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 beat Utah State in 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 beating Auburn. Mississippi State has 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 (the Auburn defense) 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 defeated Northwestern State on 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 against Northwestern State that quality time was given to backup players including University of Georgia transfer, 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 Virgina.

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 against Northwestern State for 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. 

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