The win over Auburn reduced a lot of anxiety surrounding Mississippi State football. It did not mean that the Bulldogs were once again SEC West contenders. They aren’t – not this year. It did not mean that suddenly Joe Moorhead (whose Penn State players are badly struggling without him this season, in case you hadn’t noticed) has figured everything out. It did not mean that Mississippi State has turned the corner. None of those things are true or confirmed.By Matt Zemek
However, that win over Auburn showed that this team is capable of being a decent, respectable, B-minus kind of group before this season ends. This is not an elite team. It cannot entertain champagne wishes and caviar dreams of a New Year’s Six bowl. That ship has sailed. However, third place in the West and a moderately good bowl bid are still in play. Beyond that, this next opponent gives the Bulldogs a chance to truly showcase their skills and capacities.
LSU looked like a dead duck heading into the Georgia game, but the Tigers dealt out death instead of receiving it. They manhandled the reigning SEC champions and made a strong national statement. If they can somehow upset Alabama in a few weeks, they have a path to the College Football Playoff…
… if, of course, they take care of Mississippi State first.
This is a chance for #HailState to dramatically improve its reputation in college football circles. That, more than division standings or bowl bids, is the biggest reason why this game matters so much.
1 – GIVE LSU FITZ
The chess match between Moorhead and LSU’s star defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is the centerpiece of this game. LSU bullied and big-boyed Georgia. Mississippi State is not going to win a contest of brute strength. Moorhead needs to find ways to make Nick Fitzgerald effective. He is the opposite of Jake Fromm, the Georgia quarterback who struggled against LSU this past Saturday. Fitzgerald loves to run whereas Fromm is a pocket passer. Yet, Fitzgerald will need to hit some downfield pass plays if MSU is to have a realistic chance of winning. Getting Fitzgerald on the move – with an assortment of moving pockets and option plays – could put LSU’s defense in positions where it has to flow to one side of the field. If there are wrinkles or variations built into certain plays which cause LSU defenders to overpursue and not fill running lanes, Mississippi State could hit several big plays. That will be needed if victory is to be seen as a realistic possibility.
2 – DEFEND THE MASH AND GASH
The LSU offense is not flashy, but it has managed to make a few explosive plays in each of its games, chiefly on the ground. The Tigers find a few occasions in which they manage to bust open a hole and gash the opposing defense for a 40- or 50-yard run. This takes so much pressure off quarterback Joe Burrow, who does not throw for many yards. MSU has to shut down the 50-yard run, period. It must form a brick wall against the LSU offensive line.
3 – 27
That is the number of points MSU should use as a goal. If LSU can exceed that number, tip the cap and move on.
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