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Mississippi State Bulldogs

5 biggest takeaways: Mississippi State could be team of destiny

Ethan Levine

By Ethan Levine

Published:

Here are five takeaways from Mississippi State’s narrow 17-10 win over Arkansas Saturday night:

1. The way Mississippi State survived Saturday night showed this could be a team of destiny. The Bulldogs played poorly enough to lose for most of this game, but they found a way to make big plays in big moments in maintaining their undefeated record in 2014. This is a trait common with most championship-caliber teams, which is promising for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State doesn’t have quite the same magic behind it as a team like Auburn a year ago, but the ball has bounced MSU’s way all season, helping what is already one of the most complete teams in the country. Most ranked teams would’ve been upset by Arkansas tonight, but Mississippi State didn’t fall into the trap, and it could be because it’s destined for greatness in 2014.

2. Even on an off night, Dak Prescott had one of the best outings of his career. Prescott looked shaky in the first half Saturday night, both literally and figuratively. He spent parts of the half hobbling down the field while trying to command the offense, and he completed a low percentage of his passes in addition to two costly interceptions. However, he rallied in the second half and ended up posting the first 300-yard passing game of his career in the victory. Prescott finished the game with 331 yards and a touchdown through the air while completing 67 percent of his passes, proving that even on an off night plagued by injuries he is capable of being the most dynamic quarterback in the SEC. With Prescott on the field, Mississippi State is capable of beating any team, anywhere at any time. Not many other teams can say the same of their best player.

3. The same takeaway as above, but replace Prescott’s name with Josh Robinson. I get how this seems lazy, but trust me it applies. Robinson was putrid as a rusher Saturday night, amassing just 64 yards on a mere 3.4 yards per carry, both well below his season averages entering the weekend. However, he still found a way to carry the offense, catching a team-high six passes for a team-high 110 yards in the victory. Arkansas stacked the box to prohibit Robinson from winning his matchup with its defense, but the star back just found a different way to beat the Hogs and then exploited it. Robinson has graduated from under-valued role player to productive starter to now becoming a bonafide star in the conference. Most other backs would have forfeited Saturday’s game to an “off night,” but Robinson still managed to make a major impact in another MSU win.

4. Mississippi State’s defense had a breakout game to help secure the victory. Mississippi State hadn’t scored fewer than 34 points in a game all season, so a 17-point output should have been a death sentence for their perfect season. Instead, the MSU defense stepped up and had its best game of the season, limiting Arkansas to just 10 points all night and just seven after its opening drive. The Bulldogs only created one turnover and allowed Arkansas to gain a 17 minute advantage in time of possession, but that didn’t limit them from making consistent stops in a close, low-scoring game. Mississippi State’s defense tightened up when it needed to, and Will Redmond’s late interception in the end zone to seal the win was one of the plays of the game. The Bulldogs came out on top in their first low-scoring game of the year, showing they can win any type of game they might find themselves in the rest of the season.

5. The Bulldogs need to find a replacement for Jamoral Graham at punt returner. Graham has struggled mightily as the team’s punt returner, fumbling in four straight games including his muffed punt in the win over Arkansas. The Razorbacks turned Graham’s error into their only touchdown of the game Saturday night, and Graham was eventually replaced by Fred Ross as the team’s return man. Mullen has been loyal to his freshman returner all season, but Graham may have run out of chances after Saturday’s outing. The Bulldogs cannot afford to make special teams errors, which is why Mullen must stick with Ross or find another returner to replace Graham for the rest of the season.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.

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