by Nick Demoran

There’s just something about the Auburn Tigers that makes me want to root against them every game. I’m not sure even $180k could make me a fan of their team just for one game. Mississippi State has won 4 out of the last 7 matchups against Auburn dating back to 2012. We knew we were in for a good matchup last Saturday.

After the loss to the Gators, Mississippi State fans were in panic mode.  Where was the run game?  Was Williams suspended?  Did Hill dunk on Joe Moe to lose PT?

The bar was set very high pre-season by Coach Moorhead and his staff. He knew this team was very talented. Perhaps, he didn’t realize just how good the talent level of the SEC really is.  The play calling against Florida the weekend before was a complete cluster, to keep things in simpler terms.

Fast-forward to Auburn. A team that has only given up one rushing touchdown and had the 8th best run defense in America. So, what does the questionable coaching staff do? They turned the Playstation from Heisman mode back to Freshman mode while dialing up some big plays. We rush for 349 yards on the ground and score two Touchdowns.

The Bulldogs defense held the Tigers to only 9 points, outscoring them by 2 touchdowns last Saturday. It’s evident that our defense is arguably right behind Alabama’s defense. Talent is all over the field. Schoop is doing an outstanding job with this group.

Jace Christman. We still see you. Down the middle every time. We love your confidence. Keep showing out.

After being booed by our wonderful fans the weekend before (sarcasm), Nick Fitzgerald passed Tim Tebow as the all-time rusher in the Southeastern Conference on October 6th. Nick now has a total of 2,999 career rushing yards. He may not be the next Dak in the NFL, but his legacy in the SEC has been established.  What an accomplishment.

Moorhead has pressed the reset button on this season and has us 1-0 in the West. After an off week to rest up, State will take on the Tigers of Baton Rouge for what could possibly be a Top 20 matchup on October 20th.

If the Bulldogs can manage to win this game, they’ll be in control of their own destiny for the remainder of the season. Something that has not happened since 2014.

Stat of the game – Time of Possession

MSU – 42 minutes

AU – 18 minutes