MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL GAME 7 NOTES #HailState | School-Record 8 Straight Bowl Games • 49 All-Time All-Americans • 144 NFL Draft Picks | #ChampionshipStandard October 20, 2018 THE MATCHUP 6 p.m. CT | ESPN Baton Rouge, La. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS Record: 4-2 (1-2 SEC) Tiger Stadium (102,321) Ranking: No. 22 Associated Press | RV Amway Coaches Streak: W1 2018 SCHEDULE Head Coach: Joe Moorhead (Fordham, 1996) Career Record: 42-15 (5th season) Overall: 4-2 | SEC: 1-2 | H: 3-1 | A: 1-1 | N: 0-0 Record at Mississippi State: 4-2 (1st season) AT Sept. Opponent TV Time (CT) 1 Stephen F. Austin ESPNU W, 63-6 LSU TIGERS 8 at Kansas State ESPN W, 31-10 Record: 6-1 (3-1 SEC) 15 Louisiana ESPN2 W, 56-10 Ranking: No. 5 Associated Press | No. 5 Amway Coaches 22 at Kentucky ESPN2 L, 28-7 Streak: W1 Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern State, 1984) 29 Florida ESPN L, 13-6 Career Record: 37-34 (7th season) Record at LSU: 21-7 (3rd season) Oct. Opponent TV Time 6 #8/9 Auburn ESPN2 W, 23-9 20 at #5/5 LSU ESPN 6 p.m. STORYLINES 27 #17/18 Texas A&M ESPN 6 p.m. NO. 22 MSU TRAVELS TO NO. 5 LSU FOR PRIMETIME SEC MATCHUP Nov. Opponent TV Time MSU will play its second straight game against a ranked team as the Bulldogs take on No. 5/5 LSU at 6 p.m. 3 Louisiana Tech (HC) TBA TBA CT Saturday in Death Valley on ESPN. It also will be State's fifth straight night game. 10 at #1/1 Alabama TBA TBA • State enters the game coming off an open week after earning a 23-9 victory against then-No. 8 Auburn at home. 17 Arkansas TBA TBA • The win over Auburn was the Bulldogs' largest margin of victory over a top-10 team since beating No. 22 at Ole Miss ESPN 6:30 p.m. 2 Auburn, 38-23, on Oct. 11, 2014, a game that catapulted MSU to its first No. 1 ranking. Since that memorable season, MSU has produced five victories over top 10 teams. That mark is third in the SEC. • MSU is ranked for the 14th time in 15 weeks dating back to last season. The Bulldogs moved up one spot in COACHING STAFF the Associated Press Top 25 poll to No. 22 on Oct. 14. State is receiving votes in the Coaches poll. ON THE SIDELINE (YEAR AT MSU) • Montez Sweat was named the FWAA's Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week and Joe Moorhead, head coach (1st) Bednarik Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club for his disruptive performance vs. Auburn on Brian Baker, defensive line (3rd) Oct. 6. The five-time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week had a career-best three sacks for a loss of 27 Terrell Buckley, cornerbacks (3rd) yards, forcing one fumble and adding two quarterback hurries that forced incomplete passes. Sweat leads Luke Getsy, offensive coordinator/WRs (1st) the nation in sacks per game (1.25) and is tied for the SEC lead in total sacks (7.5). Charles Huff, assistant HC/run game coord/RBs (1st) • Nick Fitzgerald was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the fifth time in his career, which tied Marcus Johnson, offensive line (1st) Dak Prescott for most in MSU history. He accounted for 264 yards of total offense and two TDs against Joey Jones, special teams coordinator (1st) Auburn, shattering Tim Tebow's SEC career record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 195 yards and Tem Lukabu, linebackers (1st) both of the Bulldogs' TDs. Fitzgerald now sits at 2,999 rushing yards and 40 rushing TDs for his career. • LSU leads the all-time series 73-35-3 since 1896. Last year, MSU recorded its largest victory ever over No. IN THE BOOTH (YEAR AT MSU) 11 LSU, 37-7, in Starkville. It also was the Bulldogs' second-biggest margin of victory over an AP ranked team since Oct. 17, 1942 (def. No. 11 Vanderbilt). Three of the last four meetings have come down to the Andrew Breiner, pass game coordinator/QBs (1st) final two minutes and been decided by five points or less. Mark Hudspeth, associate head coach/TEs (3rd) Bob Shoop, defensive coordinator/safeties (1st) • State leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 12.7 points per game, and