Mississippi State Football

There are currently three undefeated teams remaining in the SEC, but one of those teams is guaranteed to have a loss by the end of Week 9.

The undefeated Mississippi State Bulldogs will travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium to take on the No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. This will be the first ranked team that Mississippi State has played all season and will be the first road test to prove if head coach Dan Mullen has a true SEC contender on his hands.

Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee wrote earlier about why the Bulldogs have absolutely no chance in the matchup, but if we have learned anything from college football, especially over the last couple of weeks, it is that any team can win on Saturdays.

Despite not given much of a chance, here are three things that Mississippi State can do to knock off their first ranked team since the 2010 season.

Win the Turnover Battle

It's no secret. The Bulldogs are enormous underdogs and will have to play a perfect game in order to give themselves a chance in this contest. One of the ways that an upset can happen is if the defense can force a few turnovers and give the offense the ball in decent field position.

Mississippi State is actually one of two teams in the SEC that has forced more turnovers than Alabama (21). In fact, the 2.29 turnover margin isn't just the best in the conference, but it is the best in all of college football. The Bulldogs have forced at least three turnovers in six of their seven games, which is absolutely remarkable.

Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell knows how important turnovers are going to be in this game, according to Chase Goodbread of The Tuscaloosa News.

"Definitely the game is going to come down to who makes the least amount of mistakes," said Russell. "Both teams have done an outstanding job so far this year of eliminating those mistakes."

And while relying on turnovers is a dangerous way to live on the defensive side of the ball, we have seen teams survive off of the turnover margin in the past. Sure, quarterback A.J. McCarron has yet to throw an interception, and the Crimson Tide have only turned the ball over six times in seven games.

But the junior quarterback also has yet to face two ball-hawking cornerbacks such as Darius Slay and Johnthan Banks, who have a combined eight interceptions this season. If the Bulldogs can continue to create big plays on the defensive side of the ball, they will certainly make this game interesting.

Develop Some Sort of a Running Game

I think everybody has seen enough of the Alabama defense to know that your offense can't be one-dimensional and expect to win. The Bulldogs actually have one of the more balanced offenses in the SEC, but also have yet to face a defense of this caliber in 2012. 

Russell has done a good job of managing the game for the Bulldogs this season, throwing for 15 touchdowns and one interception, but he is only completing 60 percent of his passes. He will need somebody to help him out and move the chains against a defense that makes you work for every little inch.

Running back LaDarius Perkins will be that guy as the junior is averaging close to six yards a carry and has eight touchdowns. He has produced seven plays of over 20 yards, has picked up 35 first downs and has topped 100 yards rushing in four of the last five games. Perkins is a shifty runner that breaks arm tackles with ease and is capable of breaking off a few big runs if the defense doesn't remain disciplined.

Mississippi State is currently averaging 4.8 yards a carry on the ground, but rushed for just 12 yards in last year's loss to Alabama. If Perkins can help get the running game going and get this Alabama defense out of its comfort zone, the Bulldogs' chances to pull off an upset increase.

Keep Game Close and Finish It

Sure, Alabama has won four straight games against Mississippi State and nine of the last 11. Sure, eight of those nine victories have been by at least 14 points, while three of the last four have been by at least 20 points. And of course, the Bulldogs are underdogs by at least three touchdowns depending on where you look.

But even Alabama head coach Nick Saban admits that the Bulldogs have played the Crimson Tide tough over the years, according to Brandon Marcello of The Clarion-Ledger.

“They always play tough against us,” Saban said Monday in Tuscaloosa. “They don’t play OK against us, they play good. We struggled as much against them last year as anybody we played against.”

Despite losing last year’s meeting by a score of 24-7, the Bulldogs only trailed 10-0 heading into the fourth quarter. The offense was also able to produce 299 total yards in 2010, including 149 yards on the ground, which was the third-most rushing yards allowed by that unit that season.

When you are an underdog, all you want to do is keep things close heading into the fourth quarter, which at least gives you a chance to pull off an upset. Considering this year’s Bulldogs team is better than last year's, I'm sure this team would take another close contest heading into the final 15 minutes.

Mississippi State now just has to find a way to finish it.

The last couple of weeks in the SEC has been all about South Carolina and the three game gauntlet they ran against Georgia, LSU, and Florida en route towards a possible SEC Championship.

A 44-13 defeat in The Swamp ended that wonderful notion. But in the midst of the Gamecocks rise in the national headlines, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are making plenty of their own at 7-0 and should be considered somewhat in the race for the SEC West.

