Auburn Football Opponent Scouting Report: Mississippi State Offense
Oct 4, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Aggies 48-31. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Through the first five games of the season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are off to a great start offensively, and they’ve shown improvement over the 2013 squad.
Last season, the Bulldogs were not great on offense, statistically speaking. Mississippi State averaged 244.5 passing yards and 189.9 rushing yards per game, both of which ranked eighth in the Southeastern Conference, as well as 53rd and 43rd nationally.
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State scored 27.7 points per game last year, which was tenth in the SEC and 71st in the nation, and the Dawgs scored 21 points or fewer six times. So far in 2014, they’ve had 34 or more points in every game, and rank 13th in the country, and third in the league behind Georgia and Texas A&M, with a 42.6 points per game average.
Overall, the 2013 MSU offense gained a humdrum 434.4 total yards per week, which ranked ninth in the conference and 42nd nationally. However, the mark was the best in school history.
Last year’s Mississippi State offense also set new school records for total offense (5,647 yards), passing yards (3,178), and passing yards per game, in addition to first downs, completions, and completion percentage.
And through five games this season, with the Bulldogs averaging 269.2 yards through the air and 272.6 yards on the ground, it looks like the record book will need to be re-written again.