In the 49-24 loss to Auburn, senior running back Anthony Dixon’s 92-yard, one touchdown performance was a welcome sight to Bulldog fans who felt nothing went right on the Plains Saturday.
A smiling Dixon said he enjoyed getting back on the field after serving his one-game suspension against Jackson State.
“It felt good, just like old times,” he said. “I wish I could have done more to help my team win.”
Dixon scored his only touchdown of the night, Mississippi State’s first score, with 12:05 left in the second quarter on a one-yard run, bringing the score to 14-7 in Auburn’s favor. Coach Dan Mullen said he was excited to have Dixon return to the field, but that the team has much more work to do.
“For his first game of the season, I thought he did a good job running the ball,” Mullen said. “I thought Anthony came out and played hard.”
The Bulldogs put up 297 yards of total offense in route to their 24 points, but the defense took a step back as the unit allowed Auburn to rush for 390 yards. In particular, Mullen said third-down conversions and the play of the defensive line were the biggest problems for MSU.
“It was a disappointing night for us. Obviously, it was completely unacceptable for us to give up over 300 rushing yards,” he said. “That is not Mississippi State defense. Offensively, we need to convert more on third downs so we can take some of the pressure off of our defense.”
With just under five minutes left in the second quarter, Mullen said he thought MSU’s blocked punt returned for a touchdown by Robert Elliot to take the lead was a game-changing play. Unfortunately, that was the last time the Bulldogs would hold the advantage.
“I thought that was going to be a big turning point for us,” he said. “It was big emotional lift for our team. We came out in the second half trying to build some momentum, but we had two straight penalties and that just kills a drive for you.”
Junior receiver Leon Berry was a bright spot on both special teams and offense with 246 all-purpose yards, but he said the Bulldog passing game struggled and Chris Relf’s interception returned for a touchdown in the first quarter was hard to overcome.
“We had a specific game plan, but we just didn’t follow through with it,” Berry said. “It (the interception) was definitely a setback. When I got to the sideline I saw him (Relf) and told him to keep his head up and just forget about it.”
He also said the defense must learn from this game and get ready for the rest of the season.
“We have to forget about this and put it behind us,” Berry said. “We know our defense can play better than that. I worked against them the whole summer and I know that’s not how they play.”
Tiger running backs Onterio McCalebb and Ben Tate both passed the century-mark rushing for the second consecutive week, combining for 279 of Auburn’s 589 total yards.
MSU senior linebacker Jamar Chaney said he credits both the rushers and Auburn’s offensive line for the gaudy statistics.
“It seemed like every time they tried to get to the outside they were able to,” he said. “Basically, they just had straight lanes to run through.”
The influx of talented Bulldog freshmen was a significant story in week one, but few freshmen saw extended action against Auburn. Freshman receiver Chad Bumphis, who had two touchdowns in the JSU game, only caught one ball on Saturday for an 8 yard gain. Mullen said Auburn’s defensive play disrupted his plans to get players like Bumphis on the field.
“We have to give them the ball a little bit more,” he said. “They did a good job of keeping us off schedule and not letting us get into the flow of things. One of the things we have to do when we get on the road is lean a little more on our older guys with a little more experience.”
The Bulldogs were clearly disappointed after the loss, but Dixon said this is by no means the end of the season for MSU.
“We are still trying to get to the SEC Championship Game this year,” he said. “Today didn’t change that. We are going to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan for next week.”