They aren't.

Most pundits, ESPN (even Bleacher Report) and beyond have the SEC West as a two horse race: Alabama and LSU. Their game on November 3 in Baton Rouge seems to be the de facto championship game for that division.

However, there's a chance the team coming out of Starkville, Mississippi can be a spoiler to all of that.

The game this Saturday, when the Bulldogs travel to Tuscaloosa has the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide favored by 24 points. Looking at Barrett Sallee's most recent blog on B/R, the experts here have the game pegged at 42-14 and as high as 52-10 in favor of Alabama.

What hurts Mississippi State immediately to many is their lack of a challenging schedule through their seven games. There is truth to that. The combined record of their opponents in 2012 has been 23-30 with victories over struggling SEC teams Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

But to their credit, the Bulldogs have taken care of their business in those games. They are currently number one in the turnover margin, forcing 21 and losing only 4. They might be giving up 327 yards a game, but they're also only holding the opposition to 14 points a game.

Again, we know against not the stiffest of competition.

On offense, they have the leading rusher in the SEC. LaDarius Perkins is averaging 103 yards a game for the Bulldogs, and in the passing game, coach Dan Mullen has groomed another consistent starter in Tyler Russell (1573 yards, 15 TD, 1 Int).

But again, against not the stiffest of competition. That's the knock they're getting.

Let's switch gears to Alabama. I recently touched on the Crimson Tide's resume so far this season, which generated quite the list of stats from one eager individual. The fact is they are No. 1, but the opponents they have faced through seven games are a combined 24-25.

Better than the competition Mississippi State has faced, but overall nothing that has really been testing for the Crimson Tide.

But to their credit, same as the Bulldogs, Alabama has taken of its business in mighty fine fashion. They're only giving up 58 yards a game and average of only eight points to their opponents (ranked No. 1 in both categories in the NCAA), but they're also scoring 41 themselves.

AJ McCarron has improved upon the national championship campaign he led from the quarterback position last year. He's already matched his touchdown total from 2011 (16), while throwing for 1476 yards.

Running the football, they're averaging 219 yards a game behind Eddie Lacey and TJ Yeldon. Bottom line, the Crimson Tide are still scary as hell to play.

But as much as Alabama's statistical dominance seems to be hurting Mississippi State's chances in the eyes of the public this Saturday, it's also history that appears to be against the Bulldogs.

History. Mississippi State does not have much to fall back on in the SEC over the last decade. In fact, over the last five years they have been 15-25 against conference opponents and haven't had a foothold in the West since the late 90's when they won the SEC in 1998 and went 10-2 in 1999.

Alabama has plenty of history to fall back on, but all they need right now is the fact they have won two of the last three BCS national championships. That's about enough said on that point.

But there is an eery sense of deja vu that takes me back to 2010 when No. 1 Alabama (defending national champions, same as this year) traveled to Columbia to take on No. 19 South Carolina when the Crimson Tide again, on paper, looked to be far superior and ready to run all over Williams-Brice.

35-21 later, South Carolina had its biggest win in school history, bar none.

Now I'm saying it's a guarantee lock the Bulldogs of Mississippi State will do the same this Saturday against the Tide of 2012 and pull off a stunning upset. (They will not have the Gamecocks advantage of playing at home.)

But the fact remains, they have been given zero respect up to this point. Maybe that's deserved since they haven't done much recently. What it does mean, though, is that a win against the top-ranked team in the nation would put the SEC on notice that there is a third hat in the ring for the 2012 conference crown.

And the fact is, they have played very well this season.

Then again, Barrett Sallee and company here and everywhere else might have that final pegged right. Alabama might rip the Bulldogs a new one as they start to enter the harder part of their schedule. Then again, maybe we're being set up for what would be the biggest upset of 2012 so far and a landscape changer for the SEC.

Mississippi State football is traveling in uncharted waters. The Bulldogs are 6-0 for the first time since 1999 and is right in the mix for the SEC West crown. The Bulldogs are also ranked 15th in the country according to the AP Poll and 12th in the first BCS standings of the 2012 season.  

For head coach Dan Mullen's team to continue on the path of the unbeaten's and keep momentum, the Bulldogs must win their final non-conference game of the season as they entertain the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (4-2, 2-1 Sun Belt) Saturday for Homecoming. 

Game time is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.  

