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Mississippi State rushing attack must beat Georgia Tech at its own game
By Ethan Levine
Published:
If you’re a fan who appreciates old-school, run-heavy football, you’re in for a treat when Mississippi State and Georgia Tech face off in this year’s Orange Bowl on Dec. 31.
Georgia Tech and its triple-option offense boasted the nation’s third-best rushing attack during the regular season, averaging more than 333 yards per game on the ground. Mississippi State operated a more traditional offense, but the tandem of Josh Robinson and Maxwell Award finalist Dak Prescott still helped MSU run for just shy of 240 yards per game, which ranked 20th out of 128 FBS teams in 2014.
Running the ball effectively is a big part of both teams’ recipes for success this bowl season, but their differing styles create an interesting dynamic in this year’s Orange Bowl.
Not only does Georgia Tech run the ball as effectively and creatively as any team in the country, but it is just as astute at keeping the ball out of its opponents’ hands. Only two teams in the FBS possessed the ball for more time this season than the Yellow Jackets, who amassed a time of possession advantage of more than eight minutes per game this season.
Tech loves to hold the ball for 8-10 minutes at a time on its best drives, scoring touchdowns of its own while allowing little time for its opponents to match those scores.
Simply put, Prescott and Robinson can’t let that happen next week in Miami.
The Bulldogs defense proved more capable at stopping the run than the pass this season, but Georgia Tech has victimized far more dynamic defenses with its slow-paced, methodical, wear-you-down offense. Add in the fact that MSU will compete in this game without defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, and there’s good reason to believe Tech will post at least one or two long, drawn-out touchdown drives.
And when it does, Dakman and Robinson must counter each and every one. Defeating the triple-option requires an effective offense just as much as it requires a disciplined defense.
Mississippi State must play the ball control game itself if it wants to win. The Bulldogs cannot be in a rush against the Yellow Jackets, and they must try and hold the ball for as long as they can for a number of reasons.
First, if the MSU defense is going to be stuck on the field for long stretches as the Yellow Jackets slowly march down the field, the MSU offense will need to sustain some drives just to give its defense a rest on the sidelines.
Prescott and Robinson must work effectively in tandem the way they did during Mississippi State’s 9-0 start to the year, moving the chains with a consistent approach rather than taking a big-play, feast-or-famine approach with a handful of 3-5 play drives.
Second, Mississippi State must hold the ball and keep it out of the Yellow Jackets hands for the same reason Georgia Tech wants to play keep-away from the Bulldogs.
Both teams averaged 37 points per game in 2014, but Mississippi State reached that 37-point average with four fewer minutes of possession per game. The Bulldogs are the more capable team when it comes to scoring in a hurry, and if MSU needs a quick score following a long Georgia Tech drive, it has the star-power to do so.
But if the Yellow Jackets need a quick score following a long Mississippi State drive, they are not as capable. Georgia Tech doesn’t do much in a hurry on offense, and it boasts one of the least-threatening pass attacks among the power five conferences.
Thus, Mississippi State would stand to benefit from a few long, clock-eating drives of its own to take Georgia Tech out of its comfort zone. Essentially, Mississippi State must beat Georgia Tech at its own game.
For two high-scoring offenses dependent on the run, ball-control means everything. However, only one team needs ball control to remain effective on offense: Georgia Tech.
Mississippi State does not need to control the ball to score points, but it needs to prevent the Yellow Jackets from controlling possession. Thus, the more time Mississippi State can sustain drives, the more effective its offense will be.
Prescott and Robinson don’t need to run wild to earn the Bulldogs a victory; they just need to run often.
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.
