91
Under Nick
Fitzgerald, the
2018 Mississippi
State offense
mostly sputtered
in coach Joe
Moorhead’s mor e
pass-centric
scheme. In half of
their SEC games,
the Bulldogs didn’t
break 10 points,
scoring zero, three,
six and seven points
against Alabama,
LSU, Florida and
Kentucky, wasting
impressive efforts
from the defense.
Keytaon Thompson
is a talented runner
who’s averaged
6.8 yards a carry
behind center, but
transfer Tommy
Stevens figures
to be the answer
at QB. The 6' 5",
240-pound senior
has big upside as
a dual threat and
played in 20 games
in State College. He
has experience in
Moorhead’s system,
which should pay
dividends this fall.
X-FACTOR
THE BIG STORY Expectations
were high last year with
the arrival of offensive guru Joe
Moorhead from Penn State, but the
story in Starkville was the defense,
which ranked first in the nation
in yards-per-play allowed. The
Bulldogs’ offense (which was 11th in
scoring in the SEC last year) must
catch up to the D if they want to stay
competitive in the SEC East, and
they’ll have to do it with a new QB.
Keytaon Thompson was the favorite
to replace Nick Fitzgerald, but that
was before Penn State graduate
transfer Tommy Stevens arrived.
CAN’T MISS The Bulldogs
will lean heavily on their
ground game, and junior running
back K ylin Hill has it all: speed,
power, explosiveness. He
showcased his skills only in
spurts after a hamstring
injury last season. Now
healthy, the 5' 11"
215-pounder can finally
showcase the talent that
made him a top 15 running
back in the 2017 recruiting cycle.
KEY QUESTION Will the biggest
strength of last year’s defense
become the biggest concern of this
year’s? The D-line lost NFL draft
first-rounders Montez Sweat and
Jeffrey Simmons. Senior defensive
end Chauncey Rivers showed
promise as a backup and will start
alongside a pair of redshirt
freshmen.
KEY MATCHUP
BIGGEST GAME
SI RANKING
AUG. 31
LOUISIANA
SEPT. 7
SOUTHERN MISS
SEPT. 14
KANSAS STATE
SEPT. 21
KENTUCKY
SEPT. 28
@ AUBURN (17)
OCT. 12
TENNESSEE
OCT. 19
LSU (8)
OCT. 26
@ TEXAS A&M (13)
NOV. 2
@ ARKANSAS
NOV. 16
ALABAMA (1)
NOV. 23
ABILENE CHRISTIAN
NOV. 28
OLE MISS
THE RUNDOWN
3
6
9
12
15
9 –
4
6 –
7
9 –
4
8 –
5
8 –
4
WINS
The Bulldogs took a step
back in Moorhead’s first
season, but an elite defense
means they could be a
sleeper in the SEC if the
offense comes together
YEAR 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019* under a new quarterback.
*SI PROJECTION
5 -YEAR TREND
8.5
The Bulldogs have
a rough midseason
five-game stretch, but three of
their tough opponents—Kentucky,
LSU and Alabama—come to
Davis Wade Stadium.
2019
SCHEDULE
Mississippi State
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