Sep 6, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Ashton Shumpert (32) advances the ball against UAB Blazers cornerback Jordan Petty (17) during the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
8. Mississippi State
Last Week’s Result: Beat UAB 47-34
The Bulldogs had a nail-biter on their hands early against the Blazers Saturday, and Mississippi State actually trailed for a large portion of the second quarter. The MSU offense proved to be too much for UAB, but there is some reason to be concerned in Starkville about the defensive performance.
A week after shutting out Southern Miss, the Bulldogs allowed 548 yards of total offense and 34 points to a team from Conference USA. The Blazers amassed 435 passing yards – an average of 12.8 yards per pass – against what has been advertised as one of the best pass defenses in the SEC. On the bright side, though, the Bulldogs held UAB to a 3-for-16 performance on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down.
As for the offense, State was balanced with 292 rushing yards and 224 in the air. Josh Robinson ran for 124 yards on 20 carries, and QB Dak Prescott added 118 rushing yards. Both had touchdowns, and Prescott connected for four scores among his 12 completions.
This Week: at South Alabama