BAMANEWSBOT
Staff
Note: Leading up to the start of preseason camp, theThe Decatur Daily is looking at each of Alabamaās 12 regular-season games.
Mississippi State was one of the biggest surprises of college football last season, jumping from a middle-of-the-road SEC team to legitimate national title contender.
That included five straight weeks in the middle of the season as the nationās top team.
But, after entering Bryant-Denny Stadium at No. 1 in mid-November, the Bulldogs were dealt a devastating 25-20 loss to then-No. 4 Alabama, sending Mississippi State into a tailspin and the Tide back into the SEC title hunt.
That game, during which Alabama jumped out to a 19-0 lead before fending off a late comeback bid, was the first of three losses in the Bulldogsā final four games, including a hard-to-swallow 49-34 loss to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
During SEC Media Days last month, MSU players pointed to the Alabama loss as a turning point, and an opportunity this season to prove last yearās success wasnāt just a fluke. If the Bulldogs can once again upset a couple of unsuspecting West teams, this yearās division race could come down to this game.
Game 10: Mississippi State
Date: Nov. 14
Time: TBA
Location: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi (61,337)
TV: TBA
Coach: Dan Mullen (46-31 overall in 6 years, entering seventh season at MSU)
2014 record: 10-3, 6-2 SEC (2nd in West)
Series history: Alabama leads, 78-18-3; won 25-20 in 2014
2014 rankings/game (national/SEC)
Scoring offense ā 36.9 (76th/2nd)
Total offense ā 513.8 (80th/1st)
Scoring defense ā 21.7 (4th/8th)
Total defense ā 424.4 (9th/12th)
Returning starters: 10 (4 on offense, 4 on defense, 2 special teams)
Returning leaders
OFFENSE
Passing: QB Dak Prescott, Sr. ā 244-of-396 passing (61.6 percent), 3,449 yards, 27 touchdowns, 11 interceptions.
Rushing: Prescott ā 210 carries, 986 yards (4.7 average), 14 touchdowns.
Receiving: WR DeāRunnya Wilson, Jr. ā 47 catches, 680 yards (14.5 average), 9 touchdowns.
DEFENSE
Tackles: LB Beniquez Brown, Jr. ā 62; CB Taveze Calhoun, Sr. ā 53.
Tackles for loss: DE Ryan Brown, Sr., DE A.J. Jefferson, Jr., and B. Brown ā 7.
Sacks: R. Brown ā 3Ā½.
Interceptions: CB Will Redmond, Sr. and LB Richie Brown, Jr. ā 3.
Next up: Charleston Southern
3 things to know about Mississippi State
Prescott power: Dak Prescott is undoubtedly the Bulldogsā biggest star coming back this season, and has said he only returned to prove last seasonās success wasnāt a fluke. Given the wide turnover from a year ago, including the need to replace three of five starters along the offensive line and a starting tailback, the pressure will be on Prescott to be otherworldly in his senior season. Heās more than proven himself capable of completing such feats, especially after combining on 41 total touchdowns last season. While itās going to be difficult to exceed his 2014 performance, perhaps Prescottās biggest attribute will be his ability to make the players around him better, helping the many inexperienced offensive playmakers rise to the occasion.
DeāRunnya over: DeāRunnya Wilson, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound former basketball star from Birmingham, broke out as a sophomore to lead the Bulldogs in most receiving categories, including receptions (47), yards (680) and touchdowns (9). The big-bodied pass catcher generally saved his best for the biggest games, especially when it came to playing his homestate teams. Wilson was instrumental in wins against LSU, A&M and Auburn but really picked it up down the stretch when he combined for 313 yards on 25 catches and three touchdowns in his last three games last season, including 91 receiving yards in the loss to Alabama. With so many new faces on offense, Wilson will have to make even greater strides in his second full season as a starter, stepping into the role of Prescottās No. 1 target.
New faces: One of the biggest reasons for the media picking State to finish last in the SEC West a year after reigning atop the nation is the conference-worst turnover. The Bulldogs only return 10 starters from last season, losing several important members of its offense and defense that helped them reach that pinnacle. Thankfully for State, two of the four returning offensive starters are the Bulldogsā big-play tandem in Prescott and Wilson. But if MSU is going to return to the top this season, itās going to take great efforts from several unknowns, including junior tailback Ashton Shumpert who is taking over as the starter following the departure of 1,200-yard back in Josh Robinson. The most devastated single unit is the Bulldogsā defensive line, where MSU must replace three starters.
