Tagged: Dan Mullen
Mississippi State Recruiting: The Bulldogs Fall in Rankings
The volatile and ever changing landscape of college football recruiting can be best represented by the situation inStarkville. Less than a week ago the Bulldogs’ 2012 class was ranked No. 20 by Rivals.com giving fans hope for the future.
Now Mississippi State has fallen to No. 30 with one week left before National Signing Day on Feb. 1. How far will the Bulldog’s recruiting class fall?
Head coach Dan Mullen’s early recruiting success has given way as the rest of the pack seems to be catching up to the Bulldogs. The only change on the verbal commitment list is the loss of 3-star linebacker Lelland Ducksworth fromHattiesburg, Miss and the addition of 3-star defensive end A.J. Jefferson from Summit, Miss.
Per the state rankings on Rivals.com Jefferson is ranked No. 6 while Ducksworth is ranked No. 14. The thought upgrade in overall talent has not kept the Bulldogs ranking secure.
Of the 25 scholarships available three have already been claimed by junior college players. 3-star offensive linemen Dylan Holley and Charles Siddoway have signed their letter of intent.
East Mississippi Community College standout Denico Autry has signed his letter of intent as well. On Sout.com Autry is considered a 5-star recruit. Per Rivals.com Autry was the second best junior college player in the nation during the 2011 season.
With 22 available scholarships left Dan Mullen appears to be eager to sign a quarterback to this year’s class. Steven Bench, a 3-starPennStateverbal commitment fromCairo,Georgiaas of Jan. 24, received an in-home visit from Mullen on Monday. Bench verbally committed to Rice in December. Mullen and his staff can only hope that Bench flips again.
Also on the Bulldogs radar is Nick Schuessler, a 2-star quarterback prospect fromLoganville,Georgia. Schuessler does not have any reported offers to date. He was scheduled to take his first official visit to Arkansas this weekend but has changed his trip to MSU instead.
With the hard cap rule of only 25 recruits allowed to sign for any given SEC team, one of Mullen’s current verbal commitments may end up losing their scholarship offer if Schuessler’s visit goes well in Starkville.
Five other recruits are scheduled to join Schuessler on the MSU campus this weekend including:
OT Demitric Camiel, 2-star, 6’6”, 285 pounds, Houston,Texas
QB Forest Williams, Not Ranked, 6’1”, 175 pounds, Amory, Miss
TE Hunter Bradley, Not Ranked, 6’4”, 220 pounds, Collierville, Miss
K Michael Mordecai, Not Ranked, 6’4”, 185 pounds, Jackson, Miss
K Evan Sobiesk, Not Ranked, 5’9”, 185 pounds, Hattiesburg, Miss
Here’s a list of Mississippi State’s 22 verbal commitments:
DT Quay Evans, 6’3”, 295 pounds, 4-star, Morton, Miss
DT Nick James, 6’4”, 335 pounds, 3-star,Long Beach, Miss
RB Xavier Grindle, 5’10”, 190 pounds, 3-star,Columbia, Miss
RB Deonte Evans, 5’11”, 198 pounds, 3-star, McComb, Miss
S Adarrius Perkins, 6’2”, 185 pounds, 3-star, Brooklyn, Miss
OL Devon Desper, 6’4” 295 pounds, 3-star, Madison, Miss
DB Cedric Jiles, 6’0”, 180 pounds, 3-star, Clinton, Miss
DE Nelson Adams, 6’5”, 260 pounds, 3-star, Brandon, Miss
ATH Adairius Barnes, 5’11”, 180 pounds, 3-star, Port Gibson, Miss
WR Frederick Brown, 6’1”, 166 pounds, 3-star, Jackson, Miss
OT Justin Senior, 6’6”, 280 pounds, 3-star, Chatham,Virginia
DT Jordan Washington, 6’2”, 275 pounds, 3-star, Suwannee, Georgia
CB Kivon Coman, 6’1”, 190 pounds, 3-star, Florence, Alabama
RB Brandon Holloway, 5’9”, 165 pounds, 2-star, Tampa Bay,Florida
TE Gus Walley, 6’4”, 215, 2-star, Leakesville, Miss
DE Ryan Brown, 6’5”, 240 pounds, 3-star, Marrero, Louisiana
OG Cole Carter, 6’6”, 270, 3-star, Caledonia, Miss
DE Torrey Bell, 6’5”, 225, 2-star, River Ridge, Louisiana
S Quadry Antoine, 5’11”, 210 pounds, 3-star, Belle Chasse, Louisiana
P Devon Bell, 6’3”, 190 pounds, 3-star,Vicksburg, Miss
DE A.J. Jefferson, 6’4”, 240 pounds, 3-star, Summit, Miss
K Devon Bell, 2-star, 6’3”, 180 pounds,Vicksburg, Miss
To show the discrepancy in recruiting services, Rivals.com has MSU ranked No. 30, Scout.com No. 18, ESPN.com does not have MSU ranked in their top 30, while 247Sports.com has the Bulldogs ranked No. 24.