This is a classic trap game for the Bulldogs as they are coming off a 41-31 victory over Tennessee and head to Tuscaloosa next weekend to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

The Blue Raiders have already pulled one major upset this season as they went to Bobby Dodd Stadium and beat Georgia Tech 49-28. Middle Tennessee State will be without leading rusher Benny Cunningham as head coach Rick Stockstill confirmed a knee injury will sideline the Sun Belt's leading rusher for the rest of the season. 

Adam Sparks of The Tennessean is also now reporting the Blue Raiders will be without wide receiver Marcus Henry, who broke his ankle in last weeks win over Florida International.

Sparks reports that Stockstill says this injury is just as big if not bigger than the Cunningham injury.  

“From a numbers standpoint, I think that one hurts as much as losing Benny,” Stockstill said. “There were guys behind Benny. ... We are going to have to move some guys around at wide receiver.”

Even now without Cunningham and Henry, the Blue Raiders are still a very potent team and come into this game averaging right at 33 points per game.

The Jackson Clarion Ledger's Brandon Marcello reports that Dan Mullen is well aware of how dangerous a game this is and the potential of a trap.

“Every game is a trap game. We had a trap game Saturday, a trap game the week before. … If you don’t bring your focus in college football today, you’re not going to win.”

For the Bulldogs its not only about not overlooking Middle Tennessee State but also to continue to get better this week. Last week the Bulldogs looked crisp on offense and played arguably their most complete game from an offensive standpoint. Tyler Russell threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns and now for the season has 12 touchdowns to only one interception.  

With a brutal stretch looming for the Bulldogs, with trips to Alabama and LSU and home games with Texas A&M and Arkansas, it is important for the Bulldogs to continue to get better on both sides of the ball. 

The Bulldogs need to clean up areas on defense such as missed tackles and continue to work on providing a better pass rush on opposing quarterbacks.  

The Bulldogs also need to continue to focus more on their two tight ends on offense, Marcus Green and Malcolm Johnson. Johnson returned last week after an arm injury and you saw the Bulldogs in a two tight end set in several series as both tight ends provided issues for the Volunteers defense. Very few teams have two tight ends as effective as Johnson and Green, and the Bulldogs need to use that to their advantage. 

Green and Johnson combined for three touchdowns last week and their effectiveness helps open windows for other receivers and the running game.  

For the Bulldogs the task is simple this weekend. Stay healthy, execute and clean up your game and take care of business against the Blue Raiders.  

There is no need to look ahead; I can promise you Alabama will still be there and waiting on you come next weekend in Tuscaloosa. 

On the heels of a ball-hawking defense and a back-loaded schedule, Mississippi State has surged to a 5-0 start and a No. 19 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll.

Whether that wave of momentum continues after this weekend's matchup vs. Tennessee, the program is going to be on the big stage when the 2013 season starts.

According to a release by Mississippi State, the Bulldogs will open the 2013 season in the inaugural Texas Kick Off Classic in Houston, a new neutral-site game to be played on Aug. 31, 2013. The Bulldogs will square off against Big 12 power Oklahoma State in the event, which was made possible by the Houston Texans, Lone Star Sports and Entertainment and ESPN.

"This is a great opportunity for our team to open the 2013 season in an NFL stadium," said Scott Stricklin, Mississippi State Director of Athletics. "It provides our fans a unique destination for the season opener. We have a great fan base in Texas, as well, who will be excited to see the Bulldogs play in their home state."

Good for Mississippi State.

Whether this season fizzles out down the stretch or turns into something, opening the season on a national stage in a major city against a quality opponent is huge for any program, particularly one like Mississippi State which plays in the toughest neighborhood in the country—the SEC West.

Win or lose, the game will bring a ton of attention to the program. It's a way to showcase the program, the coaching staff, the culture and build momentum on a national stage.

More importantly, it's great for recruiting.

High school kids, particularly high school kids in and around the Houston area, will hear a lot about this game during the offseason, which will get the coaching staff into some living rooms that may not have been previously open to them. 

If Mississippi State wants to be a power in the SEC West, it has to start acting like one. Scheduling the 2011 Big 12 champs in a recruiting hotbed like Houston in a game in an NFL stadium certainly is acting like a big time program.

Follow @BarrettSallee

Mississippi State (5-0, 2-0 SEC) returns home this Saturday to host the Tennessee Volunteers (3-2, 0-2) in the biggest game in Starkville in many years.

