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Position-by-position edge: Mississippi State vs. NC State
By Dave Holcomb
Published:
Here’s a position-by-position look at Mississippi State and N.C. State with advice on what to watch for in Wednesday’s Belk Bowl matchup:
QUARTERBACK — Mississippi State: This bowl game will feature two dual-threat senior quarterbacks trying to win their final game. Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott has been tremendous this season, throwing for 3,313 yards and 25 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He also led the Bulldogs in rushing with 541 yards and 10 more TDs.
N.C. State’s Jacoby Brissett, a Florida transfer, also had a strong season, throwing for 2,448 yards and 19 TDs with only four interceptions. He also rushed for 303 yards and five TDs.
RUNNING BACKS — N.C. State: Wolfpack junior RB Matt Dayes rushed for 865 yards and 12 TDs. Freshman Reggie Gallaspy II added gained 322 yards and rushed for four TDs.
The Bulldogs never established much of a ground attack. Prescott was the leading running threat. Junior Brandon Holloway led Bulldogs running backs with 372 rushing yards, 318 receiving yards three scores.
WIDE RECEIVERS, TIGHT END — Mississippi State: The Bulldogs combo of 6-foot-5 De’Runnya Wilson and 6-2 Fred Ross provided Prescott with great targets. Wilson was a big play machine, averaging 15.0 yards per catch with nine TDs. He had 54 catches for 809 yards. Ross led the team with 81 receptions and 933 yards.
NC State’s top receiving weapon is TE Jaylen Samuels, who led the Wolfpack with 64 catches for 599 yards. He was extremely versatile, averaging 5.9 yards on 53 rushing attempts. Samuels scored 14 TDs — seven receiving and seven rushing.
OFFENSIVE LINE — N.C. State: Problems on the offensive line were a major reason Mississippi State couldn’t establish a running game. The Bulldogs averaged 4.3 yards per rushing attempt, 11th-best in the SEC. Mississippi State gave up more than 2.5 sacks per game.
N.C. State was one of the best running teams in the ACC, averaging 201.4 yards per game. Only Clemson and North Carolina rushed for more. The Wolfpack did have problems protecting the quarterback, yielding 2.83 sacks per game, third-worst in the ACC.
DEFENSIVE LINE — N.C. State: The Wolfpack have the slight edge with more depth. End Ryan Brown is out with an injury. N.C. State racked up 31 sacks — 25 from defensive linemen. Mike Rose, another senior end, led the Wolfpack with 9 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
Mississippi State will miss Brown, but the team can still count on tackle Chris Jones and end A.J. Jefferson. The two juniors combined for 18.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. The Bulldogs recorded 92 tackles for loss, 10th-best in the country. Ironically, that is the same number of negative plays NC State allowed on offense.
LINEBACKERS — Mississippi State: Both team’s leading tacklers are linebackers, but the two best at the position will be on the Mississippi State side. Juniors Richie Brown and Beniquez Brown combined for 174 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, four pass defenses and two interceptions. Brown led the Bulldogs with 90 tackles.
Sophomore Airius Moore led the Wolfpack with 72 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
SECONDARY — N.C. State: The Bulldogs played much of the season without two starting defensive backs, FS Kendrick Market and CB Will Redmond. Freshman SS Brandon Bryant and senior CB Taveze Calhoun are tied with Redmond for the team lead with two interceptions.
N.C. State doesn’t have any true standouts in its secondary, either. But the Wolfpack finished 22nd in the country with 188.5 passing yards allowed per game. Mississippi State allows 216.8 passing yards per game, 56th in the nation.
FINAL THOUGHTS
N.C. State may have the slight edge at more positions. But at quarterback, it is hard to go against Prescott in his final college game. Plus, the Wolfpack’s statistics were padded by an easy schedule that opened with Troy, Eastern Kentucky, Old Dominion and South Alabama. In three seasons under coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack is 2-17 against FBS opponents with winning records. N.C. State went 0-5 versus bowl eligible teams in 2015.
The Bulldogs won three of their last five in the SEC, including a victory at Arkansas. Look for Prescott and his tall receiving weapons to be too much for N.C. State.
Dave covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