College Football Recruiting: Mississippi State Reaping Benefits of In-State Talent
With just over two weeks remaining before National Signing Day, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen has batten down the state’s borders keeping the majority of prize recruits for the Bulldogs and away from SEC rivals.
The trouble with having a No. 20 ranked recruiting class (Scout.com) is other head coaches want some of the same players to help round out their roster. Can MSU keep all 25 verbal commitments through Signing Day on February 1?
Of the Top 25 players ranked in the state of Mississippi per Rivals.com, MSU has 11 high school seniors ready to play their colligate careers for Mullen including:
No. 3 DT Quay Evans, 6’3”, 295 pounds, 4-star
No. 9 DT Nick James, 6’4”, 335 pounds, 3-star
No. 10 RB Xavier Grindle, 5’10”, 190 pounds, 3-star
No. 11 RB Deonte Evans, 5’11”, 198 pounds, 3-star
No. 12 S Adarrius Perkins, 6’2”, 185 pounds, 3-star
No. 14 LB Lelland Ducksworth, 6’1”, 215 pounds, 3-star
No. 16 OL Devon Desper, 6’4” 295 pounds, 3-star
No. 18 DB Cedric Jiles, 6’0”, 180 pounds, 3-star
No. 22 DE Nelson Adams, 6’5”, 260 pounds, 3-star
No. 23 ATH Adairius Barnes, 5’11”, 180 pounds, 3-star
No. 25 WR Frederick Brown, 6’1”, 166 pounds, 3-star
Quay Evans is ranked the 15th best defensive tackle in the nation.
Nick James is ranked the 40th best defensive tackle in the nation.
Running back Xavier Grindle is ranked 46th in the nation per his position.
The state of Mississippi has an excellent junior college system that routinely produces great players ready to make an impact on the Division 1-A level. This year the prize MSU recruit for the Bulldogs is 5-star junior college transfer defensive end Denico Autry from East Mississippi Junior College.
Autry is considered a pass rushing specialist with offers from USC, Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Auburn. This is one recruit that will not get away from MSU as Autry has already signed his letter of intent to play for the Bulldogs.
Autry will be joined by two other junior college transfers that have already signed their letter of intent, 3-star offensive tackle Charles Siddoway (Eugene, Oregon) and 2-star offensive guard Dylan Holley from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
The top out of state talent heading to play for the Bulldogs is 4-star cornerback Will Redmond from East High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Redmond is listed at 6’0”, 176 pounds with a 4.41 40-yard dash. He finished the season as the No. 19 cornerback in the nation.
Rounding out the rest of Mississippi State’s recruiting class:
OT Justin Senior, 6’6”, 280 pounds, 3-star, Chatham,Virginia
DT Jordan Washington, 6’2”, 275 pounds, 3-star, Suwannee, Georgia
CB Kivon Coman, 6’1”, 190 pounds, 3-star, Florence, Alabama
RB Brandon Holloway, 5’9”, 165 pounds, 2-star, Tampa Bay,Florida
TE Gus Walley, 6’4”, 215, 2-star, Leakesville, Mississippi
DE Ryan Brown, 6’5”, 240 pounds, 3-star, Marrero, Louisiana
OG Cole Carter, 6’6”, 270, 3-star, Caledonia, Mississippi
DE Torrey Bell, 6’5”, 225, 2-star, River Ridge, Louisiana
S Quadry Antoine, 5’11”, 210 pounds, 3-star, Belle Chasse, Louisiana
P Devon Bell, 6’3”, 190 pounds, 3-star,Vicksburg, Mississippi
Music City Bowl: Mississippi State versus Wake Forest in SEC-ACC Showdown
The Music City Bowl on Friday December 30, features 6-6 Mississippi State and 6-6 Wake Forest, two up and coming teams that are still trying to find their way within the elite circles of their perspective conferences.
