Three points is all that stands between the Mississippi State University football team and a 4-0 start. A delay of game and five yards essentially brought Mississippi State from a chance at being at the top of the mountain they were on this time last year. The heartbreaking loss against Louisiana State University caused every sports pundit to write the squad off altogether. Many pegged the team as mediocre at best and went so far as to say the Bulldogs would be lucky to win six or seven games.
But, as is customary in Starkvegas, the Bulldogs have completely embraced the role of underdog. The defense is just as good as it was last season in the red zone. The Auburn Tigers were inside their own 20-yard line at least four times and did not manage to reach the endzone not once.
Richie Brown has done a phenomenal job thus far replacing stud middle-linebacker Bernardrick McKinney. Brown is essentially the defensive MVP through four games of the season with 39 tackles, three sacks and four and a half tackles for a loss. The secondary boasts one of the most solid cornerback tandems in the SEC in Will Redmond and Taveze Calhoun and with their help Diaz’s bunch has essentially eliminated the deep plays that plagued the squad last year.
Dak Prescott has been all but perfect so far and seems to have fine-tuned his passing mechanics. Prescott appears beyond poised in the pocket in 2015 and has passed for 1069 yards, 7 touchdowns and no interceptions. However, the matchup against the 14th ranked Texas A&M Aggies could be State’s toughest test yet.
The Aggies are absolutely loaded at the wide-reciever position, with freshmen wide reciever Christian Kirk leading the way. The media has been quick to point out the similarities between last year’s version of the Aggies and this year’s squad.
As similar as the teams may be, there is definitely one glaring differences between State’s team from this year and last.
With 1,000-yard rusher Josh Robinson leading the runing attack last year and Prescott as a threat to run at any moment, the Bulldogs struck fear into the hearts of opposing defenes.
Thus far this season that simply has not been the case. Leading rusher Ashton Shumpert has only been able to muster around 4 yards per carry.
Shumpert is far from a cupcake but if the Bulldogs have any hope of defeating the Aggies they must establish the run game early and maintain it often. Otherwise the Bulldogs are in for a long night in College Station.
