Mississippi State Football
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MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL GAME 12 NOTES #HailState | School-Record 9 Straight Bowl Games • 49 All-Time All-Americans • 144 NFL Draft Picks | #ChampionshipStandard November 22, 2018 THE MATCHUP 6:30 p.m. CT | ESPN MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS Oxford, Miss. Record: 7-4 (3-4 SEC) Ranking: No. 18 CFB Playoff |No. 22 AP Top 25 | No. 20 Amway Coaches Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038) Streak: W1 Head Coach: Joe Moorhead (Fordham, 1996) 2018 SCHEDULE Career Record: 45-17 (5th season) Overall: 7-4 | SEC: 3-4 | H: 6-1 | A: 1-3 | N: 0-0 Record at Mississippi State: 7-4 (1st season) AT Sept. Opponent TV Time (CT) OLE MISS REBELS 1 Stephen F. Austin ESPNU W, 63-6 Record: 5-6 (1-6 SEC) 8 at Kansas State ESPN W, 31-10 Ranking: NR CFB Playoff | NR AP Top 25 | NR Amway Coaches 15 Louisiana ESPN2 W, 56-10 Streak: L4 22 at Kentucky ESPN2 L, 28-7 Head Coach: Matt Luke (Ole Miss, 2000) 29 Florida ESPN L, 13-6 Career Record: 11-12 (2nd season) Record at Ole Miss: 11-12 (2nd season) Oct. Opponent TV Time STORYLINES 6 #8/9 Auburn ESPN2 W, 23-9 20 at #5/5 LSU ESPN L, 19-3 NO. 18 MSU, OLE MISS MEET IN 91ST EDITION OF BATTLE FOR THE GOLDEN EGG 27 #16/17 Texas A&M ESPN W, 28-13 No. 18 MSU and Ole Miss meet for the 115th time and the 91st edition of the Battle for the Golden Egg on Thanksgiving Night at 6:30 p.m. in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. It's the second straight season and 23rd Nov. Opponent TV Time time the Egg Bowl has been played on Thanksgiving. State has won five out of the last nine meetings, 3 Louisiana Tech (HC) SECN W, 45-3 including the largest victory since 1916 the last time in Oxford in 2016 by a margin of 55-20. 10 at #1/1 Alabama CBS L, 24-0 • MSU is coming off its largest victory over Arkansas in program history, a 52-6 win last Saturday. 17 Arkansas ESPN W, 52-6 • State erupted for 52 points against the Razorbacks, marking its fourth game of 45 or more points of the year. 22 at Ole Miss ESPN 6:30 p.m. State's defense stymied another opponent, allowing just 219 yards of total offense, including 69 rushing. • The Bulldogs are ranked for the 18th time in 20 weeks dating back to last season. • All four of State's losses this season occurred to teams in the current top 20 of the national rankings. COACHING STAFF • The Bulldogs did not allow a rushing touchdown the entire home slate of 2018 and opponents managed only ON THE SIDELINE (YEAR AT MSU) three touchdowns on State in Davis Wade Stadium this season. MSU will carry a streak of 10 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown at home into next season. In addition, the Bulldogs won six or Joe Moorhead, head coach (1st) more home games for the third time since 2000 and the first time since going 7-0 in 2014. Brian Baker, defensive line (3rd) • In his first year in Starkville, head coach Joe Moorhead's seven wins this season are currently the most by Terrell Buckley, cornerbacks (3rd) a first-year head coach at State since Jackie Sherrill went 7-5 in 1991. Luke Getsy, offensive coordinator/WRs (1st) • Defensive coordinator and Broyles Award semifinalist, Bob Shoop leads an MSU unit that has allowed an Charles Huff, assistant HC/run game coord/RBs (1st) FBS-low 12 total touchdowns this season and leads the SEC in 13 different categories including scoring defense (12.8), passing defense (165.3), total defense (275.6) and red-zone touchdown percentage (25.81). Marcus Johnson, offensive line (1st) • QB Nick Fitzgerald was responsible for five touchdowns against Arkansas last Saturday (4 passing + Joey Jones, special teams coordinator (1st) 1 rushing) and enters the final regular-season game of his career with 96 total touchdowns responsible Tem Lukabu, linebackers (1st) for, which ranks fifth among active FBS leaders and eighth in SEC history. No player in MSU history has rushed for more touchdowns in a career than Fitzgerald who has 43 to his credit. IN THE BOOTH (YEAR AT MSU) • MSU is bowl eligible for a school-record ninth straight season. Entering 2018, MSU was one of five SEC teams Andrew Breiner, pass game coordinator/QBs (1st) who have been to a bowl every season this decade (Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M