After last year’s homecoming debacle against the Troy State Trojans, the Mississippi State Bulldogs again look to end a three-game losing streak. The key ingredient for a happier homecoming this year will be stopping the Trojans’ somewhat dynamic offense.
Troy State, which averages 227.5 rushing yards per game, boasts a talented trio of running backs.
Tailback Lebarron Black gets the biggest share of the team’s carries with 86 on the year. Backup DeWhitt Betterson has only 41 carries thus far but averages an outstanding 10.5 yards each chance he gets.
Both players have four touchdowns in TSU’s six games.
Marrio Fraser, another frequently-used reserve, has chipped in with a touchdown and 6.1 yards per carry after sitting out the first two games.
The running game will likely be the thorn in the side of State, a team that ranks dead last among SEC rush defenses. The Bulldogs have allowed 203.6 yards per outing through their first five games.
However, MSU’s pass defense ranks second best in the conference.
In the air, the Bulldogs have held opponents to an average of 141.4 yards each game.
Trojan quarterback Hansell Bearden is unlikely to break that trend.
Coming into the game, Bearden is throwing for a mere 160.2 yards per game.
However, he has run the ball 51 times for 362 yards this season, so the Bulldogs should be prepared for plenty of QB scrambles.
As for the MSU defense that will attempt to minimize the Trojan scoring, there are a few lineup changes since the last time the Bulldogs took Scott Field.
Two additions to the secondary, Michael Gholar and Darren Williams, had eight and five solo tackles respectively in their first starts at South Carolina.
Linebacker Mario Haggan is always a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron.
Haggan leads the team in tackles for the third consecutive year with 36 on the season.
Defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn has the option to bring up part of the secondary with Haggan, thus respecting Troy State’s running game rather than Bearden’s arm.
The Bulldog defensive line needs to win the battles at the line of scrimmage in order to stop the Trojans from running rampant on them.
Jason Clark, the leading tackler out of the bunch of defensive lineman, has only seven for the year.
Last year, the MSU defense forced some key turnovers down the stretch against the Trojans. Unfortunately, the offense wasn’t able to capitalize.
If this year’s defense, which has forced few turnovers so far, manages to recover fumbles or make interceptions, except a slightly better offense to capitalize.