternoon.
Carroll finished the game 29-of-51 for 421 yards and four touchdowns.
Carroll’s passing yardage was the highest a State quarterback has had since 1994, and his four touchdowns ties him for the most in a single game.
Jamayel Smith, Carroll’s main target on the afternoon, caught two touchdown passes and racked up 208 receiving yards on 10 catches.