ranks eighth in total defense (289.7). The Bulldogs also rank 13th in passing defense (174.3) and 19th in rushing defense (115.3). • The Bulldogs boast the SEC's top rushing offense (240.7) and rank inside the top five in the conference in ON THE AIR all major defensive statistical categories including scoring defense (1st at 12.7), total defense (1st at 289.7), rushing defense (2nd at 115.3) and passing defense (2nd at 174.3). ESPN Dave Pasch, play-by-play BY THE NUMBERS Greg McElroy, analyst Tom Luginbill, reporter 18 5 Sacks in 19 career games for Montez Sweat, the Number of games MSU has held its opponent to MSU SPORTS RADIO NETWORK most by a player in the Power 5 since 2017 less than 14 points, which is the most in the FBS Neil Price, play-by-play Matt Wyatt, analyst 76 0 Jay Perry, sideline Points allowed by MSU through six games this Fumbles lost this season by the Bulldogs, who are season, the fewest in the FBS the only team in the FBS without a lost fumble SATELLITE RADIO 569 Sirius: 134, XM: 201 2,999 Snaps in pass protection by Rimington Trophy Career rush yards by Nick Fitzgerald, needing just candidate Elgton Jenkins at center over the last 19 one to become the 11th FBS QB ever with 3,000 games without allowing a sack rush yards/5,000 pass yards/40 rush TD/40 pass TD GAME 7 DEPTH CHART OFFENSE Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Notable WR (X) 1 Stephen Guidry 6-4 190 Jr.-JC 2nd leading rec. on team (10 rec, 192 yds, 1 TD) ... No.1 JUCO WR in America in 2017 ... Louisiana native (New Roads) 3 Devonta Jason 6-3 220 Fr.-HS Nicknamed "Whop", NOLA native ... Played in all 5 gms w/1 rec. for 25 yds ... HS teammates with K. Thompson WR (H) 2 Deddrick Thomas 5-9 190 Jr.-2L 5 career TDs ... Breakout game Wk 3 vs. LA w/2 catches, 53 yds ... Started last 2 games ... 2018: 7 rec, 103 yds, 0 TD -or- 85 Austin Williams 6-3 205 RFr.-RS Started first 4 games ... Caught first career TD (13 yds) at KState Wk 2 in 3Q ... RS last season ... 2018: 7 rec, 72 yds 23 Keith Mixon 5-8 185 Jr.-2L Nicknamed "Pocket Rocket" ... Wk 3 vs. LA: 4 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD (25 yds in 3Q) ... Career: 43 rec, 604 yds, 3 TD WR (Z) 87 Osirus Mitchell 6-5 210 So.-1L Career-best 114 yds and 2 TD in season opener ... Team leader in catches (13), yds (242) and TD (2) ... 1 rec, 23 yds last gm 86 Jesse Jackson 6-2 215 Sr.-3L Team's leading receiver in '17 (276 yards, 28 rec.) ... 5th-year senior ... Seeking first TD catch ... 2 rec. in 2018 9 Malik Dear 5-9 225 Jr.-2L Missed '17 season due to injury ... Sustained torn ACL in left knee during '17 spring ... Returned vs. LA (1 rec, 12 yds) LT 55 Greg Eiland 6-8 335 So.-1L 10 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 6 gms ... Saw most significant action of career at UK Wk 4 LG 73 Darryl Williams 6-2 310 Jr.-1L Played in 25 career gms with 18 starts ... Named to PFF National Team of Week (vs. LA Wk 3) ... DNP last game vs. AU 75 Michael Story 6-4 310 Jr.-2L Started last game vs. AU in place of Williams ... Played in 3 games in 2018 ... 17 career games played, 3 career starts C 74 Elgton Jenkins 6-4 310 Sr.-3L Rimington Trophy candidate ... Owns starts at C (18), LT (5), LG (2), RT (1) ... No. 1 NFL center prospect by Mel Kiper 73 Darryl Williams 6-2 310 Jr.-1L Played in 25 career gms with 18 starts ... Named to PFF National Team of Week (vs. LA Wk 3) ... DNP last game vs. AU RG 61 Deion Calhoun 6-3 320 Sr.-3L Owns most starts on OL with 29 ... Didn't allow a sack in '17 ... 1st from his HS to be offered FBS scholarship 56 Dareuan Parker 6-4 325 So.-1L 18 career games played ... Sees time on FG/PAT and could also play at RG RT 51 Stewart Reese 6-5 340 So.-1L 19 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 freshman and sophomore seasons at Copiah-Lincoln CC ... First career action vs. LA Wk 3 TE 81 Justin Johnson 6-3 245 Sr.-3L Has a catch in 9 of last 12 games ... 2 catches for 10 yds last game vs. AU ... 2018: 4th leading rec. (8 rec, 119 yds, 0 TD) 82 Farrod Green 6-4 240 Jr.-2L Started 21 of 31 games played ... Longest catch is 62 yds ..