Game time is slated for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. For the Bulldogs and head coach Dan Mullen, this is another statement game as the Bulldogs look to go 3-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1999 and stay unbeaten on the season. 

The Bulldogs have not defeated the Volunteers since 1994, and Tennessee holds the series lead over the Bulldogs, 28-15-1. 

For Mississippi State to stay in the hunt for the SEC West title, a win against the Volunteers is a must, and we will look at three keys that will help secure a Bulldogs win. 

1. Run like the wind

Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell is off to a good start this year, and much of the Bulldogs' success on offense is dependent on his ability to complete passes at opportune times. But for the Bulldogs to be successful against the Volunteers, they need to continue being successful in the running game. 

The Vols come into this game giving up 186.2 rushing yards per game. The Bulldogs are averaging right at 179 yards per game on the ground, so it is important for the Dawgs to hit the 150-yard mark or higher via the running game. 

Look for Mississippi State to feed the Volunteers a good dose of LaDarius Perkins and a combination of Derek Milton and Josh Robinson. This will help open up the passing windows for Tyler Russell and help sustain drives and eat time. This will also help keep Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray on the sideline. 

2. Get in Bray's face

Tyler Bray has only been sacked three times this year. That's right, only three times, which means Bray gets rid of the ball in a timely manner, and the Vols offensive line does a good job protecting the passer. If Bray has all day to throw on Saturday night, it could be a long night in Starkville, which is why it is important to get pressure on him. Sacks would be great, but the Bulldogs will at least need someone in Bray's face, and they'll need to put him on his backside a time or two.

Bray has thrown seven picks so far this season, and most of those came after he was rattled and got happy feet in the pocket. If the Bulldogs can at least pressure Bray, that may be all that the talented secondary of Mississippi State needs to create a few turnovers via the Vols' passing game.

3. Don't get cute coaching—just coach

Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley is 0-12 against ranked opponents during his time in Knoxville, and his teams have been outscored 270-73 in the second halves of those games. We have all watched Dooley crack at times. His record against ranked opponents leads you to believe that he is getting out-coached, and his staff is not making the right adjustments at halftimes of games against ranked opponents. 

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is 7-3 against the SEC East during his time in Starkville, and the Bulldogs have only lost one game under Mullen when they were favored—last year's heartbreaking 41-34 loss at Auburn, where the Bulldogs were a seven-point favorite. 

The Bulldogs are a three-point favorite for this weekend's contest. If Dan Mullen and his staff just play to win and don't get cute with the play-calling, Dooley and his staff are prone to making mistakes, and the Bulldogs should win the battle between the headsets.

Final Call and a Score

This is a game that the Bulldogs need for several reasons. They need to win this game to prove they are making strides in the SEC and belong in the conversation with the upper-tier teams in the conference. They also need this win to secure a third straight bowl bid. To do that at Mississippi State—and to do it in October—will say a lot about where this program is heading under Mullen. 

Mississippi State will be able to run the ball and will run more than throw on Saturday, allowing the offense to eat the clock and churn out yards. The Bulldogs will also apply just enough pressure to help Johnthan Banks and that talented secondary create a few turnovers. 

When you combine those two things with what has been solid coaching from the Bulldogs staff and a boisterous home crowd, that equals a tough, hard-fought Bulldogs victory, and dear old State will move to 6-0.

Bulldogs 20 Rocky Top 17  

The three undefeated SEC teams in the top four of the AP Poll are stealing all of the headlines, but there's another team in the conference with an unblemished record that is flying under the radar.

Mississippi State.

Dan Mullen's Bulldogs currently sit at 5-0 and ranked No. 19, and yet nobody is talking about the Bulldogs as a legit threat in the SEC West. But if they can get past Derek Dooley's Tennessee Volunteers this weekend, the Bulldogs will likely top Middle Tennessee State next week and head to Tuscaloosa at 7-0.

Can they be the team that derails the Alabama freight train?

If they continue to play the way they have during the first month-plus of the season, absolutely.

Mullen is known as an offensive guru, but his team has been making a living on defense—particularly by forcing turnovers.

They've given up 325.6 yards per game—good enough for fifth in the SEC, but have gained 2.2 turnovers per game, the third-best mark in the country.

When you're getting more than two extra possessions per game, that helps any offense.

It will be strength vs. strength when the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide square off, because Alabama's success this season has been directly related to forcing turnovers. The Tide have gained 2.4 turnovers per game, second only to Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) newcomer UTSA in the country.