the others). • The 2018 senior class owns a 31-19 record, which puts them in a tie for sixth in MSU history among senior Mark Hudspeth, associate head coach/TEs (3rd) classes. One more win would give them fifth place. This senior class has reached a bowl game every year of Bob Shoop, defensive coordinator/safeties (1st) their careers and produced multiple nine-win seasons. They own six victories over top 25 teams. • All-America candidates and Bednarik Award semifinalists DT Jeffery Simmons (12.5) and DE Montez ON THE AIR Sweat (12) have combined for 24.5 TFLs in 2018 after combining for 27.5 in 13 games last season. ESPN Dave Flemming, play-by-play BY THE NUMBERS Greg McElroy, analyst 98.01 8 Laura Rutledge, reporter Passer rating by MSU opponents this season, which Games MSU has allowed fewer than 14 points this leads the SEC and ranks third in the FBS season, which is the most in the FBS MSU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK Neil Price, play-by-play 85 3 Matt Wyatt, analyst TFLs recorded by MSU this season, one away from Straight seasons with 10+ passing TD and 10+ Jay Perry, sideline the 2017 season total and 13 shy of matching the rushing touchdowns for QB Nick Fitzgerald, single-season school record of 98 in 2015 joining Dak Prescott and Tim Tebow as the only players in SEC history to accomplish that feat SATELLITE RADIO Sirius: 81, XM: 81 10 2.9 Individual 100-yard rushing games combined by Points MSU is allowing per red-zone trip this four different MSU players this season season, which is the fewest in the FBS GAME 12 DEPTH CHART OFFENSE Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Notable WR (X) 1 Stephen Guidry 6-4 190 Jr.-JC First 100-yd rec. game vs. A&M (3 rec, 130 yds, 1 TD) ... 2nd on team in receiving (17 rec, 364 yds, 3 TD) 3 Devonta Jason 6-3 220 Fr.-HS Nicknamed "Whop", NOLA native ... Played in all 11 gms w/2 rec. for 42 yds ... Had 17-yd catch vs. LA Tech WR (H) 2 Deddrick Thomas 5-9 190 Jr.-2L 6 career TDs ... Started last 6 games ... Made first TD catch of season vs. LA Tech (36 yds) ... 2018: 15 rec, 217 yds, 1 TD 85 Austin Williams 6-3 205 RFr.-RS Breakout game last week vs. Arkansas with 2 TD catches, 52 yds ... 1st MSU Fr. WR with 2 TD rec. since 2015 23 Keith Mixon 5-8 185 Jr.-2L Nicknamed "Pocket Rocket" ... Career: 45 rec, 621 yds, 4 TD ... Caught 4-yard TD pass vs. Arkansas last week WR (Z) 87 Osirus Mitchell 6-5 210 So.-1L Team leader in catches (24), yds (385) and TD (4) ... 2 catches for 21 yards and a 15-yd TD rec. last week vs. Arkansas 86 Jesse Jackson 6-2 215 Sr.-3L Started last 6 games ... 5th-year senior ... Made first career TD catch vs. LA Tech (10 yds) ... Had 3 rec, 44 yds vs LATech 9 Malik Dear 5-9 225 Jr.-2L Missed '17 season due to injury ... Sustained torn ACL in left knee during '17 spring ... 2018: 1 catch, 12 yds LT 55 Greg Eiland 6-8 335 So.-1L 15 career starts ... Graded out at 92% with 2 knockdowns at KState ... Replaced NFL starter Martinas Rankin in '18 78 Tyre Phillips 6-5 340 Jr.-RS Redshirted in '17 ... Seen significant action at LT so far in 11 gms ... Saw most significant action of career vs. LA Tech LG 73 Darryl Williams 6-2 310 Jr.-1L Played in 30 career gms with 22 starts ... PFF National Team of Week (vs. LA Wk 3) ... 71.2 run block grade is 5th in SEC 75 Michael Story 6-4 310 Jr.-2L Started Auburn game in place of Williams ... Played in 7 games in 2018 ... 21 career games played, 3 career starts C 74 Elgton Jenkins 6-4 310 Sr.-3L Rimington Trophy candidate ... Owns starts at C (23), LT (5), LG (2), RT (1) ... No. 1 NFL center prospect by Mel Kiper 73 Darryl Williams 6-2 310 Jr.-1L Played in 30 career gms with 22 starts ... PFF National Team of Week (vs. LA Wk 3) ... 71.2 run block grade is 5th in SEC RG 61 Deion Calhoun 6-3 320 Sr.-3L Owns most starts on OL with 34 ... 1st from his HS to be offered FBS scholarship ... 2 KDs, 86 grade vs. Arkansas 56 Dareuan Parker 6-4 325 So.-1L 23 career games played ... Sees time on FG/PAT and could also play at RG ... Played 20 snaps vs. LA Tech w/0 pressures RT 51 Stewart Reese 6-5 340 So.-1L 23 straight starts at RT ... Aspiring doctor ... Two-time SEC Honor Roll ... Fort Pierce, Fla. native 70 Tommy Champion 6-5 315 Jr.-RS Redshirted in '17 ... Spent Fr., So. seasons at Copiah-Lincoln CC ... Most significant action of season vs.