Mississippi State star RB Fluff Bothwell to play against Oklahoma, per report
Published:
Mississippi State’s backfield could look a little different on Saturday afternoon against Oklahoma.
First on Friday, ESPN insider Pete Thamel reported that star quarterback Kamario Taylor is going to try to play against the Sooners after missing the Bulldogs’ Week 7 blowout loss at LSU.
Then, it got potentially even better for suddenly struggling Mississippi State, with Thamel reporting that its standout tailback, Fluff Bothwell, will be available for Saturday’s showdown against Oklahoma (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
The junior Bothwell, who leads the Bulldogs in rushing with 403 yards to go with 3 touchdowns this season, has been listed as questionable this week in the leadup to the Oklahoma game, but Thamel believes that Bothwell will be back in the fold on Saturday against the Sooners.
RELATED: Want to play Saturday’s slate on Underdog? Don’t register without the Underdog promo code.
Bothwell’s huge September has turned into a struggle in October. First, there was the Alabama game on Oct. 3, when Mississippi State was blown out at home and Bothwell was rendered a nonfactor, rushing 1 time for 1 yard.
After a bye week, Bothwell was forced to sit out last week’s shellacking at LSU, in which the Bulldogs were shut out, 31-0, without their standout tailback and without Taylor.
But it looks like both Bothwell and Taylor could be back as Mississippi State (4-2, 2-2 SEC) tries to end a 2-game skid against the 3-3 Sooners (1-2 SEC). Bothwell had a boot on his left foot during the LSU loss, while Taylor wore a boot on his right foot.
Friday night’s SEC injury report provided some more clarity on Bothwell, who was not on the injury report at all, giving Thamel’s earlier report some pretty definitive confirmation.
Just maybe, both stars will be on the field Saturday as the Bulldogs try to get their first victory of the month.
With Mississippi State possibly having its star quarterback and its star running back on the field Saturday, the Bulldogs’ chances to beat Oklahoma could be suddenly boosted. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Week 8 matchup in Starkville:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