Well that, and a stifling defense.

Mississippi State's early-season schedule has been a cakewalk, with the only signature win being over the Auburn Tigers. But beating the 2012 version of the Auburn Tigers isn't anything to write home about.

We will know more about Mississippi State this weekend.

Tennessee will be a tough challenge, particularly because the Vols can sling it all over the field with wide receivers Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson. Bulldog cornerbacks Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay will have their hands full, but if there's any secondary in the country that can shut down the Vols' aerial attack, it's Mississippi State's.

Tennessee may not have the name-value that it used to have, but it would be the biggest win of the season for Dan Mullen's crew.

If his Bulldogs continue to play the way they've played all season, then don't discount the possibility of them pulling the upset in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 27.

Talent-wise, it's no contest. Alabama is vastly superior almost across the board. But Mississippi State is good enough to put itself in the position to win the game if it catches a few breaks.

So far this season, it has been catching those breaks.

If that continues, look out.

Follow @BarrettSallee

Mississippi State (4-0, 1-0 SEC) hits the road in the Southeastern Conference for the first time this season, and the Bulldogs make a familiar trip to Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., to do battle with the Kentucky Wildcats (1-4, 0-2).

Game time is slated for 11:21 a.m. CT on the SEC Digital Network. For the Bulldogs and head coach Dan Mullen, this is a crucial game in the schedule for several reasons.  

The Bulldogs look to go 2-0 in the SEC for the first time since the 1999 season, but for that to happen, there are four keys they must focus on to leave Lexington with a win.

1. Run Baby Run

Do not let Mullen fool you. Yes, he runs the spread and quarterback Tyler Russell can throw it, but Mullen has shown he loves to run the football.  Coming into this weekend's game, Kentucky is ranked 95th in the nation against the run, giving up 193 yards per game. 

The Bulldog running backs should be salivating this weekend, especially  junior Ladarius Perkins. Perkins, who worked all offseason to become an every-down back in the SEC, is currently seventh in the SEC in total rushing at 389 yards and five scores.  

Look for Perkins and the other backs for the Bulldogs to get the call early and often. Establishing the run will settle the crowd and lay a foundation for the entire game.

2. Pressure Kentucky's Young Quarterbacks

With a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Maxwell Smith, Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips will now look to two freshmen in Patrick Towels and Jalen Whitlow.

Whitlow is expected to start, but Phillips said both will play and could rotate every other play. Both are super talented freshmen and could cause trouble for an MSU defense that has had trouble putting pressure on the quarterback this season. The Bulldogs do not have anyone in the top 10 in the SEC in sacks and really need to get JUCO transfer Denico Autry and the rest of the Bulldog defensive line going this week.  

Luckily for the Bulldogs they have a secondary that is tops in the SEC in interceptions led by Jonathan Banks and Darius Slay. Both should be baiting these young quarterbacks all day long. If the defensive line can create pressure, it could be another big day for the guys in the secondary.

3. Welcome Back Malcolm Johnson and Feed Him:

During the first two games of the season, Mississippi State looked crisp in the passing game. Russell has spread the ball around to five or six guys, but one of them was not Malcolm Johnson. Johnson, the sophomore tight end, who came on late last year and accounted for 206 yards and three scores, was a focal point for Bulldog passers last year. He has been unavailable thus far due to a pectoral injury.  

Senior Marcus Green did a great job in the early going, filling in for Johnson as he accounted for 85 yards and three scores. But he has disappeared over the last two games as has the consistency in the  passing attack.

If Johnson is indeed back, as reported by Mike Herndon of the Mississippi Press, then look for Mullen to go to Johnson and Green early and often to open up the outside passing game for the other Bulldog receivers. This offense is best when it opens up from the middle first, then to the outside.

4. Now lets Roll!:

The Bulldogs are 4-0 and ranked 20th in the country, and that is fantastic.  However, the Bulldogs have played flat, looked disinterested and very lackluster in the last six quarters of football against South Alabama and the second half against Troy.

It is important for this team to come out with that swagger and bounce they had in Weeks 1 and 2.  

If this team comes out focused, gets the ball to Perkins and the tight ends and pressures the young signal-callers of Kentucky, then the Bulldogs will roll to 5-0.  

This seems like a very simple concept, and hey, it is. It is only football and with having a week off, I fully expect a different team this weekend in Lexington, Ky., and I fully expect the Bulldogs to win their fourth straight versus the Cats.