Mississippi State under the direction of head coach Dan Mullen started the season ranked No. 20 with high hopes to compete within the SEC West for a divisional title. After a 59-14 drumming of the Memphis Tigers in week one, MSU was ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll before their showdown with the Auburn Tigers.
Auburn’s defense rose to MSU’s last second challenge when they stuffed Bulldog senior quarterback Chris Relf at the goal line to preserve a 41-34 win. The goal line play would be symbolic of the season ahead for Mississippi State, almost there but not quite.
The Bulldogs were a scrappy team throughout the season but could never get over the hump against the better SEC teams. MSU held LSU to 19 total points, lost 14-12 to South Carolina, and trailed Alabama 7-0 at halftime before being worn down by the Tide 24-7.
Each of the six teams MSU lost to during the 2011 season made post season bowls. Four of those losses came to teams currently ranked in the BCS Top 10 – LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, and South Carolina.
Wake Forest had a similar season behind head coach Jim Grobe as the Bulldogs. After an upsetting loss to Syracuse to open the season, the Demon Deacons won four games in a row including a big win over then No. 23 Florida State.
After taking down theSeminolesWakeForestlost five of seven games, all against teams with winning records. A close 24-23 victory against 3-9 Duke almost ruined the Deacons’ season.
Grobe enters the Music City Bowl on the proverbial hot seat. Grobe had a dynamic season in 2006 leading the Deacon’s to an 11-3 record with a berth in the Orange Bowl. Since then he led the Deacon’s to two winning seasons, two losing seasons, and are on the brink of another losing season should they trip against the Bulldogs.
Grobe’s overall record at Wake is 68-66 with three bowl wins to only one loss.
The Key Matchups
The Bulldogs will have to stop the tandem of wide receiver Chris Givens and quarterback Tanner Price if they expect to win.
Price was third in the ACC in total passing yards (2,803), tied for fourth in total passing touchdowns (20), and only threw six interceptions. His quarterback rating of 137.9 was fifth best in the conference.
WakeForestgave up the 30th most sacks in college football this season (29). Mississippi State’s defense will look to take advantage of the 28 sacks Price gave up behind the Deacon’s line.
Price will have to get rid of the ball fast or junior Bulldog defensive tackle Fletcher Cox will have a field day in Nashville. The Bulldogs sacked the opposition’s quarterback 21 times in 2011, four of those sacks coming from Cox.
MSU picked off 12 total passes in a conference better known for running the ball during the 2011 season. If the Bulldogs can apply enough consistent pressure on Price they may be able to force Price into a costly mistake or two.
Givens, a junior, led the ACC in total receiving yards and set a single season school record with 1,276 yards. He was third in receiving touchdowns (9) and third in total receptions (74) within the conference.
Givens had seven games of 100 or more yards receiving. Deacons’ head coach Jim Grobe will look to get his best offensive player the ball on running plays as well. He had four rushing attempts against Notre Dame for 39 total yards.
Senior Deacon’s running back Brandon Pendergrass caught fire towards the end of the season in the absence of sophomore Josh Harris due to a hamstring injury. Pendergrass averaged 95.8 rushing yards per game over the final five games with five rushing touchdowns and one receiving.
Pendergrass finished 9th in the ACC in total rushing yards (750).
Senior quarterback Chris Relf started the season under center for Mississippi State but gave way to a rotation of Tyler Russell and Dylan Farve before the end. Relf struggled in the passing game where Russell excelled.
Relf’s touchdown to interception ratio was part of the problem (9/7). Relf had a better completion percentage than Russell, 59.6 – 53.5, but Russell helped stretch the field better by averaging 8.0 yards per completion to Relf’s 6.3.
Russell’s touchdown to interception ratio was better (8/4) and he threw 42 fewer passes than Relf.
The Bulldogs’ top receiving target is junior wide receiver Arceto Clark. Clark finished with 404 receiving yards.
MSU’s main offensive threat is senior running back Vick Ballard. Ballard finished with 1,009 total rushing yards, fourth in the SEC, but struggled behind his offensive line in conference play. He had five 100-yard rushing games only two of those in conference play – Auburn and Ole Miss.
