The University of Alabama has claimed 12 national championships in its football history and 21 Southeastern Conference Championships. Conversely, Mississippi State has one conference title-in 1941.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize when Mississippi State (3-5) clashes with Alabama (5-3) Saturday night the Bulldogs will not only be fighting this Bama team, they will be going against the legacy and tradition of Alabama football that leads the series 69-16-3.
The Dawgs will be going up against a team that has won the last three meetings, including a 38-0 drilling in Starkville last year, which was State’s biggest loss to Bama since getting beat 58-14 in 1972. And they will face a raucous crowd of more than 83,000, all of which have a raging hate for the Maroon and White.
But Sylvester Croom and his team are looking in a positive direction.
“When you get a chance to go home it sure is special,” Croom said about the school where he played and coached from 1972 to 1986. “Plus, other than Ole Miss, they’re our next rival because of proximity and the program itself.”
Just 87 miles apart, Tuscaloosa and Starkville are the closest SEC venues.
The No. 98 Bulldog offense versus the No. 1 Alabama defense
The MSU offense will go up against the stingiest defensive unit in college football Saturday evening at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Bama’s defense allows a mere 221 yards per game. Only one team has broken the 20-point mark on the Tide’s defense. Arkansas won 27-10 over Alabama Sept. 25.
“I’ve been around Alabama football a long time and I don’t hesitate to say that I think this is the best defense that’s ever been there,” Croom said. “Since I went there as a freshman I haven’t seen a better one. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge for us.”
The Tide’s passing defense also leads the nation, Bama defenders have held opposing quarterbacks to 106 passing yards a game. They have only given up six touchdowns this season and have intercepted the opposing team’s quarterback nine times.
MSU’s quarterbacks have been intercepted 12 times this season and the Bulldog offense is averaging 139 passing yards per game, which ranks 109th in the nation. In five SEC games this year MSU’s passing game has been sub-par. State has thrown three touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions and they have completed 51 percent (71 of 139) of its passes.
“I was terribly disappointed with our passing and catching. Omarr ran the ball well, but was not as sharp has he normally is in the passing game,” Croom said about last week’s win over Kentucky. “Our receivers basically did not show up, after having a very fine performance versus Florida.”
Bama only gives up 115 rushing yards a game, which ranks 29th in the country and third in the SEC behind Auburn and LSU. The Bulldog rushing attack ranks 38th in the nation, averaging 174 rushing yards a game.
The No. 52 MSU defense versus the No. 75 Alabama offense
The Alabama offense has been tarnished by injury, beginning with starting quarterback Brodie Croyle’s ACL tear in the third game of the season to starting running back Ray Hudson’s knee injury at Kentucky and ending with running back Tim Castille’s ACL tear in their last game against Tennessee. All of these injuries were season ending to all three offensive players.
The Alabama offense is led by their 15th ranked running game, which averages 226 yards per game. Bama’s backfield averages 5.02 yards a carry and has scored 17 touchdowns this season.
“I think you’re going to see two teams out there that are very similar in the way they go about attacking things,” Croom said. “We’re going to run the football and they’re going to do the same thing. They’re going to try to play defense and we’re going to try to play defense. So, you guys might be bored with the game. It might be a 3-0 ball game, but as long as we have three and they’ve got nothing, I don’t care.”
Sophomore running back Kenneth Darby has filled the shoes of Hudson. In his first start of the season against Southern Miss, Darby tallied 197 yards on 29 attempts for 6.8 yards per carry and scored a touchdown, helping the Tide roll over No. 25 USM 27-3. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound sophomore racked up 99 yards on 25 carries in his second start at Tennessee in a 17-13 loss to the Vols. The Bulldog rushing defense ranks 81st in the country allowing 173 yards per game.
Bama’s starting quarterback, Spencer Pennington, originally committed to Mississippi State, before switching to Alabama.
Pennington’s first start came at Kentucky where he replaced Brodie Croyle’s replacement Marc Guillon, who left with a sore back. Pennington’s main job has been to hand the ball off to Darby. The Crimson Tide passing attack ranks 113th in the nation, averaging only 124 passing yards a game. MSU’s passing defense ranks 20th in the nation only allowing 180 yards per game.
Common opponent
The only team Alabama has played that State has played is
Kentucky. The Tide whipped UK 45-17 in Lexington. At halftime the Tide led 17-7 and midway through the third quarter they were only on top by three, 17-14. But a disastrous chain of events by Kentucky led to 28 Bama points. UK had three turnovers that all led to touchdowns and the Tide’s Tyrone Prothro returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to seal the deal.
Bama held the Cats to 177 total yards, while Mississippi State allowed 251 yards against UK. The Tide only allowed 77 rushing yards to Kentucky, while MSU only allowed 84 ground yards against UK. State allowed quarterback Shane Boyd and the Cats 167 passing yards. Boyd only threw for 100 yards against the Tide “D.”