As Northwestern gets set to battle Mississippi State on Jan. 1 in the Gator Bowl, the process of creating a gameplan for a previously unknown opponent is in full swing.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald has gone from knowing nothing about the Bulldogs (8-4) on Dec. 2, when the Wildcats (9-3) accepted the bowl bid, to installing his strategy throughout two weeks of practice. Yet many fans remain highly uneducated about Mississippi State’s team, which is why we begin our Road to Jacksonville series with a quick look at the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball.
The quarterback makes or breaks a team, and the Bulldogs’ season is a testament to that. Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell has been spectacular in the Bulldogs’ eight wins, throwing 19 touchdowns and a single interception. However, he threw three touchdowns and five interceptions in Mississippi State’s four losses. Russell is by no means a gunslinger, considering he did not throw for 300 yards in a single game this season and only attempted more than 35 passes three times. He’s completing a shade less than 60 percent of his throws, and his 2,791 passing yards place him 44th nationally.
Russell does not target a lot of receivers, with only three having more than 20 catches this season. His main weapon is Chad Bumphis, who leads the team with 55 grabs for 904 yards and 12 touchdowns. Chris Smith is a bigger target for Russell, but he has 45 receptions for 540 yards and only two scores. Russell’s other touchdown threat is tight end Marcus Green, who has six touchdown receptions in only 19 catches.
Mississippi State’s rushing attack has been inconsistent this season. It started off spectacularly during a seven-game winning streak but was held to fewer than 50 yards in three of the last five games of the season. The Bulldogs average about 140 yards per game on the ground, but that number drops significantly against the SEC. Leading the way is LaDarius Perkins, who has 940 yards despite rushing for more than 100 yards on only four occasions. Josh Robinson has been a highly-effective change of pace back in a limited role.
Defensively, the strength of the Bulldogs lies in the linebackers, who have combined to be three of the team’s top four leaders in tackles. Cameron Lawrence heads the pack as the senior leader alongside Benardrick McKinney and Deontae Skinner. Lawrence has had a remarkable year with 111 tackles, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He also leads the team with 10 tackles-for-loss.
The Bulldogs do not get after the quarterback all that well, ranking in the bottom third of schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision in terms of sacks. The defensive line does not make a lot of tackles, one of the main reasons Mississippi State gives up 166 yards on the ground per game. The biggest threats on the front four are Denico Autry, who has 9.5 tackles-for-loss, including four sacks, and Preston Smith, who has 4.5 sacks.
In the secondary, Mississippi State has Johnthan Banks, the Jim Thorpe Award winner for best defensive back in the country. Ironically, Banks ranks second on the team with four interceptions, but he does have 11 passes defended and seven pass breakups. Not far behind Banks is Darius Slay, who leads the Bulldogs with five picks and has 11 passes defended and six pass breakups.
As a defense, the Bulldogs have forced 30 turnovers, ranking 12th in the nation. Mississippi State is tied for fifth in turnover margin. NU ranks in the top-20 in both of these stats as well.
This is the first installment of The Daily’s Road to Jacksonville series leading up to the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day. Check back Monday when Gameday editor Josh Walfish profiles the most interesting man among the Cats, senior Bo Cisek.