Ballard is a threat to receive the ball out of the backfield when they call his number. Against Auburn he caught five passes for 64 yards.
Comparing Stats
Wake Forest has the No. 76 ranked total offense in the nation gaining 374.50 yards per game.
Mississippi State has the No. 87 ranked offense in the nation averaging 355 yards per game.
Statistics can be misleading; the Bulldogs faced the top four defensive teams in the nation – Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The Deacons faced three teams with defenses ranked in the top 20 –Florida State,Virginia Tech, and Vanderbilt.
MSU boast the No. 43 ranked defense limiting teams to 355.92 yards per game.
Wake Forest has the No. 75 ranked defense in CFB allowing 399.08 yards per game.
MSU has the 19th best scoring defense in the nation holding teams to 19.92 points per game.
The Demon Deacons allow 27.75 points per game on average ranking their scoring defense 70th in CFB.
Wake Forest averaged 26.75 points per game during the season ranking 62nd in the nation.
MSU average 25.50 points per game ranking 73rd in CFB.
Wake’s passing offense threw for 255.58 yards per game good for 36th in CFB.
MSU was ranked 92nd only averaging 186.25 per game.
MSU had the 45th best rushing offense in the nation at 168.83 yards per game.
Wake had 24th worst or the 96th best rushing offense averaging 118.92 yards per game.
Wake’s rush defense versus MSU’s rushing attack:
WakeForestis tied for 70th best rush defense in CFB with Georgia Tech at 162.92 yards allowed per game.
Bulldogs pass defense versus Wake’s passing offense:
Mississippi State has the 23rd best pass defense limiting teams to 194.92 yards per game only allowing 12 passing touchdowns on the year.
Should Tyler Russell have to win the game with his arm, the Deacon’s defense allows 236.17 passing yards per game giving up 21 passing touchdowns in the process.
Bowl History
Wake Forest is 6-3 all-time in bowl games having won their last two.
Mississippi State is 9-6 all-time in bowl games having won four straight dating back to 1999.
Prediction
The Deacons faltered down the back stretch of the season. Will the time off before their bowl game recharge their batteries enough to beat Mississippi State?
Mississippi State has a very similar team to Vanderbilt; both teams are scrappy on offense and play hard on defense for their coaches.
The Commodores limited Price’s ability to throw as he only completed 47 percent of his passes for 157 yards before being taken out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Vanderbilt has a two-headed running tandem between their quarterback Jordan Rodgers and running back Zac Stacey, same as MSU.
Vanderbilt had an easy go of Wake Forest in the last game of the regular season winning 41-7. Look for the same here.
Final Score
Mississippi State 34 – Wake Forest 24
The Music City Bowl will be played December 30 at 6:40 p.m. EST in Nashville, Tennessee.
College Football: Mississippi State Trying to Catch No. 6 Arkansas Looking Ahead
The tale of two teams thought to be on a similar rise in the SEC West just a season ago could not be any more different as the Mississippi State Bulldogs travel to Little Rock, Arkansas this weekend in an attempt to knock off No. 6 Arkansas.
Last season Mississippi State, 9-4, appeared to be on the brink of taking a major step towards contending with the SEC West elite teams. The Bulldogs had wins over SEC powerhouses Georgia, Florida, and crushed their in-state rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. MSU finished the season with a 52-14 win over University of Michigan in the Gator Bowl.
The return of 15 starters and a preseason ranking of No. 20 brought high expectations for Mississippi State’s head coach Dan Mullen. High hopes have turned to a disappointing season for the 5-5 Bulldogs. Instead of challenging the SEC upper crust teams, Mullen has two games left to become bowl eligible.
The Razorbacks finished 2010 with their first appearance in a BCS Bowl when they accepted a bid to play Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. Even with the departure of quarterback Ryan Mallett and Mackey Award winning tight end D.J. Williams to the NFL along with only returning 11 starters, the Hogs have surpassed their preseason No. 15 ranking.
The 9-1 Arkansas Razorbacks have been focused and sharp entering the stretch run of their season after two lackluster road performances against lower tiered SEC teams Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Arkansas easily defeated then No. 10 South Carolina 44-28 and University of Tennessee 49-7 in back-to-back home games as they narrow in on the biggest game of their season against No. 1 LSU.
