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5 impact players to watch: Mississippi State vs. Alabama
By Pat Donohue
Published:
The Week 11 matchup between Mississippi State and Alabama will go a long way in determining the final standings in the SEC West.
The Bulldogs are riding a four-game winning streak, and Alabama is coming off an impressive 30-16 win over LSU. However, Mississippi State will return home to Starkville, where it is averaging 42.6 points per game this season.
Between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide, here are five players to watch in this SEC West matchup. These are not necessarily the best five players from these teams. They are simply five guys that could have an impact in this game.
1. Mississippi State DT Chris Jones – Dan Mullen said in his weekly press conference on Monday that he thought Jones had the best game of his college career in the Bulldogs’ 31-13 win over Missouri in Week 10. Jones recorded 2 tackles for a loss and a sack against the Tigers, which led to him being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Jones has started all nine games for the Bulldogs this year and is crucial to Mississippi State’s defense when it comes to stopping the run. And against Alabama, stuffing the run is the first thing opposing defenses need to do.
2. Alabama RB Derrick Henry – The reason Jones will be so important for Mississippi State in this game is because of a player like Henry, who is one of college football’s best running backs this season and just destroyed a stout LSU defense. Henry’s 210 yards in Week 10 against the Tigers was surprisingly just the second-highest output of this season for the Crimson Tide running back. He rushed for 236 yards in Week 8 against Texas A&M. Moral of the story, Henry shows up in Alabama’s biggest games. Expect no different here. He’ll also be looking to add to his impressive touchdown total, which already sits at 17 this season.
3. Mississippi State LB Richie Brown – Mississippi State’s junior linebacker has stepped up this season as a leader on the Bulldogs defense and is playing at an All-SEC level. His 73 tackles and his 5.5 sacks both rank him 10th in the SEC in each category. He also has an interception this season. Along with Jones, Brown will need to help the Bulldogs defense contain Henry in order for Mississippi State to have a chance in this game. Brown will also be asked to disrupt Alabama quarterback Jake Coker throughout the game with some creative designed blitzes that defensive coordinator Manny Diaz likes to draw up for him.
4. Alabama WR Calvin Ridley – The freshman leads the Crimson Tide in receiving, and it’s not even really that close. His 52 receptions are 18 more than any other wide receiver on Alabama and his 576 receiving yards are 198 more than his closest teammate. His 3 touchdowns are also tied among all Crimson Tide receivers. Ridley will look to win his one-on-one matchup with Mississippi State cornerback Taveze Calhoun, and if he can, the Bulldogs might have some serious problems stopping Alabama’s offense. With a lot of attention from the Mississippi State defense on stopping Henry, Ridley always has a chance to bust some big plays.
5. Mississippi State WR De’Runnya Wilson – It’s amazing that it took until Week 10, but Wilson finally had his first 100-yard game of the season last week against Missouri. Wilson finished that game with 4 receptions for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. Although Wilson hasn’t seen a ton of volume in the passing game this season, he has made his receptions count. He’s averaging 16.9 yards per catch and has 8 touchdown receptions for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State is going to need as many big plays as it can get to put some doubt into the minds of the Alabama players. And Wilson is the kind of player that will strike fear in opposing defenses and can make those kind of momentum-shifting plays.
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
