Last year, Mississippi State was the feel good story of the SEC football season. Head coach Sylvester Croom had worked hard during his first three seasons to rebuild the program, but he had enjoyed little success. However, in 2007, an early season upset at Auburn sparked the team. The Bulldogs finished 8-5, including a win in the Liberty Bowl.
If the Bulldogs want to match that accomplishment, they must get better on offense. Running back Anthony Dixon ran for more than 1,000 yards last year, but he needs help. Wesley Carroll will likely get the nod at quarterback, but he was inconsistent last year. The Bulldogs finished 113th in the nation in passing offense last year.
This year, the Bulldogs will not sneak up on anybody. Auburn visits Starkville on September 13 and will be looking for payback for last years upset. Additionally, they have a difficult road schedule with visits to Georgia Tech, LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, and Ole Miss.
Though the Bulldogs will remain a solid squad this year, they won't win eight games. This season will likely be a small step backward, and it all relates back to the offense. Until that unit gets better, we may have already seen the best Mississippi State has to offer.
2 comments:
Whenever I hear-tell 'bout Miss. State, I think about this:
1986. Miss. State vs. Tenn. MS 27, TN 23.
I was in 9th grade then, and I caught so much hell from Vandy-lovin' classmates at the time that it was ... well, it was very unpleasant.
Unfortunately, I remember that game well. Tennessee led by three in the fourth quarter, when Miss. State's quarterback broke a long run down the sideline for a touchdown.
Truly lamentable.
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