The Mississippi State Bulldogs will try to scrape up an SEC road win this Saturday for the first time since the 2000 season. The Bulldogs travel to Tuscaloosa for what will be the first non-televised State-Alabama game since 1988. Considering the way the Bulldogs played against Kentucky, that could be a good thing. They will try to fight through some injuries and get back on track against an Alabama team that they have beaten four of the past six times they’ve played. The one bright spot that State fans had to cheer about last week against the Wildcats was the rushing game. The emergence of freshman Jerious Norwood helped lead the team to a 230 yard game, the most since the Snow Bowl. The key this week will be whether that rushing attack is real. Alabama sports the best defensive line in the conference, and big gains on the ground will not come easy. Bama is currently fifth in the nation in rushing defense allowing just over 73 yards per game. Overall they have the No. 2 defense in the country.
Head coach Jackie Sherrill said, “Defensively, they have done a very good job against some outstanding football teams.”
If the ground game is to get anywhere, it’s going to need some help. The most glaring problem with the offense in recent weeks is turnovers. State currently leads the SEC with 28 turnovers on the season. Kevin Fant will see many different pass rush schemes, and the receivers will have to make plays if they want to move the ball successfully.
The defense for the Bulldogs has actually been playing well. State leads the SEC with 12 interceptions on the year and is fifth in the nation in passing defense. Unfortunately, the main threat from Alabama will not be from the air. Santonio Beard and Shaud Williams head up one of the best rushing games in the country, and the Bulldogs will have to find a way to stay fresh against the punishing attack for four quarters.
“Alabama has an awful lot of depth. They are really deep at running back, quarterback and even on the defensive line,” Sherrill said.
Alabama is 7-2 on the year. Their only losses came at the hands of now No. 1 Oklahoma and now No. 7 Georgia. While they are not eligible for an SEC championship The Tide have played hard all year and have been looking to prove how good they are.
State comes into this game on a conference skid. To pick up a road win at Tuscaloosa would be a huge boost to the team, and to do that the offense will have to control the ball and keep the defense on the sideline for as long as possible. Another six turnover performance will turn into another Bulldog loss if it happens.
Sherrill said that Alabama is the most talented SEC team, and with the exception of Georgia, he is probably right.
The Bulldogs are going to have an extremely tough task of trying to beat this team on the road. Game time this weekend is at 1 p.m.