The Bulldogs have struggled off and on all season as indicated by their 5-5 record. There has been inconsistent quarterback play between the shuffling in and out of senior Chris Relf, sophomore Tyler Russell, and freshman Dylan Farve. Combined the quarterbacks are averaging 204 passing yards per game with 10 total interceptions thrown on the season.
MSU senior running back Vick Ballard has suffered through poor offensive line play and a lack of a passing attack to put up solid numbers on the season. Ballard is ranked 6th in the SEC with 811 total rushing yards, though the majority of his rushing yards have come in non-conference games – 437 yards.
MSU’s defense has played well without the support of the offense. The Bulldog defense is ranked 40th in the nation in total defense holding teams to 353 yards per game.
The Razorbacks underperformed on defense in tough games on the road early in the season but have made significant strides over the past four contests. The addition of injured players Tank Wright, Isaac Madison, Darius Winston, and Jake Bequette back into the defensive rotation has allowed defensive coordinator Willy Robinson more flexibility in calling stunts and blitzes.
Throughout the season Arkansas has relied on the arm of quarterback Tyler Wilson. Wilson’s 2,850 total passing yards leads the SEC and he is second in touchdown passes thrown with 18. His favorite target, Jarius Wright, leads the SEC in total receiving yards with 906 and 11 receiving touchdowns even though he has missed one game this season -Troy.
Razorback fans are fearful that the Hogs will get caught looking ahead to LSU by a hungry Bulldog team. Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino is well aware of the talent Mississippi State has despite their 5-5 record. In 2010 MSU took Arkansas into double overtime before the Hogs pulled out a 38-31 victory on a seven yard touchdown pass by Ryan Mallett to Knile Davis.
What’s at Stake for Both Teams?
An upset victory over Arkansas would knock the Hogs out of contention for a possible shared SEC West Division Title and take away a potential BCS Bowl berth. The Razorbacks are well aware of what is riding on the line against MSU.
A Bulldogs win would mean they are bowl eligible for a second year in a row, something the Bulldogs have only done two other times in school history, 1980-81 and 1999-2000.
Inside the Mississippi State versus Arkansas Game
Vick Ballard and Chris Relf both rushed for over 100-yards with four combined touchdowns against the Razorbacks last year.
Jarius Wright had 2 catches for 105 yards and 1 touchdown last year against MSU.
Arkansas averages 455 yards of total offense per game ranking 26th in FBS.
Arkansas’ defense allows an average of 375 yards per game, 56th in FBS.
Mississippi State gains an average of 373 total yards of offense per game.
Arkansas averages 38.80 points per game.
Mississippi State averages 25.80 points per game.
Mississippi State holds teams to 19.20 points per game.
Arkansas holds teams to 21.50 points per game.
Arkansas averages 311 passing yards per game.
Mississippi State averages 203.80 passing yards per game.
Mississippi State’s pass defense is limiting teams to 186 yards per game.
MSU’s lone conference win came against 4-6 Kentucky.
Arkansas has won nine straight games in Little Rock.
The Razorbacks have won 11 of the last 12 games versus Mississippi State.
Prediction
Mississippi State could salvage their season by beating the Hogs inLittle Rock.Arkansascould throw away a possible shared SEC West Divisional Conference Title, a potential SEC Championship Game berth, and a possible BCS Bowl bid by losing to the Bulldogs. Both teams have a lot to play for only Arkansas has a lot to lose.
Playing at home, Arkansas has more talent, one of the best passing attacks in college football, and more riding on the line.
Petrino delivers Arkansas’ first undefeated season at home since 1999.
Final Score
Arkansas 28, Mississippi State 13
SEC College Football Preview: (3) LSU versus Mississippi State
Mississippi State
More questions than answers were left for Mississippi State after their dramatic 41-34 loss to in-conference rival Auburn last Saturday.
With 10 seconds left to play in regulation, MSU head coach Dan Mullen gave his starting quarterback, Chris Relf, the choice to call the would be last offensive play of the game: pass or run. With no timeouts remaining Relf choose a running play and was stopped an inch short of the goal line.
