This week, the Mississippi State football team will take an unusual break from conference play to take on an opponent from the Big East Conference. The problem is that Big East opponent happens to be the Mountaineers of West Virginia. The Bulldogs (4-3, 1-3 SEC) will make their first trip to Morgantown, W.Va., this weekend in what will be State’s biggest challenge of the season.
The Mountaineers (5-1, 1-1 Big East) enter Saturday’s game as the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, with their only loss coming at the hands of the upsurging No. 2 South Florida Bulls, who also beat Auburn this season.
Head coach Sylvester Croom remembers last season’s 45-14 blowout loss to West Virginia and said that team only got better.
“I think everyone is well aware we are playing one of the best teams in the country,” Croom said. “They have exceptional speed and athleticism in every area of the game, and that is our major concern going into the ballgame.”
The West Virginia defense ranks at the top of the Big East, giving up 262 yards per game.
Also only allowing 97 rushing yards per contest, West Virginia’s run defense also sits near the top in the Big East Conference.
Last season in Starkville, the Mountaineers held the Bulldogs’ ground game to 56 yards and also intercepted two passes.
Croom said that as a unit the Mountaineer defense has added more speed, but it’s not only the speed that concerns him, it’s also their 3-4 defensive scheme, which allows the linebackers to line up in many different formations on the field. Croom said not knowing where the linebackers will line up can create havoc for the offensive line trying to pick up the blitz.
The Mountaineers are led on offense by two of the nation’s best players in quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton.
Both White and Slaton were preseason Heisman candidates, and White is still in the running to take home college football’s top award.
Croom said his team has faced an offense similar to West Virginia’s before, but none with the speed the Mountaineers possess, and that starts with White and Slaton.
The West Virginia offense ranks second in Division I football in rushing, averaging 311 yards per game.
Slaton on the season averages 104 yards per game and has nine rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown for the year. White has thrown for seven touchdowns and has also run for another seven scores alone. Croom also pointed out West Virginia wide receiver Darius Reynaud as an offensive threat.
“The three of those guys make for a very explosive offense unit,” Croom said. “Reynaud gets overlooked because of the duo of White and Slaton.”
Croom added that he feels White is the difference in the West Virginia spread option attack.
The fourth-year coach compared White’s running ability to that of Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden, but says the difference is White’s passing ability.
“He’s the key to the whole thing,” Croom said. “He throws the ball extremely well and is by far the best [running/throwing] combination player I’ve seen recently. He can beat you with his arm or his feet, and that’s the first object of the day to nullify his effectiveness.”
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez said he is expecting Saturday’s contest to be a very physical game.
“Their form is to get a lot of fast, athletic guys on defense, play tough, hard-nosed football, pound the ball offensively and not make any mistakes. So far, that form has worked for them since they’ve already won four games and they played very, very well against Tennessee and are coming into this game with a lot of confidence,” Rodriguez said in his weekly press release. “That will be a challenge and our guys know that. You can talk all you want about records and scenarios but when they watch the film that is what gets their attention.”
Saturday’s game will be homecoming for the Mountaineers with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. at Milan Puskar Stadium.