Decatur DailyāContinue reading...
Mississippi State was one of the biggest surprises of college football last season, jumping from a middle-of-the-road SEC team to legitimate national title contender.
That included five straight weeks in the middle of the season as the nationās top team.
But, after entering Bryant-Denny Stadium at No. 1 in mid-November, the Bulldogs were dealt a devastating 25-20 loss to then-No. 4 Alabama, sending Mississippi State into a tailspin and the Tide back into the SEC title hunt.
That game, during which Alabama jumped out to a 19-0 lead before fending off a late comeback bid, was the first of three losses in the Bulldogsā final four games, including a hard-to-swallow 49-34 loss to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
During SEC Media Days last month, MSU players pointed to the Alabama loss as a turning point, and an opportunity this season to prove last yearās success wasnāt just a fluke. If the Bulldogs can once again upset a couple of unsuspecting West teams, this yearās division race could come down to this game.
Game 10: Mississippi State
Date: Nov. 14
Time: TBA
Location: Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, Mississippi (61,337)
TV: TBA
Coach: Dan Mullen (46-31 overall in 6 years, entering seventh season at MSU)
2014 record: 10-3, 6-2 SEC (2nd in West)
Series history: Alabama leads, 78-18-3; won 25-20 in 2014
2014 rankings/game (national/SEC)
Scoring offense ā 36.9 (76th/2nd)
Total offense ā 513.8 (80th/1st)
Scoring defense ā 21.7 (4th/8th)
Total defense ā 424.4 (9th/12th)
Returning starters: 10 (4 on offense, 4 on defense, 2 special teams)
Returning leaders
OFFENSE
Passing: QB Dak Prescott, Sr. ā 244-of-396 passing (61.6 percent), 3,449 yards, 27 touchdowns, 11 interceptions.
Rushing: Prescott ā 210 carries, 986 yards (4.7 average), 14 touchdowns.
Receiving: WR DeāRunnya Wilson, Jr. ā 47 catches, 680 yards (14.5 average), 9 touchdowns.
DEFENSE
Tackles: LB Beniquez Brown, Jr. ā 62; CB Taveze Calhoun, Sr. ā 53.
Tackles for loss: DE Ryan Brown, Sr., DE A.J. Jefferson, Jr., and B. Brown ā 7.
Sacks: R. Brown ā 3Ā½.
Interceptions: CB Will Redmond, Sr. and LB Richie Brown, Jr. ā 3.
Next up: Charleston Southern
3 things to know about Mississippi State
Prescott power: Dak Prescott is undoubtedly the Bulldogsā biggest star coming back this season, and has said he only returned to prove last seasonās success wasnāt a fluke. Given the wide turnover from a year ago, including the need to replace three of five starters along the offensive line and a starting tailback, the pressure will be on Prescott to be otherworldly in his senior season. Heās more than proven himself capable of completing such feats, especially after combining on 41 total touchdowns last season. While itās going to be difficult to exceed his 2014 performance, perhaps Prescottās biggest attribute will be his ability to make the players around him better, helping the many inexperienced offensive playmakers rise to the occasion.
DeāRunnya over: DeāRunnya Wilson, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound former basketball star from Birmingham, broke out as a sophomore to lead the Bulldogs in most receiving categories, including receptions (47), yards (680) and touchdowns (9). The big-bodied pass catcher generally saved his best for the biggest games, especially when it came to playing his homestate teams. Wilson was instrumental in wins against LSU, A&M and Auburn but really picked it up down the stretch when he combined for 313 yards on 25 catches and three touchdowns in his last three games last season, including 91 receiving yards in the loss to Alabama. With so many new faces on offense, Wilson will have to make even greater strides in his second full season as a starter, stepping into the role of Prescottās No. 1 target.
New faces: One of the biggest reasons for the media picking State to finish last in the SEC West a year after reigning atop the nation is the conference-worst turnover. The Bulldogs only return 10 starters from last season, losing several important members of its offense and defense that helped them reach that pinnacle. Thankfully for State, two of the four returning offensive starters are the Bulldogsā big-play tandem in Prescott and Wilson. But if MSU is going to return to the top this season, itās going to take great efforts from several unknowns, including junior tailback Ashton Shumpert who is taking over as the starter following the departure of 1,200-yard back in Josh Robinson. The most devastated single unit is the Bulldogsā defensive line, where MSU must replace three starters.
Decatur DailyāContinue reading...