Let the questions begin. With time to run a pass play first and if unsuccessful then choose a running play, why would Dan Mullen leave the final play call to his senior quarterback? One would think that Mullen or his offensive coordinator Les Koenning should be left with that decision especially with the game on the line during a season with so much at stake for Mullen and the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State has 15 returning starters from a team that finished the 2010 season 9-4 with a convincing Gator Bowl blow out of Michigan 52-14. Auburn has five returning starters from their 2010 BCS National Championship team and struggled in their first game of the season to beatUtahStatein Jordan-Hare Stadium. College football pundits, the national media, and Bulldog fans all sensed an opportunity for MSU to take the next step within the SEC by beatingAuburn.MississippiStatehas to feel a certain amount of a let down after missing an opportunity to win a tough in-conference game.
Still more questions remain for MSU. Is the loss of Mississippi State’s three starting linebackers from 2010 going to be too much for them to overcome in 2011, especially Chris White who led the Bulldogs with 110 tackles and six sacks?
Was Auburn a trap game for a team looking ahead to their matchup against third ranked LSU?
Has MSU’s offensive game plan become predictable? Gene Chizik was quoted saying, “We called time out there at the end and told them (theAuburndefense) what was going to happen the final two plays.”
How will Vick Ballard, the nation’s third leading rusher with 301 total yards in two games for a 150.5 yard per game average, hold up on a shortened game week against the stingy LSU defense, which is ranked 12 th in the nation in total defense? That includes LSU’s game against the high powered Oregon Ducks.
Chris Relf is a big guy and gives as many hits as he takes, but how many hits can he take standing in the pocket and on the run before he starts to wear down?
LSU
Even with all the turmoil surrounding this LSU team, Les Miles and the Tigers continue to roll. LSU easily defeatedNorthwesternStateon Saturday 49-3, but more importantly they were able to rest the majority of their starters in the second half against the Demons.
LSU has stuck to their offensive game plan and it has turned out well for them so far this year: don’t turn the ball over, limit long third down conversion plays, rely on the defense for field position, and run the ball as often as possible. The game plan worked so well againstNorthwesternStatethat quality time was given to backup players includingUniversityofGeorgiatransfer, quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger finished the game with 92 yards passing and a touchdown completing eight of his eleven pass attempts. LSU starting quarterback Jarrett Lee completed the first half of play going 9-10 for 133 yards with no interceptions.
Les Miles was able to limit the wear and tare on Spencer Ware. Ware only carried the ball six times but scored twice. Michael Ford finished the game with 71 yards rushing on 13 attempts with two rushing touchdowns. Sophomore backup running back Alfred Blue finished the game with a game high 15 rushing attempts.
Ball control was a problem for the Tigers. They fumbled the ball three times only losing one fumble.
The Tigers defense was dominating holding Demons to minus four yards rushing and 99 yards passing. The defense created four fumbles but could not convert any of those fumbles into turnovers.
Outcome of the Game
Is it too early in the season to call this game a make or break game for the Bulldogs? MSU still has to play at Georgia, vs. South Carolina, vs. Alabama, at Arkansas, and the Egg Bowl at home. Should MSU lose, being down two games within conference play could push them out of contention for the SEC West title in week three.
Will LSU get caught looking ahead to their road game at West Virginia?
Will the cowbells ringing inside Davis Wade Stadium disrupt Jarrett Lee’s ability to call plays at the line of scrimmage?
Both teams have plenty of motivation going into this game. MSU doesn’t want to be left behind in the SEC West race and LSU feels they have BCS National Championship talent. A loss could be devastating to either team’s hopes for the season.
Look for both teams to have the same philosophy going into the game: run the ball as mush as possible and hope their defense makes stops and gets turnovers against the other team’s offense.
In the end defense wins championships and tough road games during conference play. LSU will not get caught looking ahead to their Big East opponent West Virginia.
LSU grinds out another win for the Tiger faithful.
LSU 28 – MSU 18
Notes to the Game:
LSU has won the last 11 meetings against MSU.
LSU won last year’s game 29-7 in Baton Rouge.
MSU could be without two starting senior offensive linemen against LSU. Center Quentin Saulsberry (sprained knee) and left tackle James Carmon (leg) were both injured during the Auburn game. Their availability to play could come down to a game time decision.
Can LSU’s DT Michael Brockers continue his strong play up front and help stuff Mississippi State’s fifth ranked offense?
Starting LSU linebacker Ryan Baker has been reinstated for the MSU game. Baker was suspended againstNorthwesternStatefor breaking a team rule.
LSU senior starting offensive guard Josh Dworaczyk will miss the MSU game due to surgery on his knee.
* Game time is 8:00 p.m. EST.
HogManInLA 