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Report Card: Mississippi State defense inspires Bulldogs to victory
By Ethan Levine
Published:
OFFENSE: C+
Mississippi State’s offense started slow, but it finished strong despite mustering just 17 points for the game. Tailback Josh Robinson had his worst game of the season as a rusher, amassing just 64 yards on 19 carries, but he had his best game as a receiver, leading the team with six catches for 110 yards. Dak Prescott also started slowly, throwing two interceptions in the first half, but he ended the game with 392 total yards including 331 through the air, marking the first 300-yard passing game of his career. Ultimately, Mississippi State’s lowest offensive output of the season was enough to stave off a tough SEC West foe, giving the team a plus at the end of its average C performance.
DEFENSE: A
Even though Mississippi State’s offense scored fewer than 34 points for the first time all season, its defense was dominant in a much-needed victory to maintain the Bulldogs unbeaten record. Mississippi State held Arkansas to just 10 points, and held one of the SEC’s best rushing offenses to just 4.3 yards per carry. The Bulldogs forced just one turnover, but it came at the biggest moment of the game. Arkansas was driving and appeared on its way to scoring the game-tying touchdown late in regulation, but MSU’s Will Redmond intercepted Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen in the end zone to secure the victory. It wasn’t a sexy performance, but it was consistent and overwhelming for the Razorbacks offense, allowing State to win with just 17 points for the game.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Mississippi State’s special teams were hit and miss against Arkansas. Punt returner Jamoral Graham, who has had his share of struggles in fielding punts this season, muffed another punt in the second quarter that Arkansas recovered. The short field the Razorbacks received from that turnover set up their only touchdown of the game. The Bulldogs did convert a field goal in the victory, something they’d only done four other times in seven games prior to Saturday, and those three points loomed large in a low-scoring affair. Punter Devon Bell punted three times, booming one for 51 yards and landing two inside the Arkansas 20. Neither team allowed any big returns, but Graham’s turnover could have cost MSU dearly, which is why the special teams receive a C on an otherwise productive night.
COACHING: A
Mississippi State trailed at halftime for the first time all year, but head coach Dan Mullen remained his usual chipper self in his halftime interview as he exited the field. The head coach never lost faith or went away from what’s worked for MSU all season, and it paid off in the end, showing the kind of strides he’s made as a head coach since arriving in Starkville in 2009. Mississippi State had every reason to panic in this game, but it never did, and that’s a tribute to great coaching. The Bulldogs were the more talented team all game, but it was their budding star of a coach who helped keep them on track to win, which is why Mullen and his staff earn an A for this game.
OVERALL: B
Mississippi State won another game in the SEC West, and in that division there’s no such thing as an easy win. However, the Bulldogs did struggle for most of the night against the West’s last-place team, and they’ll need to play better in upcoming games against Alabama and Ole Miss if they hope to end the season undefeated and in line for a playoff berth. Mississippi State put forth an above-average performance to win this game, but it was far from excellent, thus earning a B for its Week 10 win.
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.
