The Mississippi State Bulldogs hit the road this weekend just looking for a win. The team will be attempting to break a 15-game losing streak at opponents’ home stadiums dating back to the 2002 season.
“The first road game will be a great challenge for us,” head coach Sylvester Croom said. “They are a good football team.”
The Bulldogs face the UAB Blazers from Conference USA this weekend.
Mississippi State has only one win in the last four meetings against a C-USA team.
The two teams last met in Starkville in the 2004 season, with UAB coming away with a 27-13 victory despite Bulldog running back Jerious Norwood breaking the 200-yard barrier.
Conner at home again
Omarr Conner will be starting at quarterback against UAB, Croom announced at Tuesday’s press conference.
Conner has practiced with the offensive unit as quarterback all week, and fans will be looking to see if he can continue to score points.
“I really think what we saw the other night is the way he will continue to play,” Croom said. “The key thing this week will be not to bog him down with anything that will mess up that rhythm.”
After entering last week’s game in the second quarter, Conner rushed for 71 yards, which was more than any other Bulldog so far this season.
Croom believes the key to Conner’s success at quarterback is the result of conditioning from all his off-season conditioning and practice as a wide receiver.
“He (Conner) is 10 pounds lighter now than he was when he played quarterback (last season),” Croom said. “He has got to maintain that.”
Prosser back in business
After spending the off-season recuperating from hip surgery, wide receiver Will Prosser looks to continue his involvement in the receiving game after last week. Prosser had three receptions for 35 yards against Tulane.
“He is a big play receiver and has great capabilities,” Croom said. “We try to get the football to him.”
Prosser is looking forward to the road game Saturday. He played in the last meeting against Tulane this team in the 2004 season.
He recorded four receptions for 68 yards in a game where only 99 yards were produced through the air.
“It’s a game we need to win, especially on the road,” Prosser said. “There’s a lot of football left to play, and we’re looking to get a win this weekend.”
Defense has to show up
When State takes the field against UAB, Croom will be looking for wholesale improvements over the team that lost to Tulane last week, particularly in the area of tackling.
“We have got to get back to tackling better,” Croom said. “We need to get our defense back playing the way we had been.”
“We need to get off to a good start in this ball game whether offense or defense takes the field first,” Croom said.
Tough schedules early
Both programs have faced Top 10 ranked opponents already this season. UAB lost to the ninth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs last week, where the Blazers were held scoreless for the first time in 45 games, while State lost two weeks ago to undefeated Auburn.