Week 2 Preview: Southern Miss vs Mississippi State
By: Tony Thomas
September 5, 2019
Week 2 of this glorious college football season in the Magnolia state features rivals Southern Mississippi vs Mississippi State in Starkville.
These two teams last played each other in 2015, with the Bulldogs gaining a 34-16 victory. The last time the Golden Eagles beat Mississippi State was over 30 years ago, in 1988, when QB Brett Favre led Southern Miss to a 38-21 win.
Southern Mississippi is coming off a 38-10 win over Alcorn State last Saturday at The Rock. KR Jaylond Adams took the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown, and he returned a punt 80 yards for another score in the 4th quarter. QB Jack Abraham completed 64% of his passes for 293 yards and a TD, and 1 INT. But the Golden Eagles lost their starting running back, Trevinski Mosley, early in the game. The rushing attack was non-existent after that. USM gained only 96 yards on the ground, and totaled 389 yards for the game.
The Golden Eagle defense turned in a solid performance, forcing 2 turnovers, recording 5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss.
Mississippi State was victorious in week 1 as well, beating Louisiana 38-28 in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. RB Kylin Hill rushed for 197 yards and a TD. QB Tommy Stevens, a transfer from Penn State, passed for 236 yards and a TD, with no interceptions.
However, the Bulldog defense left a lot to be desired. Last year Miss. State had one of the best defenses in college football. But, after losing 3 defenders from the 2018 team to the 1st round of the NFL Draft, their depth and experience took a major hit. And to make matters worse, 2 projected starters on defense have been suspended this season.
The end result: even though they held Louisiana scoreless in the 3rd quarter, The Bulldogs had zero sacks and only 2 tackles for loss against Louisiana for the game. Miss. State allowed 431 yards of total offense, including a 99 yard scoring drive by the Ragin’ Cajuns in the 4th quarter.
The Golden Eagles defense has to turn in another solid performance, they have to find a running game, and they must protect Abraham and give him time to throw. I think Southern Miss overachieves and does just that, beating the Bulldogs for the first time since 1988.
My pick: Southern Miss
Thanks for reading.
Material for this article sourced from: http://sports-reference.com
